All that sweetens is not sugar

Louisiana sugarcane farmers get frustrated nearly every time an article about “sugar” is published because the authors tend to target sugar as “the problem” in our diets.
When national reporters call me to learn about the science behind sugar, I refer them to the Sugar Association for information. They often say, “I’ve talked to them already,” but I rarely see the hard, scientific data in their stories. It makes me think the facts are ignored because the numbers don’t support the preconceived focus of their article.
There’s plenty of factual, scientifically-verified information about all-natural sugar (sucrose) that is conveniently left out of today’s conversation.
Rarely is there mention that high fructose corn syrup is the sweetener used in 90 percent of American soft drinks today, but critics insist on incorrectly labeling soft drinks as “sugar-sweetened” or “sugary beverages.” Bearing that in mind, how can anyone (including the media) continue to call a soft drink bought at the movie house a “sugar-sweetened beverage”?
Sugar and high-fructose corn syrup, are two very different sweeteners. They are molecularly different. Sugar is a natural crystal that is cooked as easily as momma cooks on the stove. HFCS is syrup created though a chemical process.
The “sugary beverages” terminology is misleading for consumers and leaves little room for a real debate about solving the serious problem of obesity in America. There’s plenty of hysteria and misinformation, but no legitimate, credible conversation, supported by government data and independent scientific research.
Pop researchers and bloggers mindlessly use phrases like “toxic” to describe sugar. Obviously, they are more interested in sensationalizing a blog post or TV appearance. Their claims have more to do with selling books or creating a social media following than resolving genuine issues of public health. At best, targeting sugar alone is disingenuous.
For example, a study appearing in the Feb. 3, 2014, JAMA Internal Medicine (and the media coverage that followed), all but condemned sugar as the contributing factor to cardiovascular disease.
The headline on FoxNews.com? “Excess sugar consumption from soda, desserts leads to higher rates of cardiovascular death.”
What Fox and others did not mention was that the study authors admitted that an observational study like theirs was not proof of cause and effect. Few mentioned that there was considerable weakness in the self-reported data the authors used to estimate intake levels of “added sugar.” Hardly anyone noticed that the report is so flawed that participants in the study who self-reported higher levels of physical activity had a greater, not the expected lower, risk of cardiovascular disease. Finally, barely a word was said that the authors simply lumped all caloric sweeteners as “added sugar” rather than identifying them as natural sugar or high-fructose corn syrup.
I’ve worked in the Louisiana sugar industry for nearly a decade, but I am dismayed at how big a public platform “some” so-called experts receive when they talk about this issue without the public forum considering whether these claims reflect a consensus view that is either prevailing among the qualified scientific community or is scientifically correct.
Although identifying sugar as “the” problem in our diets gives pundits a chance to scare us with inflammatory language, it undermines the exemplary work researchers are undertaking in regard to other dietary and health concerns. Labeling sugar as the “enemy” prevents us from focusing our resources on studying scientifically verified and proven interventions dealing with obesity.
Here are the facts: American per capita consumption of real sugar (sucrose) is lower now than it was 40 years ago by approximately one-third (34 percent). So of all the things we need to worry about in this world, “higher” consumption of sugar isn’t among them. Why? Because we’ve been consuming less of it for decades.
Here’s the only thing consumers have to know: only sucrose, or sugar, is sugar. Sugar has been consumed safely for centuries and, when consumed in moderation, has been and should continue to be part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle. That’s a fact.

Jim Simon is general manager of the American Sugar Cane League.