Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fats do not become glucose (with the exception of the glycerol from triglycerides...a minute amount of the total kcals from one trig) but they do become energy. The majority of energy is in fatty acids which have no pathway to glucose. For example, it is believed that when we sleep our energy comes from fats. We are not doing anything exerting, so the process of (fat catabolism -> energy) >= energy needs. The brain n…
Ketone bodies can be used by the brain. It prefers glucose, but you don't absolutely need it. Lets say for a second you're right and you need glucose, though. 65% is a really high number, and we basically know exactly what it leads to (obesity).
Is Sugar Killing Us?
201–210 of 274 posts
Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?
#202Earlier quoted context omitted.
I don't think there exists any evidence that high fructose corn syrup is much worse than sucrose. They are pretty close to the same thing. HFCS is 45-58% glucose, and 42-55% fructose, and sugar is 50% glucose and 50% fructose. There is one more bond in sugar, but enzymes in your gut break that bond apart very quickly.
Well, I'm not exactly saying your should eat a bunch of sucrose either, so I might have overstepped by saying it's MUCH worse. But I do think the evidence points to fructose not being good for you, and it's certainly not better than other sugars.
Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?
#203Earlier quoted context omitted.
While keto seems promising in the short term, there isn't much data to validate whether it would be best for "most people". There is a definite concern long term with organ failure associated with ketoacidosis.
Whereas, the "standard" USDA diet has created an obesity epidemic. That is also a definite concern. I would take the diet with insufficient evidence over the diet that has years of evidence in provably not working.
Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?
#204Earlier quoted context omitted.
There are plenty of healthy diets recommended by leading nutritionists and doctors that aren't the food pyramid. And bringing this up as a straw-man doesn't seem to further the discussion. There are lots of very healthy diets with much more long term data behind them like the Mediterranean diet.
The food pyramid is literally taught to every child in the united states, and, uh, we're kind of a fat nation. I think it's totally fair to call it out, it's not a straw-man, the government is literally forcing bad advice on people that's making them fat.
Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?
#205Earlier quoted context omitted.
Seems to be a rare instance that violates Betteridge's Law.
I believe I read a "study" recently where a news headline analysis found that roughly a third of question-headlines were "yes", the other two thirds? "No" and "Maybe" Turns out Betteridge's law is just something snarky Internet people say.
This appears to be the one I recall: http://calmerthanyouare.org/2015/03/19/betteridges-law.html
My numbers were off it's actually 46% "non-polar", 20% "yes", 16% "maybe" and, 15% no
https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=9232419
Additionally there was a publication in a statistical journal which also discussed the "phenomenon" http://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11192-016-2030-2 which also found that it wasn't a factual assertion (in academic papers).
Anyways - if the downvote was for something other than my own snark I'd love to hear what it was.
Apologies for coming off as a jerk.
Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?
#206Earlier quoted context omitted.
"the body can synthesize glucose" is a horribly misleading statement. The body can create glucose only by destroying protein and the amount it can create is limited by the buildup of toxic waste the process leaves behind. It's absolutely not the same thing as the body synthesizing vitamin A from carotene. You will be much better off eating carbohydrates, and 45% may be still too little.
I've read a book[1] -- by an actual doctor -- saying the exact opposite. If you think about it from an evolutionary standpoint, our ancestors would have had many times when food accessibility was scarce and they would have needed to maintain their strength through a long fast. An animal that burned muscle/protein over fat is an animal that wouldn't have survived long, that would be a terrible evolutionary disadvantag…
Would you have lost the same 25lbs. if you had just eaten less? In other words, does it really matter that you cut out carbs only? Are you chowing down on bacon and steaks?
Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?
#207Earlier quoted context omitted.
Have you ever checked out Reddit's https://Reddit.com/r/keto keto subreddit? The keto-flu is a known & expected phase that matches the "anxiety and headache" thing. If you quit sugar "cold turkey" about 4 days in your body essentially switches from a carbs-for-fuel system to a fats-for-fuel one. It feel pretty wretched for a day. Afterwards you feel great, virtually never hungry, & weight melts off.
Can confirm that. The very first time I attempted a keto like diet (was actually a PSMF if I recall correctly), I felt so shitty and lightheaded in the first couple days that I bailed and tore into a small pack of cookies. It gets a lot easier though. After going in and out of keto a couple more times, it completely stops being an issue.
Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?
#208Earlier quoted context omitted.
A large percentage of our dietary need is strictly for energy (via glucose). Carbohydrates are most efficient over fats or protein to fulfill this need, among other needs like fiber intake. Complex ones work best, not only for sustained energy but other benefits as well. Yes we have needs for micronutrients, which are acquired from all of the macros. If your diet is truly varied, balanced, and adequate (in all three…
Ok but, the only reason you would care about getting energy super efficiently/quickly is if you're an athlete. Also while glucose is certainly easier to burn, I've seen evidence that ketones are actually a better source of energy. Since we have an obesity epidemic, and the vast majority of (fat) people are on the diet you're proposing, I would suggest that energy efficiency is not exactly a high priority for most peo…
Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?
#209Earlier quoted context omitted.
Fruit tends to be healthy because the sugar (fructose) is wrapped in protein and fiber. In other words, it's very very distilled. That's the reason why eating an orange is a lot healthier than drinking orange juice. But we do know that fructose is VERY bad for you (high fructose corn syrup is much worse than sucrose alone).
I don't think there exists any evidence that high fructose corn syrup is much worse than sucrose. They are pretty close to the same thing. HFCS is 45-58% glucose, and 42-55% fructose, and sugar is 50% glucose and 50% fructose. There is one more bond in sugar, but enzymes in your gut break that bond apart very quickly.
Re: Is Sugar Killing Us?
#210Third year nutrition undergrad. Simple sugar consumption as a high percentage of carbohydrates/calories has the effect of chronic inflammation via oxidative stress, which is a factor of diabetes and other chronic disease. This article briefly discusses inflammation and has mostly sound nutritional advice: http://www.health.harvard.edu/staying-healthy/what-you-eat-c... This lecture by Dr. Robert Lustig has been very p…