Trick or Treat: Sugar Consumption Found Toxic, Lethal
by Irie Jackson, age 9
In
America, sugar consumption has increased substantially since the
1970’s. The average American kid now eats more than 20 teaspoons of
sugar per day. A recent study from the University of Utah indicates
that high sugar intake not only has negative effects on health but
also may be toxic.
To
conduct this 58-week study, researches fed mice a diet containing 25%
more sugar than their typical diets. The research team found that the
mortality rate of these mice doubled. Furthermore, the male mice in
the study became 26% less territorial and produced 25% fewer
offspring compared to those not in the study.
Mice
were selected for this research because they have a similar genetic
structure to humans. “Since most substances that are toxic in mice
are also toxic in people, it’s likely that those underlying
physical problems that cause those mice to have increased mortality
are at play in people,” said James Ruff, author of the study.
Findings
from this study suggest, then, that sugar consumption has grave
effects beyond causing heart problems and weight gain. Ultimately,
sugar may prohibit normal development and even decrease life span.
Cutting down on one’s sugar intake may be difficult, but making the
effort to do so could make a huge difference.
[Source:
Time
for Kids
]
|
