You May Never Eat Sugar Again After Watching This! | Dr. Robert Lustig

Summary

This video script discusses the detrimental effects of high sugar consumption, comparing it to the damage caused by cyanide and alcohol. It explains how sugar poisons mitochondria, inhibits energy production, and contributes to chronic diseases. The script also highlights the prevalence of ultra-processed foods in diets and their negative impact on health, including hindered skeletal growth and promotion of cancer cell growth. The conversation emphasizes the importance of a real food diet to mitigate chronic diseases and the role of societal normalization in the rise of health issues.

Takeaways

• 🍬 Sugar is a major contributor to health issues, often referred to as the '2,000 pound gorilla' in our diet.
• 🚫 Trans fats, once considered the worst for health, are now largely removed from diets, with sugar taking their place as the primary dietary concern.
• 🔬 Sugar is shown to poison mitochondria, inhibiting their function in producing ATP, which is essential for cellular energy.
• 💣 Comparing sugar to cyanide, both inhibit mitochondrial function and ATP production, though sugar's effects are less immediate but still detrimental over time.
• 🍰 Ultra-processed foods, which contain high levels of sugar, make up a significant portion of diets, particularly in the UK where 56% of the diet is ultra-processed.
• 🌐 The prevalence of sugar in ultra-processed foods is a global issue, contributing to widespread health problems.
• 🔍 Studies show that ultra-processed foods lead to less energy expenditure and weight gain, even when controlling for other factors.
• 🦴 Recent research indicates that ultra-processed foods can inhibit skeletal growth and negatively impact bone health.
• 🌱 Sugar feeds cancer cells, hijacking growth processes and contributing to the development of the disease.
• 🚫 The speaker argues that ultra-processed foods do not meet the definition of food as they do not contribute to growth or burning (energy production) in the body.
• 🏠 The normalization of ultra-processed foods in society, including in schools and everyday life, is a significant factor in the rise of chronic diseases.

Q & A

What is the primary concern about sugar in our diet?

Sugar is not the only problem in our diet, but it is a significant one, often referred to as the '2,000 pound gorilla.' It is particularly harmful due to its effects on the body, including poisoning mitochondria, inhibiting energy production, and contributing to chronic diseases.

Why were trans fats once considered the worst thing we consumed?

Trans fats were considered the worst because they are indigestible by bacteria and our bodies, leading to their persistence in the body. This is similar to why sugar is harmful, as it also affects our mitochondria and overall health.

How does sugar affect the mitochondria?

Sugar poisons the mitochondria by affecting three separate enzymes: AMP kinase, acyl-CoA dehydrogenase (long chain), and carnitine palmitoyl transferase 1 (CPT-1). This inhibits the mitochondria's ability to produce ATP, the chemical energy our cells need.

What is the comparison made between sugar and cyanide in terms of their effects on the body?

Both sugar and cyanide inhibit the mitochondria and reduce ATP production. While cyanide is more immediately lethal, sugar's effects are more gradual but can still contribute to poor health over time.

What is the percentage of the UK diet that is made up of ultra-processed foods?

Ultra-processed foods make up 56% of the UK diet, indicating a significant reliance on these types of products.

How much of the sugar consumed by Brits is found in ultra-processed foods?

62 percent of the sugar consumed by Brits is found in ultra-processed food categories.

What is the definition of food according to the speaker?

The speaker refers to the definition of food as a 'substrate that contributes to either the growth or burning of an organism.'

Why does the speaker argue that ultra-processed foods do not contribute to burning or growth?

Ultra-processed foods do not contribute to burning because they inhibit the body's energy production. They also do not contribute to growth, as they inhibit skeletal growth and can hijack growth processes to feed cancer cells.

What was the impact of the McGovern commission's report on the food industry?

The McGovern commission's report recommended eating less fat to prevent cardiovascular disease. In response, the food industry replaced fat with sugar, leading to an increase in sugar consumption and the prevalence of ultra-processed foods.

Is sugar inherently bad, or is it the excess amounts that are problematic?

Sugar is problematic in both its inherent properties and in excess amounts. It causes similar damage to the liver as alcohol and contributes to insulin resistance and various chronic diseases when consumed in excess.

How does the speaker describe the change in sugar consumption from his childhood to the present?

The speaker describes a significant increase in sugar consumption, from a once-a-week treat of a small amount of Coca-Cola to children today consuming about 35 ounces of sugar daily.

