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"  We are all well aware of the negative effects of alcohol and tobacco, but what about sugar? Researchers are now saying that excess sugar can be just as harmful. In fact, according to Yahoo! News, researchers at the University of California, San Francisco, think that sugar is so dangerous, it warrants regulation. The researchers want all sugary foods \u2014 or all foods with added sugar \u2014 to be taxed, banned from sale in schools, and given buying-age restrictions. The researchers list several studies and statistics that led them to the controversial conclusion that sucrose (found in high-fructose corn syrup and certain table sugars) has done equal harm to society as alcohol and tobacco. While sugar&amp;#039;s role in the obesity pandemic and diseases related to obesity is still argued, the UCSF researchers look at it from a natural perspective. They point out that, historically, sugar from fruit was only present a few months per year and honey was not previously a dietary staple. While it didn&amp;#039;t used to make up a large part of human&amp;#039;s diets, the researchers stated, &amp;quot;Nature made sugar hard to get; man made it easy.&amp;quot; In today&amp;#039;s world added sugar is found in many foods and not just dessert. Just how much added sugar do average Americans consume per day? Imagine drinking your morning cup of joe with 40 teaspoons of extra sugar. That&amp;#039;s right, average Americans consume 40 teaspoons, or 600 calories per day, of added sugar. That&amp;#039;s far above the recommended daily allowance of just under 40 grams (or around 9 teaspoons) of sugar for an active man (allowances for women and children are far less). Researchers are no longer viewing this daily dose of added sugar as added calories. Instead, they see the sugar as a chemical that, &amp;quot;becomes toxic in excess.&amp;quot; The glucose part of added sugar can be safely metabolized by the body, but the fructose is metabolized mostly by the liver. In excess, fructose can overwork the liver, ultimately causing fatty liver disease and insulin resistance, the causes of obesity and diabetes. What&amp;#039;s the solution to the excess added sugar problem? The UCSF researchers say taxation and regulation. Soda taxes as well as the ban of sugary drinks for children is one idea. However, some economists think that taxing sugar at the manufacturer level would ultimately give companies incentive to use less added sugar. While the UCSF researchers are convinced that sugar is the main problem, other researchers attribute the obesity pandemic to saturated fats. Still others think that health issues stem from processed foods with simple carbohydrates, while some believe its simple lack of exercise. Although the answer probably lies in a combination of all these different issues, an average of 40 extra teaspoons of sugar per day seems like a problem by anyone&amp;#039;s standards. Do you agree with the UCSF researchers that sugar consumption should be regulated? Or do you think the obesity pandemic stems from other problems? "^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.delish.com/food/news/a39074/researchers-want-sugar-regulation/>