Sugar: The tobacco of the 21st century?

Many years ago, smoking was the next best thing to adulthood. Everybody deemed it as safe and even refreshing for the human lungs.

From medical practitioners to business owners and private individuals, everybody found smoking lovable and enjoyable. Nobody had the slightest clue that it could be the culprit behind the deadly cardiovascular diseases common in those days.

However, American surgeon L. Terry and some other scientists made a landmark discovery in 1964 that confirmed his long-term fear. Terry gave a damning and detailed medical research report that linked smoking to lung cancer and other diseases.

Thanks to Terry’s research, many people are now aware of the harmful effects of smoking. But what many people do not know is the detrimental effects of Sugar, which is just as deadly as smoking.

The effective anti-smoking approach of reducing high sugar consumption among humans

In the past two decades, the World Health Organization, in conjunction with other health regulatory bodies, has consistently marginalized and stigmatized cigarette and the act of smoking.

These organizations have introduced a series of hard measures and the enforcement of plain packaging to discourage smoking. No doubt, these measures really helped to make tobacco less affordable and available, thus reducing the high rate of cardiovascular mortality.

Recently, the act of consuming Sugar is quickly taking the place of smoking. Averagely, a US citizen takes about 82g of Sugar per day. Conversely, this exceeds the American Heart Association’s recommended 25g maximum daily intake. Report from several medical research shows that high sugar intake is the root behind some severe health conditions.

Replicating the radical anti-smoking strategies may be the solution to rising sugar consumption level

Excessive sugar intake causes high blood pressure and persistent inflammation, which are strong risk factors for heart disease.

It is a no brainer to conclude that refined Sugar is addictive and widely responsible for human’s high cardiovascular mortality. Adopting the same strategies taken against cigarettes and the act of smoking could be quite effective and beneficial.

With increased industry levy, reformulation to reduce sugar content, and plain packaging, sugar consumption rate will go down rapidly.

Featured image by 955169 from Pixabay