Sugar labeling move endangers millions

The Food and Drug Administration has given an unfettered sweet deal to packaged food manufacturers. Companies initially were told that by July 2018 they would have to put added sugar content on nutritional labels. Now the deadline is pushed to 2020 for big companies; 2021 for smaller ones.

A study published in Diabetologia found a strong link between elevated glucose levels and cognitive decline — even if your blood sugar level isn’t high enough to qualify you for a diagnosis of diabetes.

And added sugars in packaged foods damage your gut biome and promote inflammation that leads to elevated blood glucose. That means the 86 million Americans with prediabetes are at risk for cognitive problems!

Read ingredient labels, and avoid any food containing dextrose; brown sugar; confectioners’ or powdered sugar; corn syrup; fructose; high-fructose corn syrup; invert sugar; lactose; malt syrup; maltose; molasses; nectars; raw sugar; sucrose; sugar.

Mistaken worries about cancer risks

We’ve learned to effectively treat and even cure many cancers, and people today are more comfortable talking about a diagnosis. But you may still worry that there’s not much you can do about the cancer-causing carcinogens that flow in and around your everyday life.

Recently, U.K. researchers surveyed 1,330 people and found that more than 40 percent thought some of the biggest cancer-causing culprits were food additives, electromagnetic frequencies (cellphones), genetically modified food and drinking from plastic bottles.

But that’s not the case:

The study, published in the European Journal of Cancer, identifies the most significant cancer risks: smoking, being overweight and overexposure to UV radiation from the sun and sunbeds. Fortunately, you can control your risks by avoiding smoke, eating healthfully, exercising regularly, applying zinc oxide daily and never, ever using a tanning bed.

After that, reduce other risks by:

Avoiding receipts (a common source of BPA or BPS) and washing your hands after touching them.

Not using shampoos, fragrances or cosmetics containing phthalates, such as dibutyl phthalate/dbp, dimethyl phthalate/dmp and diethyl phthalate/dep.

Thoroughly cleaning the Dirty Dozen (get the list at www.ewg.org) pesticide residue-containing veggies and fruits, or go organic to get your seven to nine daily servings.

Email questions for Mehmet Oz and Mike Roizen to youdocsdaily@sharecare. com.