The Case Against Sugar

[BigJohn]

When I was a boy, we once lived in area that got named after a huge maple syrup plantation that was built back in the 1700's. The idea was great but the technology had not been perfected so it became a flop.

Later on, as a boy, I went to places were maple syrup was produced along with maple syrup candy. Of course, as a boy, you know what I did?

Today, I found out that maple syrup has a glycemic index of only 54 making it an excellent choice for diabetics to use as a sweetener.

[Gem]

Although all syrups have a lower GI than refined sugar, they are basically a carb dense like sugar, and a small quantity packs a lot of carb-calories. The main way of ameliorating diabetes risk is reducing body fat percentage, which means less calories. I find the narrative about sugar quite misguided because if the diabetic cuts out sugar but continues to consume excess calories, and thereby increase body fat percentage, it doesn't work.

It's just what really reduces risk and symptoms of diabetes, and just about any other malady is lower body fat percentage, and that means losing fat while retaining or increasing muscle mass. People with higher body fat percentage tend to consume sweet and fatty food such as chocolate and stuff, drink alcohol, and have lower than average levels of physical activity.

Just imagine a doctor says you have diabetes and you cut sugar, but instead turn to some syrups or honey and fatty food and actually increase calorie intake. That makes no sense, and focusing on sugar consumption in isolation isn't really the way.

Far fewer calories and probably higher protein sources from whole lean food, along with say 3 hours of fairly strenuous weight training per week is going to be the most, and likely the only, real effective way to mitigate the risks and outcomes of diabetes.

This approach automatically addresses excess sugar because if you consume too many carbs you can't meet your protein intake without exceeding your calorie quota.

[BigJohn]

I know one chap that has diabetes. He works out 5 days a week (Monday - Friday) on all the machines the gym he goes to has but his blood sugars instead of going down, they go up.

For some people, waking up in the morning: their blood sugars rise. For some people, taking a shower raises their blood sugars. For some people, if the temperature is too hot or too cold, it affects their blood sugars. How much water a person drinks (being hydrated or dehydrated) seems to be another factor. In these cases, eating does not seem to be a factor in blood sugar but seem to be a function of certain events.

What is great is that today, it is very common to see people with sensors that record their blood sugars in real time and graph it out so it can be analyzed as to when they have low and high blood sugars. And with diabetics, it seems most of them know what their Hemoglobin A1C is which helps in determining if a person has diabetes and if it is getting worse or improving.

[BigJohn]

Is yacon syrup considered a 'bad' sugar? I would say no. I would also claim it is a superfood.

When it comes to sugar, I would say histamine should be considered.

[Gem]

Originally Posted by BigJohn

helps in determining if a person has diabetes and if it is getting worse or improving.

I can't see how blood sugar goes up with regular exercise, but I guess it's possible as a hormone type thing. Mostly people have lower blood sugar after exercise and could use some carbs. It is unusual and not typical. Eating raises blood sugar every time, but that normal. Besides, over all, having more muscle compared to fat is the most effective way of avoiding or reducing it, so it's still best that he hits the gym. I haven't heard of anything like temperature having any significant effect on blood sugar, maybe just a bit, but since eating has the most effect both in the short and long term, and high body fat percentage is the leading cause of diabetes and adverse outcomes, I think prioritise the biggies and put less significant things second.

[aiken]

I disagree with you Aldous, i surely be go with that comment as Sugar isn't a toxin, and it's not addictive, but because sugar is added to a lot of processed food products including all sorts of condiments, people tend to consume too many calories from sugar, which leads to many calories in the diet.

[Gem]

That's exactly right. It's the excess calories from added refined sugar in our food supply. The people who get diabetes and other preventable diseases generally have a high body fat percentage (aka consume too many calories). People with a high body fat percentage who consume a lot of sugar and refined carbs, but maintain a calorie deficit and lose fat, generally have vastly improved blood markers and a result of losing fat. Hence the toxic narrative makes no sense and doesn't withstand scientific rigour.

Recently there was a big guy ate Maccas Meals every meal for 100 days, with those processed buns, sugary condiments and soda. He only ate half portions and finished the other half for his next meal. I know a guy with a PHD in protein synthesis, and he worked out, that on average, each meal was 500 cals. A big male on 1500 cals a day would lose a pound or so every couple of days, and indeed, this individual lost 60 pounds in 100 days. He went to his doctor to get blood work tested, and all his results were significantly improved. How is it an obese guy can get healthier on the worst diet imaginable? Fat loss, is the answer.

The problem with the negative narrative about toxins and addictiveness etc. is, it is fear mongering that only contributes to people's problematic relationships with food. All stories about 'bad food' are untrue. There are no bad foods (but there are bad diets).

[Gem]

This is the reason I don't like hearing fear based misinformation about nutrition, and all nature of quackery. Toxic, addictive and such extreme negativity gets in people's heads and leads them to harm. I get it because I was fooled for many years by spiritual-vegan nutrition quacks. Lucky I got past it and started basing my facts on scientific evidence. Warning: it's sad. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9g3b...5UG w&index=5

[Podshell]

I always think about the balance of nutrients, if we start refining and adding lots then it is unnatural for the body, foreign. messing about with foods too will produce unbalanced foodstuffs, toxins in large quantities, or causing deficiencies due to aiming for bulk at the cost of nutrients.


I learnt a few lessons by over indulging in alcohol, it isn't just the alcohol that causes damage(if you drink largte quantities of the stuff the water source they use can be harmful, the added sugar, the aluminium from the cans, the enzymes produced by the germinating barley, the pesticides on the plants used, and I expect many more factors)