Is Sugar Toxic? The Bitter Truth.

On May 26, 2009, Robert Lustig gave a lecture called “Sugar: The Bitter Truth,” which was posted on YouTube the following July. Since then, it has been viewed well over 800,000 times, gaining new viewers at a rate of about 50,000 per month, fairly remarkable numbers for a 90-minute discussion of the nuances of fructose biochemistry and human physiology.

If Lustig is right, then our excessive consumption of sugar is the primary reason that the numbers of obese and diabetic Americans have skyrocketed in the past 30 years. But his argument implies more than that. If Lustig is right, it would mean that sugar is also the likely dietary cause of several other chronic ailments widely considered to be diseases of Western lifestyles — heart disease, hypertension and many common cancers among them.

Sugar, the bitter truth.

Long Article but i suggest giving it a read through, also if you have the time watch the youtube video (its a long one so make sure you have some free time before you start)

I always knew sugar in all forms wasn't the healthiest thing for us, but if Lustig is right than it not just unhealthy for us, its pretty much poison.

I know when i cut sugars out of my daily diet i started to drop weight extremely fast with no effort, also my day to day well being increased greatly, i have more energy and more drive (seems like more will power too). However i did go threw a fairly intense withdrawal period, it was almost like giving up cigarettes or something, you just don't feel "right" for the first couple weeks.

Sugar, the bitter truth.

reply to post by Alaskan Man


I've been having some health issues lately and I think maybe after I eat the groceries we got for the next couple of weeks, I'll try cutting sugar out of my diet and see what happens. This is sad for me because I'm a chocoholic. But I guess it's worth it if I get my health back. Right?

why cant any damn good thing be great for us, i mean what the hell, if there is a god, this would be his worst mistake ever

reply to post by thegoods724


Aint that the truth!
I was rooting for the twinki diet, but so much for that. *pouts*

Originally posted by Alaskan Man

On May 26, 2009, Robert Lustig gave a lecture called “Sugar: The Bitter Truth,” which was posted on YouTube the following July. Since then, it has been viewed well over 800,000 times, gaining new viewers at a rate of about 50,000 per month, fairly remarkable numbers for a 90-minute discussion of the nuances of fructose biochemistry and human physiology.

If Lustig is right, then our excessive consumption of sugar is the primary reason that the numbers of obese and diabetic Americans have skyrocketed in the past 30 years. But his argument implies more than that. If Lustig is right, it would mean that sugar is also the likely dietary cause of several other chronic ailments widely considered to be diseases of Western lifestyles — heart disease, hypertension and many common cancers among them.

Sugar, the bitter truth.

Long Article but i suggest giving it a read through, also if you have the time watch the youtube video (its a long one so make sure you have some free time before you start)

I always knew sugar in all forms wasn't the healthiest thing for us, but if Lustig is right than it not just unhealthy for us, its pretty much poison.

I know when i cut sugars out of my daily diet i started to drop weight extremely fast with no effort, also my day to day well being increased greatly, i have more energy and more drive (seems like more will power too). However i did go threw a fairly intense withdrawal period, it was almost like giving up cigarettes or something, you just don't feel "right" for the first couple weeks.

Sugar, the bitter truth.

S&F for bringing it up .. though it's not new information by any stretch, I've heard about it and believed it for years.. I learned about the link back in 2000 and that was the key to me dropping 120lbs ( I was 300lbs at the time ) .. our bodies are just not designed to take on that many carbs... ALL carbs convert to sugar and we just take in way too much which leads to insulin resistance and a host of other issues.

I try to limit carb intake to 100-150g per day max..

Originally posted by Ventessa
reply to post by Alaskan Man

 

I've been having some health issues lately and I think maybe after I eat the groceries we got for the next couple of weeks, I'll try cutting sugar out of my diet and see what happens. This is sad for me because I'm a chocoholic.

But I guess it's worth it if I get my health back. Right?

Remember, all carbs convert to sugar in the blood... whole grains included.. they just need to be properly regulated ..

Beer





That's my only source of excess sugar consumption.

I eat whole foods to the T.... , but ....


I DRINK BEER!!!

Everyone has their vice, and it's ( one of (t+c) ) mine.

reply to post by Ventessa


I don't think a moderate amount of dark chocolate would be bad for you - in fact the opposite may be true depending on what studies you read. Maybe you can use chocolate as a reward for cutting out all the other sugar in your diet - that sounds like a win win scenario to me.

I wouldn't say sugar is toxic, per se. In high amounts, and in a poor diet, it certainly is. For instance, eating a chocolate is fine, but chugging back a Mountain Dew is not.

I would be very weary of this, especially the people who say they want to completely change their diet and remove sugar items from their grocery list. A lot of foods and beverages with sugar removed, have artificial sweeteners added, like Aspartame and other very controversial much documented issues. They're also full of dyes and other additives, so be careful.

A complete and drastic diet change is never really a good idea anyway. However, I would say if you're a heavy soda drinker, then it wouldn't hurt to drop that from your grocery list.

reply to post by Ventessa


Just eat better chocolate! I started buying the semi-sweet (54% sweet) Bakers' chocolate when I decided I was going to start making brownies from scratch, rather than from box mixes. It comes in a box with 8 single ounce pieces in it. One half an ounce of that and I'm usually good...but I don't have huge sweet cravings.

