How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat • Hacker News Board

Re: How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat

#191

Post by vecinu » Mon, Sep 12, 2016, 6:18 PM UTC

DougWebb wrote: post #69

timewarrior wrote: post #41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Agreed! But we cannot ignore potential visible risks while worrying about unknown risks. I use organic/natural exclusively. Try to model my life closed to simple ingredients people used more than 100 years back. I also diversify things I consume. Someone once posted on HN: His grandpa told him everything is poison, so use everything in moderation. I really liked this recommendation. However it is very difficult to pr…

Many of the "simple ingredients" that people used 100 years ago aren't really available anymore, at least not in the US. That would somewhat true even with traditional breeding and cultivation, but over the past 100 years we've greatly improved our understanding of how breeding works, the rate that we can modify plants and animals, and with GMOs we now have a lot of direct control over the outcome. We just don't have…

What about people that are living in more rural parts of Europe?

There are a lot of small time farmers there that still grow the same sheep/cows/animals their grandparents grew 100 years ago.

They grow the same veggies on the same rotated soil that was grown 100 years ago, the same way.

Sure it may be a niche but if I'm living around there and eating that food, I think it's pretty darn close to what our ancestors were eating a century ago.

Re: How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat

#192

Post by M_Grey » Mon, Sep 12, 2016, 6:18 PM UTC

hx87 wrote: post #187

I wonder if this has anything to do with my observation that it's ridiculously hard to find whole fat yogurt, especially whole fat Greek yogurt (!), in most grocery stores in the Boston area. Only specialist and high-end stores such as Whole Foods keep them in stock, whereas the proles get stuck with the sweetened, low-fat versions that contain up to 30 grams of sugar per serving.

Boston area? Oh, I may be about to make you very happy then, especially if you like real Greek yogurt. Sophia's Greek Pantry in Belmont makes the best yogurt I've had outside of Greece. You have to enjoy a good, tangy yogurt, and it will ruin you for all other yogurts. It's best (IMO) with a little bit of good honey drizzled on top.

I mean, this stuff is so thick that you can hardly shake it off the spoon, no sugar, and not too much fat; just a nice protein gel as the yogurt gods intended.

Re: How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat

#193

Post by M_Grey » Mon, Sep 12, 2016, 6:20 PM UTC

e40 wrote: post #111

PKop wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't leave us hanging... what was your substitute?

Nothing. The toothpastes without SLS made me gag. My dentist said using no toothpaste was fine. My Sonicare toothbrush and flossing does the job just fine, and the floride in the water handles the rest.

You can even use some salt, or baking soda if you feel like you need a "deeper clean" or the like.

Re: How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat

#194

Post by BigThrowaway88 » Mon, Sep 12, 2016, 6:20 PM UTC

tiglionabbit wrote: post #101

brockhaywood wrote: post #76

Earlier quoted context omitted.

So, what is the alternative you are using? Water and brushing? Or some organic toothpaste alternative?

I still use toothpaste, but I've found that using a sonicare toothbrush made a huge improvement in preventing cavities. Also flossing is important.

The benefits of flossing are not backed by data. Seems it too is a myth manufactured by industry:

The FDA had to remove the recommendation from daily hygiene guidelines, as law requires them to be backed by legit science.

That said, I still do it. Makes my mouth "feel" cleaner".

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/f7e66079d9ba4b4985d7af350619a...

Re: How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat

#195

Post by jcsvyu789jh » Mon, Sep 12, 2016, 6:21 PM UTC

gohrt wrote: post #151

martinko wrote: post #134

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Low carb and keto is consistent with a vergatable, plant and especially nut diet. > Whole fruits What are whole fruits and why do you feel fruits of any kind are healthy? The levels of sugars in them are unnatural - neither oranges nor apples have historically been as sweet as they are now.

Whole fruits are pieces of fruit from a tree, that you bit into, as opposed to fruits that have been chemically mechanically/processed to extract some molecules (sugar) and discard others (especially the pulp/fiber) Modern meat is also unnnatural, engineered by the agriculture industry.

> Modern meat is also unnnatural, engineered by the agriculture industry.

Aren't you conflating "natural" with safe/nutritious/good for you? Or am I misreading your comment. (It seems to strongly indicate you believe that "unnatural" things are bad for you.)

Re: How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat

#196

Post by frozenport » Mon, Sep 12, 2016, 6:21 PM UTC

zeveb wrote: post #169

frozenport wrote: post #144

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Sugar does have some nutritional value, and is a hallmark of primate diet. Tobacco is an addictive insecticide that won't even get you high.

> Tobacco is an addictive insecticide that won't even get you high. Nicotine is an addictive substance which suppresses appetite and increases focus; as found in tobacco leaves, it has a pleasant smell and taste.

Loss of focus is a well known symptom of nicotine withdrawal. It goes away after a few days.

Re: How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat

#197

Post by rosstex » Mon, Sep 12, 2016, 6:22 PM UTC

PieterH wrote: post #184

vecinu wrote: post #177

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Does this not include sugar found in foods? Are those considered complex? Is eating natural sugar found in fruits as bad as eating refined/processed sugar?

There are many different kinds of sugars. It's worth understanding. Fructose is what harms you. Glucose is harmless. Sucrose is fructose plus a glucose. Lactose is harmless as long as you can digest it. Maltose is harmless. Etc. Fruits contain varying amounts of fructose. Wild berries, not so much. An apple or grape, rather a lot. Apple juice, considerably more.

> Fructose is what harms you

Can you provide more info on this?

Re: How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat

#198

Post by r_smart » Mon, Sep 12, 2016, 6:22 PM UTC

tlb wrote: post #167

The sugar industry was also the main driver of the African slave trade. When you have strong selection bias against morally principled people joining an industry (as there must have been in, say, 1850) it's hard for an industry to ever recover a moral compass.

Maybe you have a lot of information that I don't (I'm hardly an expert here), but describing it as the main driver seems like a stretch. In the Caribbean, I can see your statement being true. But in the US, as I understand it, it was more general agriculture / cotton. And so far as I know, a huge proportion of slaves were sold into the Middle East, and I assume they didn't have a huge sugar trade there.

Re: How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat

#199

Post by [deleted] » Mon, Sep 12, 2016, 6:22 PM UTC

tlb wrote: post #167

The sugar industry was also the main driver of the African slave trade. When you have strong selection bias against morally principled people joining an industry (as there must have been in, say, 1850) it's hard for an industry to ever recover a moral compass.

[deleted]

Re: How the Sugar Industry Shifted Blame to Fat

#200

Post by BigThrowaway88 » Mon, Sep 12, 2016, 6:22 PM UTC

e40 wrote: post #111

PKop wrote: post #81

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Don't leave us hanging... what was your substitute?

Nothing. The toothpastes without SLS made me gag. My dentist said using no toothpaste was fine. My Sonicare toothbrush and flossing does the job just fine, and the floride in the water handles the rest.

Turns out the benefits of flossing are not backed by research. Largely manufactured by industry:

http://bigstory.ap.org/article/f7e66079d9ba4b4985d7af350619a...