Dr Oz did a segment called The #1 Food Dr Oz Wants Out Of Your House: Sugar. Did you know that a very harmful substance is found in just about every kitchen in America – it is sugar. Eating too much sugar can put you at a major risk for High Blood Pressure, High Cholesterol, Liver Disease, and Insulin Resistance. This is why sugar is #1 on Doctor Oz’s most wanted list. Americans eat over one pound of sugar every week on average, which is more than triple the amount that the American Heart Association recommends. Sugar effects more than just Diabetes; it may damage your liver in a similar way to the alcohol. Dr Oz was joined by Dr Alan Greene, author of Feeding Baby Green, and Dr Miriam Vos from Emory University.
Dr Oz: Sugar Increases Risk of High Blood Pressure
Dr Oz said that the first risk of eating too much sugar is an increase in your blood pressure. There has been research done 
in this area that links eating excess sugar to having High Blood Pressure. In animals, you see their blood pressure go up when you give them sugar. If you take away just one can of soda a day from a person, you will see your blood pressure go down. In fact, a study was done that showed if you give someone 74 grams of fructose, they have a 77% increase in their risk for high blood pressure.
Dr Oz asked if sugar is a bigger problem than salt for blood pressure? And the answer is that potentially, yes it is. Dr Oz also asked how much sugar is too much? The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 tsp of sugar per day (100 calories). However, just one can of soda often has 9 tsp of sugar or more in it. Dr Oz said that on average, Americans eat 22 tsp of sugar per day, which is 7.5 pounds of sugar per month, and that is 2-3 times more than is recommended.
Dr Oz: Sugar Increases Risk of High Cholesterol
Dr Oz said that the second danger of sugar is that it increases your risk for high cholesterol. Studies have found that people who eat more sugar have a higher LDL (Lousy Cholesterol) number and a lower HDL (Healthy Cholesterol) number. Sugar is converted into triglycerides which is converted into omentum fat, which is the biggest cause of cholesterol. The extra sugar gets processed by your liver and everything extra gets converted into fat. After just a single meal, your triglycerides shoot up.
Dr Oz said that as you metabolize food in your liver, you get lots of particles in your blood stream and your body combines it with fat. So the sugar becomes a syrup that coats the inside of your arteries, makes bad cholesterol, and creates many other health problems.
Dr Oz: Sugar Increases Risk of Liver Disease
Dr Oz said that the third danger of sugar is that it increases your risk of Liver Disease. Alcohol Abuse is the most common thing that we think of when we think about Liver Disease. However, scientists have found that sugar exacerbates Fatty Liver Disease. The sugar stimulates production of triglycerides in your liver. Dr Miriam Vos said there are clearly some similarities between how your liver handles alcohol and sugar – both are carbs and both stimulate belly fat. Sugar may be the #1 cause of Non-Alcoholic Liver Disease. You can think of it as causing stretch marks on your liver. Researchers think that other abuse, like Sugar Abuse, can cause Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease and Livery Cirrhosis.
Dr Oz: Sugar Increases Risk of Insulin Resistance
Dr Oz said that the fourth danger of sugar is that it can increase your risk of Insulin Resistance. Insulin is the main director of metabolism in your body. If your sugar spikes too often, the cells lose sensitivity to the insulin and the average amount of sugar in your blood goes up. If the sugar in your blood goes up too much, that is called Diabetes. Insulin opens cells to allow sugar to go inside to help make things you need to live. When you become Insulin Resistant, the insulin can’t open the cells and so the sugar falls back into the blood and becomes like sharp glass shards that scratch up the lining of your arteries. Dr Miriam Vos said that Insulin Resistance can lead to increased weight gain, belly fat, triglycerides in your blood, as well as Diabetes.
The take away message from Dr Oz is to stop eating so much sugar!
CATHY says
THAN WHAT DO WE USE FOR SWEETNER FOR OUR TEA, COFFE ETC . DR. OZ TELLS US WHAT TO TAKE OUT OF OUR HOUSEHOLD, WHAT DO WE PUT BACK IN OUR REFRIGERATOR?
Rachel says
Sugar destroys your immune system..Let us not forget when a patient has cancer what sugar can do..It is really hard to kick the sugar habbit, but once you do you look & feel fantastic!!!
edith m says
what about honey, raw sugar, maple syrup, corn syrup, fruit, sugar cane, beets and other sweet vegetables such as sweet potatoes, yams, onions, carrots, parsnips, etc. Do they factor into the study aired on Dr. O?
Jacqueline says
What about artifial sweeener SPLENDA, is’t sane? Thanks.
Jacqueline says
Does Sugar cause celulites? What kind of food cause cellulites? Thakns.
Bruce says
@Cathy, replace sugar with Dextrose. Sugar is made up of 50% Fructose (the bad stuff) & 50% Dextrose.
Go through sugar withdrawal and Dextrose tastes as sweet as sugar, you can use it in all your cooking etc.
As an ex sugarholic I have found this extremely easy
edith m says
which commercial sweetener is made up of dextrose
Bruce says
Just go to your Supermarket or beer brewing supply company and you should be able to buy it off the shelf.
No need to by a commercial sweetener, just buy the plain Dextrose. http://tinyurl.com/5t4ojcb
Lily says
Read the book Sweet Poison – the guy who wrote it did all the research – sugar does more than Dr Oz mentioned – you should read what it does to your children. Sugar is poison put simply, as bad as smoking.
Mary says
Our 48 year old (bi-polar–sometimes alcohol drinking) daughter is drinking 5 lbs of sugar water per week. Have asked her to quit. She doesn’t want to. She doesn’t always take her med for bi-polar.
Dr. told her to cut down to ultimately zero. Just drink water.
Just saw you program 8/17/2011 re sugar. Will you reply with how Deborah may be helped//???? Thanks
brenda cole says
i watched your show on the effects of excessive sugar. the points that educated me the most was: addictive, and behavior changes ( violent, etc.). i am striving diligently to make major changes in my step daughter’s diet. at this time i see these effects of addictive, and symptoms similar to someone drinking alcohol ( irritable, antagonistic, emotional, confrontational ). she is
bombarded with candy, desserts, sweet cereal and other items with sugar on a daily basis at school and sunday school. please provide me with info i can use to educate these places on the negative effects of excess sugar to children.
Gabriella says
I found that there are other things healthier such as Xylitol or Stevia – and I limit the amount of fruit I need – I watch my fructose levels as well – it will surprise some people – oranges have higher amount of fructose then strawberries or blueberries –
Barbara says
If you watch Dr. Oz’s show you would learn that Dark Blue Agave is the only safe sweetener. Before you put the artifical sweeteners in your mouth read the side effects online. It is absolutely frightening. I lost a 44 year old good friend to 1 diet drink a day, she died of brain tumors. Get Agave it is natural, not artifical and it does not raise the glycemic index. It only takes 1/2 as much as sugar to sweeten anything. It is wonderful if you must have sweet. Be blessed.
Patrice says
Hey Dr Oz viewers….like myself, I’m really trying to kick the habit. I think I do approx 5 teaspoons a day, but my blood pressure is up and I drink 1 cup of coffee in the morning and I recently added a cup of hot green tea to my afternoon and evenings. I use 1 to 2 teaspoons in each. Wondering if agave will taste good in these and where do you get it from. I shop at Harris Teeter a lot….has anyone seen it there. Is it on the sugar isle or with the spices. Any info is appreciated. thanks 🙂