Outlines

00:00

🍬 The Negative Impact of High Sugar Consumption

This paragraph discusses the detrimental effects of consuming high levels of sugar, emphasizing that sugar is a major problem in our diet, not the only one. It highlights how sugar, like trans fats, is harmful due to its inability to be processed by our mitochondria, which are essentially energy-burning factories in our cells. The speaker explains that sugar poisons the mitochondria, inhibiting the production of ATP, the chemical energy our cells need. This is compared to the effects of cyanide, which also inhibits mitochondrial function. The paragraph also touches on the prevalence of sugar in ultra-processed foods, which make up a significant portion of the UK diet, and questions whether these foods can truly be considered 'food' given their negative effects on health.

05:02

🌱 The Definition and Impact of Ultra-Processed Foods

The speaker challenges the definition of food as a substrate that contributes to growth or burning of an organism, arguing that ultra-processed foods, particularly those high in sugar, do not meet this criterion. They inhibit the burning of an organism by poisoning mitochondria and also inhibit growth, as evidenced by recent studies showing that such foods hinder skeletal growth. The paragraph also mentions how sugar feeds cancer cells, further questioning the classification of ultra-processed foods as 'food'. The speaker emphasizes the normalization of ultra-processed foods in society and their contribution to the rise in chronic diseases, suggesting that a shift towards a real food diet could mitigate these health issues.

10:04

🥤 The Evolution of Sugar Consumption and Its Consequences

This paragraph delves into the historical context of sugar consumption, starting with the speaker's personal experience of consuming a small amount of sugar once a week as a child. It contrasts this with the current situation where children consume significantly more sugar daily. The speaker discusses the introduction of processed foods like Swanson TV dinners in the 1960s and the subsequent increase in sugar consumption with the substitution of high fructose corn syrup for sucrose in the 1970s. The paragraph also highlights the impact of dietary guidelines that led to the reduction of fat in foods, which was compensated by increasing sugar content. The speaker argues that both the inherent nature of sugar and its excessive consumption are problematic, drawing parallels with alcohol consumption and its effects on the liver.

15:06

🍺 The Dose-Dependent Effects of Sugar on Health

The final paragraph focuses on the dose-dependent nature of sugar consumption and its impact on health. It explains that a small amount of sugar can be metabolized by the intestine and converted into fat, protecting the liver from damage. However, when sugar intake exceeds the intestine's capacity, the liver becomes the primary site of metabolism, leading to glycation, oxidative stress, mitochondrial dysfunction, and insulin resistance. These processes are linked to a range of chronic diseases, including Alzheimer's, heart disease, and cancer. The speaker emphasizes that the effects of sugar are similar to those of alcohol, highlighting the importance of moderation in sugar consumption to prevent chronic diseases.

Keywords

💡Sugar

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that provides energy to the body but is also the main focus of the video as a significant contributor to health problems when consumed in excess. The video discusses how sugar is now considered 'Public Enemy Number One' due to its detrimental effects on health, including its role in poisoning mitochondria and contributing to chronic diseases.

💡Mitochondria

Mitochondria are the energy-producing structures within cells, often referred to as the 'powerhouses' of the cell. The video explains that sugar poisoning of mitochondria inhibits their ability to produce ATP, the energy currency of the cell, thereby reducing the body's overall energy production.

💡AMP Kinase

AMP Kinase is an enzyme that acts as a fuel gauge in liver cells, as mentioned in the video. It is one of the three enzymes poisoned by sugar, which affects the liver's ability to regulate energy and contributes to metabolic issues.

💡Trans Fats

Trans fats are a type of unsaturated fat that was once common in processed foods. The video mentions trans fats as a historical example of a dietary component that was initially thought to be harmless but later recognized as harmful, similar to the current understanding of sugar.

💡Ultra-Processed Foods

Ultra-processed foods are industrial formulations that often contain high levels of sugar, fat, and salt. The video discusses the prevalence of these foods in modern diets and their contribution to poor health outcomes, including weight gain and chronic diseases.

💡ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

ATP is the primary molecule used by cells for energy transfer. The video emphasizes that sugar consumption reduces the production of ATP by poisoning mitochondria, thus inhibiting the body's energy production.

💡Cyanide

Cyanide is a highly toxic chemical compound that inhibits cellular respiration, similar to the effect of sugar on mitochondria as discussed in the video. The comparison is used to illustrate the severity of sugar's impact on energy production.

💡Growth

The video discusses how sugar and ultra-processed foods do not contribute positively to growth but instead inhibit it or hijack it for cancer cells, leading to health issues rather than promoting healthy development.

