Lies and Coverups - How the Sugar Association Hid Damaging Research
From books and documentaries to athletes and medical professionals, sources everywhere are using terms like “white poison” when referring to sugar. The reasons why sugar is detrimental to our health are many, and they range from being the leading cause of obesity to the only cause of tooth decay. While saturated fat has long been considered one of the leading causes of heart disease, a new investigation, hidden from the public, shows that sugar may actually be to blame.
On November 21, 2017, an investigation showed there is more truth to the damaging claims of sugar than ever before. Researchers found that the sugar industry has been aware of links between sugar and heart disease for the last 50 years. The ramifications of this coverup have led to growing health complications for American citizens and benefits for the sugar industry. Discover the pivotal study that proved the damaging qualities of sugar, but was quickly shut down and hidden by the sugar industry.
All of the recent uproar in various forms of media has flashed a new spotlight on sugar and the toll it takes on our health. Since it has clearly been proven that the sugar industry took action to cover up research that showed a link between the sweet, white substance and heart disease, this finding is a major gamechanger. Peruse a brief overview of the events that led to this revolutionary finding.
In 1965, the Sugar Research Foundation (SRF) funded animal research to test the link between sucrose and coronary heart disease (CHD). The project was called “Project 259: Dietary Carbohydrate and Blood Lipids in Germ-Free Rats.” Research on rats is often sufficient for FDA to pull products off the market and was even more highly regarded in the 1960’s.
With half the rats given a diet high in sugar and the other half a standard diet, the results were undeniable: The rats fed on a high sugar diet had a significantly higher presence of beta-glucuronidase, an enzyme known to cause bladder cancer in humans. Furthermore, the group fed on a high sugar diet also showed that when sugar is digested by the natural enzymes in our gut, it contributes greatly toward hypertriglyceridemia which is associated with heart disease.
Once it was apparent that the findings of this study weren’t going to go in favor of the sugar industry, they refused to continue funding. The Sugar Research Foundation terminated the research known as Project 259 and ensured that it was never published. This caused much of the blame for heart disease to be shifted towards saturated fat, when in fact, sugar was the main cause of heart disease all along.
Since research is the foundation by which organizations like the FDA approve or ban products, it’s vital for all Americans that this research is accurate. The author of this new investigation into sugar’s cover-up, Dr. Stanton Glantz, doubts that this was one lone occurrence:
“This is continuing to build the case that the sugar industry has a long history of manipulating science.” explained Dr. Glantz.
By manipulating the data to falsely insinuate that sugar is not a cause of cancer and heart disease, they have paved the way for it to become a mainstream staple in the American diet.
The widespread lie that sugar is a healthy part of our diets has seriously damaged the health of millions of people over the previous five decades. Some of the specific ramifications that the Sugar Research Foundation’s lies have had on society include:
The research that was covered up 50 years ago points to sugar as a leading factor in heart disease and cancer. Whether you decide to swear off the sweet stuff for good, cut back a little, or ignore the research entirely, there’s no denying that a diet high in sugar is terrible for your health. If choosing an alternative like Splenda or monk fruit can save you from obesity, tooth decay, heart disease, and cancer, isn’t it worth making the switch?
The level of deception seen in the Sugar Research Foundation’s cover-up of Project 259 is reminiscent of similar cover-ups that were done by tobacco companies. When a company or industry puts profits ahead of the lives of the public, how can they be trusted? Although it’s sweet by nature and added to numerous products we see on the shelves, investigations and research have revealed the truth - that sugar is a poison best avoided by those who care about health and fitness.
On November 21, 2017, an investigation showed there is more truth to the damaging claims of sugar than ever before. Researchers found that the sugar industry has been aware of links between sugar and heart disease for the last 50 years. The ramifications of this coverup have led to growing health complications for American citizens and benefits for the sugar industry. Discover the pivotal study that proved the damaging qualities of sugar, but was quickly shut down and hidden by the sugar industry.
A New Investigation Reveals a Major Coverup
All of the recent uproar in various forms of media has flashed a new spotlight on sugar and the toll it takes on our health. Since it has clearly been proven that the sugar industry took action to cover up research that showed a link between the sweet, white substance and heart disease, this finding is a major gamechanger. Peruse a brief overview of the events that led to this revolutionary finding.
The SRF Funds Research into Sugar’s Effect on the Heart
In 1965, the Sugar Research Foundation (SRF) funded animal research to test the link between sucrose and coronary heart disease (CHD). The project was called “Project 259: Dietary Carbohydrate and Blood Lipids in Germ-Free Rats.” Research on rats is often sufficient for FDA to pull products off the market and was even more highly regarded in the 1960’s.
What was Found in the Study?
With half the rats given a diet high in sugar and the other half a standard diet, the results were undeniable: The rats fed on a high sugar diet had a significantly higher presence of beta-glucuronidase, an enzyme known to cause bladder cancer in humans. Furthermore, the group fed on a high sugar diet also showed that when sugar is digested by the natural enzymes in our gut, it contributes greatly toward hypertriglyceridemia which is associated with heart disease.
The Sugar Industry Terminated the Study without Releasing it to the Public
Once it was apparent that the findings of this study weren’t going to go in favor of the sugar industry, they refused to continue funding. The Sugar Research Foundation terminated the research known as Project 259 and ensured that it was never published. This caused much of the blame for heart disease to be shifted towards saturated fat, when in fact, sugar was the main cause of heart disease all along.
The Dangers of Manipulated Research
Since research is the foundation by which organizations like the FDA approve or ban products, it’s vital for all Americans that this research is accurate. The author of this new investigation into sugar’s cover-up, Dr. Stanton Glantz, doubts that this was one lone occurrence:
“This is continuing to build the case that the sugar industry has a long history of manipulating science.” explained Dr. Glantz.
By manipulating the data to falsely insinuate that sugar is not a cause of cancer and heart disease, they have paved the way for it to become a mainstream staple in the American diet.
Ramifications on Society
The widespread lie that sugar is a healthy part of our diets has seriously damaged the health of millions of people over the previous five decades. Some of the specific ramifications that the Sugar Research Foundation’s lies have had on society include:
- Encouraging low-fat, high-sugar products to become popular in the 1970-80’s
- When patients saw their doctors for heart issues, sugar wasn’t discussed as a factor
- Saturated fats were vilified as the cause of heart disease when sugar was the culprit
- Sugar was allowed to become extremely prevalent under the guise of being harmless
- Currently, sugar is added to a shocking variety of products
What Does This Mean For You?
The research that was covered up 50 years ago points to sugar as a leading factor in heart disease and cancer. Whether you decide to swear off the sweet stuff for good, cut back a little, or ignore the research entirely, there’s no denying that a diet high in sugar is terrible for your health. If choosing an alternative like Splenda or monk fruit can save you from obesity, tooth decay, heart disease, and cancer, isn’t it worth making the switch?
Don’t be Deceived - Sugar isn’t So Sweet for Your Health
The level of deception seen in the Sugar Research Foundation’s cover-up of Project 259 is reminiscent of similar cover-ups that were done by tobacco companies. When a company or industry puts profits ahead of the lives of the public, how can they be trusted? Although it’s sweet by nature and added to numerous products we see on the shelves, investigations and research have revealed the truth - that sugar is a poison best avoided by those who care about health and fitness.
