J.D. Wood | Sugar lecture for Professor Errol Morrison

As a naturopathic physician, I consider it an imperative for me to enter the current politico-academic storm between the two academic professors and the minister of health on the question of whether very high sugar content in commercial drinks should be curtailed to children, given its negative effects.

The problem emanates from the fact that our famous endocrinology professor, Errol Morrison, has publicly challenged Dr Chris Tufton, minister of health, claiming that consumption of sugar does not have a causative effect on diabetes. Professor Winston Davidson came out in support of Professor Morrison.

Glenn Tucker, in his sober and illuminating response to this imbroglio in The Gleaner of October 10, 2018, titled 'Sugar, science and junk science', gave a basic but profound lecture to the two professors and their uninformed sympathisers.

I wish to join Mr Tucker in educating the public about the disastrous effects of the indiscriminate consumption of sweet drinks and edibles laced with junk sugar and artificial sweeteners, the latter being foisted on the unsuspecting consuming public as 'no sugar added' on product labels..

In my humble opinion, Professor Morrison's public outburst discrediting the validity of the health minister's anti-sugary drink campaign makes mockery of the academic fraternity. Additionally, Professor Winston Davidson's public support of Morrison's shameful inept declaration cannot be taken seriously.

165LB SUGAR CONSUMED

Scientific literature has shown that sugar (junk) consumption has increased by 1,500 per cent in the last 200 years. It states that the average American - and, by implication, Jamaican - consumes 165lb of sugar per year compared to 12lb of healthy sugar in the early 1800s. Research has shown that obesity, one of the side effects of high junk sugar intake, reduces the body's immune system and increases allergies and infections while impairing the activity of white blood cells, giving rise to eczema, cardiovascular diseases, high blood pressure, kidney and gall stone formation, learning disabilities, diverticulitis and irritable bowel syndrome, depression, anxiety, hypersensitivity in children, dental caries, adult onset of type 2 diabetes, thrombosis, etc.

I urge my good professors and their sycophants, along with the consuming public, to examine in detail all drink and food labels to identify the polyglot of junk sugars foisted on us, which should be rejected. They are: drastic malt, fructose, glucose solids, golden sugar syrup, grape sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, refiner's syrup, malt syrup, sorghum and xylitol.

And look out for these two artificial sweeteners.

Saccharin: An excerpt from the Detroit Free Press, November 1, 1997, declared that saccharin, the artificial sweetener, stays on the cancer list.

Aspartame: This deleterious artificial sweetener is found in drinks, meats, chocolate, desserts, beverages, laxatives, multivitamins, milk drinks, pharmaceuticals, snacks, mixes, soft drinks, instant teas, coffees, wine cooler, yogurt, and children's vitamins, etc.

Dr Russell Block, professor of neurology, detailed in his book the damage by injection of excessive aspartic acid from aspartame using 500 scientific references, including multiple sclerosis, memory loss, hormonal problems, hearing loss, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, hypoglycaemia, AIDS, dementia, brain lesions and neuro-endocrine disorder.

Thanks to the neophyte professor, Glenn Tucker, for his very weighty contribution to the junk sugar debate. I am also indebted to The Global Institute for Alternative Medicine for this article.

- Dr J.D. Wood is executive director of the Jamaica Foundation for Natural Medicine. Email feedback to columns@gleanerjm.com and jafnam@yahoo.com.