💡First Pass Effect

The first pass effect refers to the metabolism of a substance by the stomach and intestine before it reaches the liver. The video uses this concept to explain how moderate alcohol consumption can be less harmful than excessive drinking, drawing a parallel to sugar consumption and its impact on the liver.

💡Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is a condition where the body's cells do not respond properly to the hormone insulin, leading to high blood sugar levels. The video links sugar consumption to insulin resistance, which is a key factor in the development of chronic metabolic diseases.

💡Dose-Dependent Phenomenon

The video explains that the effects of sugar on the body are dose-dependent, meaning that small amounts may not be harmful, but excessive consumption leads to negative health outcomes, such as liver damage and increased risk of chronic diseases.

Highlights

Sugar is not the only problem in our diet, but it's the most significant one.

Trans fats were once considered the worst for health, but sugar has now taken that position.

Sugar is likened to a 'poison' for mitochondria, impacting three key enzymes necessary for energy production.

Consuming sugar inhibits the body's energy production by reducing ATP, similar to the effect of cyanide.

Ultra-processed foods make up a significant portion of the UK diet and are high in sugar.

Ultra-processed foods do not contribute to the burning or growth of an organism, contrary to the definition of food.

Studies show that ultra-processed foods lead to less energy expenditure and weight gain.

Sugar feeds cancer cells and inhibits or hijacks growth, rather than contributing positively.

The normalization of ultra-processed food has led to a shift from traditional, real food diets.

The food industry's replacement of fat with sugar in products has contributed to health issues.

Excess sugar consumption is compared to alcoholism, where the liver becomes the target for damage.

The first pass effect of sugar in the intestine helps protect the liver from immediate damage.

Overconsumption of sugar leads to liver issues similar to those caused by alcohol abuse.

The rise in insulin levels due to sugar consumption is linked to various chronic diseases.

The conversation challenges the notion that sugar is fine in small amounts, emphasizing the dose-dependent effect on health.

The shift from traditional diets to ultra-processed foods began in the mid-60s with the introduction of TV dinners.

The substitution of high fructose corn syrup for sucrose and the push for low-fat diets have exacerbated sugar-related health issues.

The normalization of sugar consumption in society contrasts with the individual experiences of reduced sugar intake in the past.

