Sugar Blues

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For other uses, see Sugar Blues (song).

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Sugar Blues is a book by William Duffy that was released in 1975 to somewhat surprising commercial success. In the book, Duffy argues that sugar is an addictive drug, that sugar is extremely harmful to the human body, and that the sugar industry conspires to keep Americans addicted to sugar.

Sugar Blues is probably the first popular culture book that gives insight into the often overlooked link between diet and depression, and how a small dietary change, eliminating refined sugar, can make a huge difference in how good one is able to feel physically and mentally. Duffy even goes so far as to suggest that eliminating refined sugar from the diet of those institutionalized for mental illness could be an effective treatment for some.

Duffy may have been far ahead of his time, as researchers at the University of Florida have just discovered a major link between Fructose (50% of the metabolite of sugar) and Obesity in rats. The other metabolite in sugar, Glucose, did not affect the rats health at all. Fructose causes a spike in Uric Acid levels, which according to researchers disrupts insulin levels and makes the rats hungrier than they actually are. The widespread use of High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) since the 1980's with even higher percentages of Fructose than sugar have simply compounded the problem. So in the end Duffy may be right all along, and science is simply catching up. To combat the Fructose Metabolism problem if it also exists in humans, just drink plenty of water to dilute Uric Acid and avoid sweets. It is really just that simple, other carbohydrates (exceptions are corn, carrots, a few others...) do not contain Fructose or metabolize to it after digestion. So starches are OK, sugars that contain or metabolize to Fructose are not. This information is based on the latest research into Obesity and its potential causes.

A more recent book on a similar subject is Potatoes Not Prozac by Dr. Kathleen DesMaisons.