You can find it in the Baking Needs section of your grocery.

reply to post by MzMorbid


I eat dove chocolate, and Lindt Lindor Truffles. I honestly can't see myself ever not eating chocolate... It's the worlds best creation EVER.

reply to post by SyphonX


Wish all you folks who spout off about sugar would actually learn about all the different sugars. Some are good and some are bad. When real "sugar"or sucrose was in everything there was no obesity problem and nobody felt bad. In moderation it won't hurt you. Now you get high fructose corn syrup in everything and as a high density sugar there is an obesity problem. Think there's a reason for that?

If you use anything to excess it's toxic. Of coarse it is. Use your intelligence and learn about which sugars are good and which are bad. Talk to a nutritionist, some one who knows about such things. Don't believe everything you see or read. Believe it or not there are people out there with agendas.

reply to post by lonegurkha


Spouting off..? About what exactly ??

My mention of Mountain Dew offended you? I said be weary, I didn't say do one thing or another. We're all adults here, extracting from what information we choose. There are different kinds of sugars, but there isn't much variety in your every day grocery store. Most people end up buying the same brand distributors for all their groceries, and there is No variety there, I hate to break it to you.

I don't follow anyone's agenda. I personally choose not to consume soda drinks, which are loaded with sugar and high fructose And other additives/dyes to boot. I also try not to consume any HFCS to begin with, choosing to even make my own sandwich bread. If I fell for someone's agenda, then I certainly picked a good one.

I chose to not get into HFCS in my earlier post, because it would have possibly derailed this thread. But since you brought it up, yes, I consider it a serious problem. You also mentioned "When sugar/sucrose was in everything", i.e. the good ol' days, there weren't any problems. Well, for starters, in the good ol' days, they didn't sweeten everything with multiple tablespoons of sugar or more. Today, sugar is in everything and lots of it, which is why I alluded to cutting soda from your diet if you are weary, as the average person gets more than enough sugar in their diet, and soda beverages only pile on.

reply to post by lonegurkha


Nutritionists know penis

I schooled my nutritionist teacher in community college just because it made her giggly.



Seriously, though.... they really are taught next to nothing compared to what's online these days.

reply to post by Alaskan Man


A really good book to read is "sugar blues" that will give you all you need to know about sugar. just google it. hope this helps. Peace starchild.

Remember when ants use to get in sugar back in the 70s and people called them sugar ants? Well now if ants get in your sugar they are called dead. You dont see ants trying to eat your sugar and if they do they die.
I think its the refining and bleaching process.

reply to post by SyphonX


I wasn't refering just to you.Don't see why you thought so unless you know something about me that I don't know.By the way my generation growing up sweetened everything with"multiple spoons of sugar" a pitcher of kool-aid required a great deal of sugar. We didn't get fat. Know why? Cause we didn't consume bad sugar. Also we didn't sit at a computer all day on sites like this or playing video games cause we didn't have them.

I'm glad that you have chosen a healthy lifestyle....good for you.

I would just like for people to learn more about good and bad sugars. There is more to sugar chemistry than is ever covered in these threads.

Originally posted by lonegurkha
reply to post by SyphonX

 

Wish all you folks who spout off about sugar would actually learn about all the different sugars. Some are good and some are bad. When real "sugar"or sucrose was in everything there was no obesity problem and nobody felt bad. In moderation it won't hurt you. Now you get high fructose corn syrup in everything and as a high density sugar there is an obesity problem. Think there's a reason for that?

Yes. But you clearly have no idea what you're talking about. When real sugar gets introduced to any population, it begins to wreak havoc on the metabolic systems of the masses. Yes, obesity and diabetes and heart disease and cancer were around before the invention of HFCS. Take a look the Alaskan Inuit, or the countless small towns in Africa. Take a look at the history of Native Americans and their diets as they shifted from traditional to a "westernized" diet.

To the OP:

You beat me to posting on this article. It's been a busy weekend. Gary Taubes, the author of this NY Times article, is quite the writer. He spent 7 years sifting through the mounds of nutrition science data to write his book Good Calories, Bad Calories.

Originally posted by unityemissions
reply to post by lonegurkha

 

Nutritionists know penis

I schooled my nutritionist teacher in community college just because it made her giggly.

Seriously, though.... they really are taught next to nothing compared to what's online these days.

You know this from knowing one nutritionist.....Nice. I'll tell my friend with the masters degree in that subject you said that . She'll get a laugh out of it.

reply to post by lonegurkha


Yay for masters degrees. I, personally, have spoken with multiple dietitians, nutritionists, trainers, doctors and a few people with advanced degrees in related fields (biochemistry, etc.) and, although my experiences don't mean anything to you, I can honestly say that the vast majority do what they do to get those letters after their name or to get that certificate and thats it. There is no continued education regarding nutrition. They don't scour medical journals on a daily basis. They don't corroborate with other experts to learn more. They don't attend seminars, symposioms and conventions showcasing the latest in the research field. Nothing.

Putting the fact that most of the information being taught to dietitians, trainers, doctors and nutritionists is outdated and deeply flawed, the above alone is enough for me to remain skeptical when a "certification" or a "masters degree" starts talking to me about nutrition. I need more qualification than..."Well...I took the required tests and passed so I know what I'm talking about."