Transcripts

what are the key negatives when we

consume the levels of sugar that many of

us are currently consuming

well first of all let's make it very

clear that sugar is not the only problem

in our diet

it's the big one it's the 2 000 pound

gorilla in our diet but there's other

stuff too but sugar is a particularly

egregious molecule Once Upon a Time

trans fats were the worst thing we

consumed trans fats are the devil

incarnate trans fats the bacteria can't

chew it up which is why they put the

trans fats in right so that you know it

would last forever you know the 10 year

old Twinkie well the fact is our

mitochondria our little energy burning

factories inside all our cells are

really refurbished bacteria we can't

chew it up either so the exact same

reason for why they put the trans fats

in the food is exactly why you shouldn't

eat the food

now we know that and they've come out of

our diet so now sugar is Public Enemy

Number One so what does sugar do

and the answer is a whole bunch of bad

things

the food industry says sugars energy

well

they're correct

if you're a bomb calorimeter

if you just blow it up if you explode it

yeah you get four calories per gram

but we are not bombed calorimeters turns

out that Sugar actually poisons the

mitochondria

okay it poisons it in three separate

enzymes that are necessary for

mitochondria to do their job

the first one amp kinase which is the

fuel gauge on the liver cell

the second one a cat L acylcoide

dehydrogenase long chain which is

necessary to get fatty acids into the

mitochondria to be able to oxidize them

to create energy and the third one is

cpt-1 carnitine Palmetto wall

transferase one which is the enzyme that

regenerates carnitine which is the

shuttle mechanism that brings the fatty

acids into the mitochondria in the first

place in other words

when you consume sugar you are poisoning

your mitochondria you are generating

less of the chemical energy that our

cells get powered by called ATP

so if you're making less ATP

is that energy

it's the opposite of energy

so when you consume sugar you are

actually inhibiting your body's energy

production can you think of a chemical

that inhibits your mitochondria and

reduces ATP production cyanide cyanide

cyanide cyanide does that

okay sugar and cyanide

do the same thing now obviously

not as severely okay you know cyanide

parts per million Keel over and die on

the spot with sugar you know it's in the

parts per thousand and you don't Keel

over on the spot but you feel lousy and

over time it's going to take its toll

But ultimately if you're inhibiting your

mitochondria you are poisoning your body

and we now have the data to show how

that occurs

so here's my question to you and your

audience

sugar is in virtually all Ultra

processed foods an ultra processed foods

are now 56 of the UK diet and the amount

of sugar that Brits eat 62 percent of it

is found in the ultra processed food

category wow

so my question to you and your audience

is is ultra processed food

my view

is that it's not really

I would say no but I know to many people

that is super controversial

um which we're definitely going to talk

about but yeah on a straight answer I

would say no depends on your definition

I guess because it's energy it's got

some calories in it which we consume in

our

mouth that enable us on one level to to

sort of I guess you're saying it's

actually reducing the energy production

the sugar within it anyway but yeah on

one level it sustains people and they

can actually get on with their days at

least in the short term anyway

well you have to know what the

definition of food is

so if I if I had my Webster's Dictionary

right here right now

um you guys you know in the UK probably

don't use Webster's you probably have

something else but if I pulled it off

the shelf it would say that the

definition of food is the following and

I have no problem with this definition

substrate that contributes to either the

growth or burning of an organism

that's the definition I have no problem

with that definition it's a fine

definition all right substrate that

contributes to either the growth or

burning of an organism

so we've just talked about burning

sugar does not contribute

to the burning of an organism it

actually inhibits the burning of an

organism and Dr Kevin Hall at the NIH

did a study where he showed that when

you give people Ultra processed food

they burn less and gain more weight when

everything else is controlled for

compared to the same diet in real food

did this in 2019.

so

Ultra processed food does not contribute

to burning

so now let's go to growth

this is ultra processed food contribute

to growth my colleague Dr frat Monson

Eagle ornan who is the chairman of the

Department of nutrition at Hebrew

University Jerusalem

uh just published three papers in bone

research showing that Ultra processed

food actually inhibits skeletal growth

inhibits the ability of Bones to

increase in length and in widths and in

addition we know from the nutrinessante

study and many other studies that in

fact what sugar does is it feeds cancer

cells that hijacks growth

so

sugar

doesn't contribute to burning inhibits

it

doesn't contribute to uh growth inhibits

it or hijacks it

so I pose the question to you again

runga is ultra processed food

food

I'll go with my original answer which is

no

that is right it is no ding ding that's

right but the point is that the food

industry you know refuses to go there

the populace refuses to go there the

government's refuse to go there

and you and I are both interested in

mitigating chronic disease and you are

right if you get people on a real food

diet you can mitigate virtually any and

all of their chronic diseases I

completely agree you give a tedx talk

basically saying you can basically take

away somebody's chronic disease I used

to do that in my clinic you know when I

was practicing routinely yeah

but only if they change the food

and if they didn't change the food no

amount of medicine and I threw at them

could make a difference yeah I mean what

strikes me

as a really key message is that the

majority of what we're buying to feed

ourselves and our families

is ultra processed food whether it's

here in the UK or with you in America

and that is contributing to this tsunami

of chronic ill health that we're seeing

it's pretty

you know it's pretty alarming about what

I think is so key Rob for me is that

it's so normalized now like it's the

norm everywhere schools hustles in fact

if you want to go down the real food

routes you almost feel like a better fur

like you know if you try to do it with

your kids you actually become a social

outcast in in some ways it's yeah and I

think this is the problem it's just it's

the norm we've moved so far away from

what we used to do in fact maybe this is

a good time for you to explain what you

used to do when you were eight years old

because I believe you had a Granddad who

lived in Brooklyn and every Saturday you

would do something which I think

beautifully illustrates as points that's

right so yeah

um uh bottom line is I completely agree

with you what we've done is we've

normalized it once upon a time it was

actually not normal to eat Ultra

processed food and today it is normal

and I remember when that happened

because it happened to me it happened to

me in two ways so on Saturday afternoons

my family would go visit my grandparents

who lived about oh I don't know eight

miles away in Brooklyn and my

grandfather would walk me down to the

corner uh grocery store to buy a comic

book and a six and a half ounce bottle

of Coca-Cola I remember you know pretty

much every Saturday afternoon and that

was the big treat you know the comic

book and the Coca-Cola that was on Ocean

Avenue and Avenue N in Brooklyn

um you know the fact is that that was

once a week and it was six and a half

ounces

all right today

you know children are consuming about I

think 35 ounces a day

um you know uh median so they are

getting about six times the amount of

sugar that I did from that one Coke and

they're doing it every day instead of

once a week

I mean let's just can we just pause on

that for a second you're saying you had

six ounces once a week and we're

assuming back then that the rest of your

diet throughout the week was low in

sugar low in processed foods sort of a

real food diets well my mother worked

three jobs

and so I ate a lot of Swanson TV dinners

when they first came out and I remember

when they came out around 1964.

