Professional Athletes to end the Hypocrisy on Sugar-Sweetened Beverages

REDONDO BEACH, CA / ACCESSWIRE / August 27, 2015 / Athletes have long been hired to promote sugary beverages, but in private, they practice just the opposite. By replacing sugar with substitutes like stevia and consuming only low-glycemic index foods, these athletes keep their blood sugar levels stable throughout the day to maximize their performance and long-term health.

Stevia First Corp.’s #StartWithStevia campaign is designed to raise awareness of sugar’s harmful effects and to accelerate the conversion of society to healthier diet sweeteners in beverages and other products, including increased usage of stevia as a plant-derived zero-calorie sugar substitute.

The below blog post from Stevia First Corp. CEO Robert Brooke goes into great detail about this issue surrounding professional athletes:

Welcome back to the blog for SF Corp, a company that is dedicated to reinventing food and nutrition. To achieve this, we’ve focused on developing methods that could significantly increase the supply of stevia, a zero-calorie, plant-derived sweetener, that consumers love, and that is fueling a new “cola war” as the beverage companies tackle the public health backlash against sugar-loaded drinks. As part of our campaign to grow both supply and demand, we are launching a new initiative; the #StartwithStevia campaign, which is designed to bring together athletes and executives to address the public health backlash against sugar. Join us, as we help provide consumers with a simple, unambiguous message on how to improve their diet: eliminate sugar and recognize that additional options are already available, such as converting entirely to zero-calorie sweeteners that are proven to be safe.

Late last week, the Wall Street Journal wrote an article about NFL players that use the ketogenic diet, which is reported to make them leaner and reduce soreness after exercise, allowing them to train with greater intensity and for longer periods. They also mention how the most famous ketogenic practitioner is NBA star LeBron James, who slimmed down during a recent off-season with the diet. Other articles have also mentioned how Dwayne Wade converted to the diet and how both were inspired by one of the NBA’s healthiest and most durable athletes, Ray Allen. The WSJ article says the “science is unclear,” but that’s of course true of all science to some extent, and who really reads the WSJ for science reporting anyway!? The science is actually available and very compelling and definitive. There’s little doubt a closer look by the same WSJ author or their more prominent science writers would agree.

Call it ketosis or ketogenic, Paleo, low-carb, no-carb, low-sugar, no-sugar, Atkins, Zone, low-grain, no-grain, low-glycemic, etc… the core feature is that added sugar in the form of refined caloric sweeteners are pretty much eliminated. Critically, all carbohydrates must come from low-glycemic index foods, which by definition are ones that don’t give an unnatural spike in their glucose and insulin levels. A pioneering physician-scientist has even remarkably shown the diet could help reverse cognitive decline associated with dementia and Alzheimer’s (which many researchers today liken to “Type 3 diabetes”).

One of the major reasons why this simple dietary change hasn’t been adopted by everyone under the sun is mass confusion. Most don’t really know how to identify and avoid all added sugars or caloric sweeteners. The internet today is full of misinformation, and even incredibly well written and accurate articles can be spiced up with sensational tidbits or mixed messages that lead people in a completely wrong direction or to throw up their hands in confusion. An article from the Atlantic two days ago is a prime example. Despite a silly title, the key-take home message is that if you think sugar or HFCS is bad, you should also know that agave, honey, and other refined, naturalcaloric sweeteners are just as bad. You should likely be very worried about fruit juice as well, including apple and orange juice. But most articles like these on the internet just give people more questions than answers.

Many people already know better. Professional athletes like LeBron James clearly know better, in part because they have the time and incentive to really experiment to see what works to improve their personal health. For example, LeBron apparently tried cutting all candy out first, but it didn’t have anywhere near as dramatic of an effect as his latest diet. Unfortunately, it is the poorest and least educated people in the U.S. that still have not received this clear message, and as a result shocking health disparities persist. Competing for the attention of those in our poorest communities is in a sense like highly competitive sports, or business. You have to prioritize, and if you don’t prioritize correctly, or if there’s confusion created, the efforts will undoubtedly fail. We simply can’t afford for pro athletes to continue sending mixed messages by endorsing sugary beverages. If they do, quite simply, the twin global epidemics of diabetes and obesity will rage on, and our most underserved communities will feel the pain the most. In a fast-paced world, we need relatively simple solutions. Most people don’t have the time, patience, or money to exercise for an hour or more per day, or spend time adhering to a complex diet that requires balancing a calorie checkbook or driving across town to buy the healthiest and most expensive foods available. What they can do is eliminate Sugar, HFCS, Agave and Fruit Juice from their diets, and they can move 100% from sugar and high-calorie sweeteners to their zero-calorie alternatives. Anyone can do it, and everyone will benefit.

For the beverage companies, this is a time of relatively rapid change, which is typically stressful. Sugar taxes in Mexico are having an impact, and government officials in the U.S. are proposing additional sugar taxes and sugar warning labels. It’s clearly having an effect, as sales are dipping considerably and Coca-Cola had to lay off close to 2,000 employees last year. With fresh scrutiny broiling, it may seem the beverage companies have nowhere to turn. It reminds me a lot of how pharmaceutical companies have blockbuster drugs that go off-patent, and now they are in a race to replenish their coffers with something new. But this is reality – people are avoiding sugary drinks, and organizations and people ranging from the Center for Science in the Public Interest to John Oliver’s Last Week Tonight are helping people find a way to more readily identify and avoid them. The good news for the beverage companies is that they already have extremely compelling zero-calorie alternatives, and of course I’m biased towards the stevia products. The additional piece of good news is that with regards to these products – the science is actually on their side. These products are indeed MUCH healthier, and so they should go “all-in” with them, stevia included. It is a solution that is practical, ready for market, and undeniably good for consumers and our communities. 

So again, I recommend you join us, as #StartwithStevia is putting together the people who can make a difference, and to ensure this type of innovation and positive change doesn’t go unnoticed or unrewarded. I also encourage you to find out more about our mission, and watch out for us. Chances are, we’re coming soon to a city near you!

Sincerely,

Robert Brooke
CEO, SF Corp.

Stevia First is committed to growing and processing the purest, best-tasting stevia at the lowest cost and to the highest environmental standards. Everybody wins: Consumers, food and beverage makers, farmers, and the planet.

For more information please visit the corporate website at http://www.steviafirst.com/.

Disclaimer:

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SOURCE: Emerging Growth LLC

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