
Questionable industry-funded review tries to cast doubt on harms of excess sugar - shawndumas
http://arstechnica.com/science/2016/12/the-food-industry-is-gaslighting-us-on-the-harms-of-sugar/
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packrat
I wonder if the curtain will ever be completely pulled back on this, like on
asbestos or tobacco. In the future, sugar may be relegated to a spice, like
salt _, pepper or MSG in percentage used in a person 's diet. Fifty years down
the road, a bunch of people mulling, "What were they thinking?" about our
generation. _not that sodium in processed foods doesn't need attention as
well.

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snarf21
I think it has to eventually. I personally think we need to use people's A1C
levels as a cost differentiator on healthcare premiums. Having a lower A1C is
a major reduction in risk for type 2 diabetes and most heart conditions.

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teslabox
Who will cast doubt on the safety of starch? After all, starch, as long chains
of glucose, provokes twice the release of insulin as sugar (50/50
glucose/fructose).

Sugar is mostly safe, as long as one's liver is healthy.

Soybean oil is much more dangerous than sugar:
[http://swindledandpimped.org/obesity-
epidemic/](http://swindledandpimped.org/obesity-epidemic/)

~~~
heisenbit
Starch is not really the problem. It is overly simplifying to equate insulin
release with problem. Yes, diabetics have a problem here but everyone else
not. In fact the insulin release is critical for satiny.

Three factors constitute the main impact of carbohydrates:

1 How much of what hits the bloodstream

2 How fast is glucose getting into the bloodstream

3 How much is left over in the intestine

1) There are mainly two molecules getting into the blood: glucose and
fructose. In particular the quantity of fructose matters from an inflammation
and cholesterol point of view as fructose in processed in the liver and
impacts triglyceride levels.

2) The faster glucose gets into the blood the more stress on the insulin
system. Refined carbohydrates go faster. Fat in the meal slows absorption down
(in that sense french fries are easier on the body than cooked potatoes).

3) Carbohydrates are easy energy for bacteria. Too much left over and bad
things can happen (reflux, diahera, headache and if persistent other chronic
conditions). Lactose intolerance and fructose malabsorption are conditions
where this happens. Complex sugar alcohols (often used sweeteners with
low/zero calories) can slow/block in larger quantities absorption of fructose
leading to problems in combination with real sugar. Also even healthy people
have limits in how much fructose they can absorb that are in the range of
western sugar laden diet. Re-heated food is harder to digest than freshly
cooked food as carbohydrates form longer chains when cooling.

While there are mainly two molecules entering the blood there are a large
number of molecules in the food. They get broken down and are absorbed or they
are passed through. The sugar industry is using this complexity to throw
smokescreens. They have an interest in playing down the role of fructose as
fructose is much sweeter than glucose and thus helps to lower the calorie
count important for selling the product. A cynic may also note that fructose
also does not trigger insulin and thus keeps the person hungry. Again to
evaluate the impact of carbohydrates one just needs to ask: how much, of what
(glucose%, fructose%), how fast and what are the left-overs.

Pasta: 100% glucose, medium fast, perfect

Sugar: 50/50 glucose/fructose, very fast, glucose perfect, fructose depends on
quantity, individual and prior food in intestine

Beans: ?/? %, slower as longer chained fructose molecules, glucose perfect,
fructose depends on individual

HFCS: 40/60% glucose/fructose very fast, glucose perfect, fructose depends on
individual, quantity and prior food in intestine

Milk: 100% glucose, fast, glucose digestion depends on lactose intolerance

Sugar alcohols: 0/0%, is passed through but may impact absorption of fructose
in other food