you know the fried chicken the Salisbury

steak I hated that salisbury steak and I

actually she trained me on how to turn

the oven on and how to heat them up

because often she wasn't home at night

you know so you know to some extent I

was a latchkey kid because my mother

worked so hard you know my father was in

Manhattan all day and so you know I

basically had it sort of take care of

myself

and sometimes I had to eat dinner you

know out of the freezer

and so I remember you know those Swanson

TV dinners and you know they they were a

problem there's still a problem

um so you put the two together

and that was the beginning of you know

the uh shall we say onslaught of

processed food in the United States

about the mid 60s

um then things picked up even more in

1975 when we started uh substituting

high fructose corn syrup for sucrose

because it was half as uh expensive and

it was homegrown and then finally the

fiesta resistance came in 1977 when uh

the McGovern commission released its

report saying that we all needed to eat

less fat to try to prevent

cardiovascular disease well when you

take the fat out of food it tastes like

cardboard and so what did the food

industry do it basically replaced the

fat with sugar

that's why we ended up with Entenmann's

fat-free cakes and you know and the like

and that was when the pasta craze you

know first hit was you know refined

carbohydrate because it was quote low in

fat Etc and you know Now We're Off to

the Races

and it's just exploded ever since

is it the sugar that's inherently bad in

and of itself or is it the excess

amounts I mean or is it both right

because I think a lot of people might

say well look

you know what this never used to be a

problem right and we we would have the

odd sweet treat now and again

um but so and actually there's quite

there's quite a few prominent scientists

as you're you're well we say actually

Sugar's not a problem Sugar's actually

completely fine I'm working on it we're

working on it I I have a bone to pick

with some of those scientists and we can

argue that and talk about that if you

like

um as to exactly why they say what they

say so here here's what I can tell you

hi

there are

social drinkers

and there are alcoholics

now social drinkers can pick up a beer

and put it down

and they don't need one every day

alcoholics pick up a whiskey and can't

put it down

and they need it three times a day

right yeah

did the one beer that the social Drinker

drink

hurt them

unlikely unlikely unlikely and the

reason it's unlikely is because

there is a what is known as a first pass

effect

you drink the alcohol in the beer first

of all it's very low percentage right

it's only about 3.6 percent in an um in

a in a beer all right and that uh is

about oh 60 calories Worth or so of of

alcohol and what happens is that the

first pass effect the stomach and

intestine metabolize that alcohol

before any of it ever gets to the liver

and so the amount that actually hits the

liver that could do damage is

exceedingly small

and as long as you're not following up

with a second beer and a third beer and

a fourth beer and a fifth beer you know

like can happen at the Newcastle Pub you

know you don't usually have a big

problem

right but if you keep doing that then

that is a problem so it's a dose

dependent phenomenon

and

um your intestine is there to try to

protect your liver

from getting the onslaught

before it will do damage

same with sugar

no difference

so your intestine can take

a small amount of sugar that you consume

and can actually turn it into fat in the

intestine intestinal de novo lipogenesis

the process of converting sugar to fat

into vldl in the intestine so that it

will not go straight to your liver

right

and about 10 percent of the of an

initial sugar bolus will undergo

intestinal DNL and therefore be diverted

away from the liver and into the

bloodstream as vldl now that vldl is not

great for you because it could

ultimately cause heart disease but it's

protecting the liver

but if you consume past your intestines

capacity to do that

now the rest of it's going to end up in

your liver and the problem with sugar in

the liver is exactly the same as the

problem of alcohol in the liver because

it causes the exact same processes it

causes glycation it causes oxidative

stress it causes mitochondrial

dysfunction and basically drives insulin

resistance this phenomenon that we now

know is at the base of virtually all

chronic metabolic diseases

Therefore your pancreas has to make

extra insulin to make the liver do its

job because now the liver is not working

right because it's been poisoned

and so insulin levels rise all over the

body and now you've got

you know the risk for Alzheimer's you've

got the risk for heart disease you've

got the risk for for cancer you've got

the risk for virtually every other

chronic metabolic disease on the plate

all because of what happened to your

liver yeah and fructose that sweet

molecule and sugar

basically has the same fate as alcohol

so when people say oh you know little

Sugar's fine let me guess there's um

yeah because your intestine diverts that

little bit away from the liver as soon

as you overwhelm that capacity now your

liver is right in the crosshairs

and that's when chronic disease is going

to start if you enjoyed fat clip here's

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