Sugar for Toddlers: Launch Pad for Preventable Disease
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đ„© Hello Meatlings,
Itâs no surprise Americans eat an egregious amount of sugar every day, but it has skyrocketed in recent history.
âAmericans have always taken as much sugar as they could getâbut in the beginning, they couldnât get much. When George Washington (and his false teeth) ruled the land, the average American consumed about six pounds of sugar per year. That number rose as the sugar beet industry grew and the U.S. signed an 1876 treaty with Hawaii. During Prohibition, soda surged in popularity and Americans never stopped drinking it, with or without rum.
There was one dramatic sugar crash in U.S. historyâwartime rationing, which began in the spring of 1942. Armies were burning or cutting off access to Pacific cane fields, and the war effort needed sugar to make everything from antiseptics to explosives. According to a government film reel from the time, a five-gun salvo used up the yield from an entire acre of sugar cane. Cookbooks urged housewives to sweeten cakes with syrup left over from canned fruit.
Sugar sales climbed again after the war, and today the average American consumes 130 pounds a year, much of it in the form of cheap, abundant high-fructose corn syrup. Sugar has become so ubiquitous that lower-income Americans now consume the most.â source
Another group that tends to eat the most sugar is kids (enter the âtheyâll just burn it offâ mentality). A recent review of how wartime rationing of sugar in the UK impacted kids' health is quite eye-opening.
The sugar-rationing of the title was instituted by British authorities during World War 2. When it came to an end in September 1953, the UKâs per capita sugar consumption doubled over a single year. Gracner and her colleagues had looked at the health records of British citizens who were born either before or after the end of rationing. Hereâs what they found:Â
âŠearly-life rationing reduced diabetes and hypertension risk by about 35% and 20%, respectively, and delayed disease onset by 4 and 2 years. Protection was evident with in-utero exposure and increased with postnatal sugar restriction, especially after six months when solid foods likely began. In-utero sugar rationing alone accounted for about one third of the risk reduction.â
Astounding! In-utero exposure (the motherâs sugar consumption during pregnancy) could impact diabetes incidence 50 or 60 years later and also cause a predisposition to becoming hypertensive. Consuming sugar in early life either causes these diseases or predisposes us to them. This is of course, rarely talked about. If true, we have SO many kids on a fast track to developing these HIGHLY preventable diseases.
Sugar early in life is the new tobacco, and we should treat it as such by holding food companies accountable to reformulate baby foods with healthier options and regulate the marketing and tax sugary foods targeted at kids. My suggestion is to do a sweep through your kitchen. What kids foods do you have at home have added sugar (rice syrup, glucose, fructose, dextrose, maltose, cane sugar, apple or grape juice concentrate). Check nutrition labels for added sugar amounts, which should be as close to 0 for kiddos under 2.
Need help navigating a lower-sugar life with kids? I help with that!
âđ»and ribeyes,
Miranda Ebner MS, LN and The Yes2Meat Team
đ° News & đŹ Research
đ Most Americans have almost HALF the amount of optimal omega-3 levels: A comprehensive analysis across the United States found that most Americans have suboptimal blood levels of omega-3 fatty acids. Researchers examined EPA and DHA measurements from over 1.1 million people across all 50 states between 2000-2023. The average omega-3 indexâa measure of EPA and DHA in red blood cellsâwas just 5.28%, well below the target of 8% associated with better health outcomes. While fatty fish is the best dietary source of EPA and DHA, meeting optimal intake through diet alone can be challenging. A EPA/DHA supplement can be a good way to support blood levels around 1-2 grams/day.
đ Important caution about GLP-1 medications and muscle loss: Recent findings published in The Lancet raised concerns about muscle loss during medically-induced weight loss, particularly with GLP-1 medications like Ozempic and Wegovy. Research shows that 25-39% of total weight lost over 36-72 weeks comes from muscle tissueâa significantly higher rate than with traditional diet approaches or normal aging. This matters because muscle isn't just about strength; it's crucial for metabolic health, blood sugar control, and immune function. When people lose muscle mass too quickly, they may face increased infection risk, poor glucose regulation, and compromised metabolic health. Proper protein intake and resistance training can help protect muscle mass during weight loss. The key is taking a comprehensive approach that includes nutrient-dense whole foods, adequate protein (at least 0.8-1.2 grams per pound of ideal body weight), and regular strength training.
đ§Â Major court victory in the fight against water fluoridation: A recent federal court ruling in California raised significant concerns about the safety of water fluoridation. The judge found that fluoride levels considered optimal in the U.S. (0.7 mg/L) pose an "unreasonable risk" of reduced IQ in children. This decision contradicts longstanding assurances from public health officials about fluoride's safety. The ruling cites multiple studies linking fluoride exposure during pregnancy and childhood to cognitive deficits. As the judge states in the ruling, âThere is little dispute in this suit as to whether fluoride poses a hazard to human health. Indeed, EPAâs own expert agrees that fluoride is hazardous at some level of exposure." This is a major victory after decades of disinformation and obfuscation about the âsafetyâ of fluoride in drinking water.
đ« Tofu and seitan instead of meat? Not so fast: A study found that proteins from plant-based meat alternatives were poorly digested and created significant oxidative stress in the gut. Researchers studied the gastrointestinal effects of commercial seitan and tofu compared to beef in rats over 10 weeks. Undigested proteins reached the colon, where bacteria fermented them into potentially harmful compounds like p-cresol. The tofu-fed rats showed disrupted gut bacteria populations and increased markers of intestinal inflammation. The seitan appeared to pass through the stomach undigested before triggering inflammatory responses in the small intestine. While traditional forms of tofu and seitan have been consumed safely in Asia for centuries alongside animal foods, the ultra-processed versions in Western markets appear to behave very differently in our digestive systems. Just say no.Â
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The Broken Status Quo
We regularly highlight the broken status quo, so hopefully, it will nudge you to OPT OUT and forge your path.
If you find yourself nodding your head when reading about the dangers of seed oil, it's time to figure out how much of it is still in your diet. (It's likely at least a little bit.)
Knowledge is the ultimate power when it translates to real-world action.
One way to take action is to start using Carnivore Bars as an alternative to eating out.
A Carnivore Bar is a "meal in your pocket."
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Now imagine a 24-bar box: TWENTY-FOUR TIMES, you'd have spent $20-$50 to eat out. Do the math.
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