If you think you’ve been eating clean, think again—especially if your “healthy” snacks are pre-packaged and purchased at the grocery store.
Intrigued by the effects of a high sugar diet on an otherwise healthy body, Australian documentary filmmaker Damon Gameau decided to try a sugar experiment on himself and record the effects. Following the same vein of health-centric documentaries, like Fat, Sick & Nearly Dead, and Supersize Me, Damon’s That Sugar Film follows his 60-day journey of eating the equivalent of 40 teaspoons of sugar a day, which is the average amount consumed daily by young, Australian males.
Having started out quite healthy (he gave up sugar three years ago, and is seen sporting a six-pack at the beginning of the film), Damon’s health quickly took a turn for the worse as he gained 19 pounds and was nearly developed cirrhosis of the liver by the end of his experiment.
We’d be surprised if you’re craving for that cupcake. Here’s the thing: He chose seemingly healthy, low-fat foods, like fro-yo, cereal, grilled chicken covered in teriyaki sauce, Gatorade—you get the picture. Think it’s too wild to be true? Watch the clip below, which features Damon explaining the amount of sugar in a full-sized cup of Jamba Juice.
Though his body was able to rebound quite quickly after the experiment when he went back to fresh, whole foods, he did admit that everything tasted like cardboard for a week. “Sugar really does overpower the taste buds,” he observes.
Photo courtesy of Protein2o
