Hacker News Board Hacker News, browsed like a classic message board
Live data from Hacker News

Big Sugar Versus Your Body

nytimes.com

Post reply on HN
Print view View original

41–50 of 77 posts

Re: Big Sugar Versus Your Body

#41

Post by gascan »

sevensor wrote: post #19
esterly wrote: post #7

'Redo your pantry' is an important section in the linked article. My wife is really good about finding pointing out sugar in sauces that seem healthy [1], tomato sauce, catsup, etc., and finding sure free alternatives [1] https://www.prevention.com/food/healthy-eating-tips/10-hidde...

I was sad to learn that sauces like ketchup are mostly sugar. Even sriracha is quite sugary.

If it's a popular sauce in America, it's almost sugary as a rule. BBQ sauce, maple syrup, salad dressing, tomato sauce. Mustard might be the one solid exception (?)

I don't know if this is because sugary sauces become popular, or because popular sauces were adulterated with sugar.

Re: Big Sugar Versus Your Body

#42

Post by [deleted] »

beggi wrote: post #5

The author conflates sugar/honey etc (pure carbs - glucose, fructose) and artificial sweeteners like stevia and erythritol which don't have any effect on your blood glucose and really are completely different. I fully agree with the premise of minimizing sugar consumption but I don't think encouraging people to avoid certain artificial sweeteners like stevia etc is helpful - and in fact it's hurting because certain p…

[deleted]

Re: Big Sugar Versus Your Body

#43

Post by jimmar »

People eat too many calories. An easy way to cut calories is by reducing the number of sugary things you eat because they taste so good you want to eat a lot of them. But nutritionally, as long as you control for calories, a bowl of ice cream is not terribly different than a grilled cheese sandwich. Yeah, the ice cream has more sugar, but in your stomach that bread is being broken down into sugar anyway.

Re: Big Sugar Versus Your Body

#44

Post by godot »

ascagnel_ wrote: post #11
beggi wrote: post #5

The author conflates sugar/honey etc (pure carbs - glucose, fructose) and artificial sweeteners like stevia and erythritol which don't have any effect on your blood glucose and really are completely different. I fully agree with the premise of minimizing sugar consumption but I don't think encouraging people to avoid certain artificial sweeteners like stevia etc is helpful - and in fact it's hurting because certain p…

The article is specifically talking about added sugars, and their net effect. > Big Sugar has paid researchers to conduct misleading — if not false — studies about the health effects of added sweeteners. The core issue is not the type of sugar, but the nature of it being basically everywhere in packaged foods. The author also mentions that it's not worth trying to quantify the amount of sugar: > Don’t agonize over th…

When you say "slightly more expensive grocery bill", what are you comparing it to? I find that it's generally cheaper if you buy fresh meat and produce and make meals yourself, whether you compare it to eating at restaurants (a lot more expensive) or prepared/boxed meals in supermarkets (slightly more expensive than the same amount of food in fresh grocery).

I suppose if you compare it to junk food, like eating chips and cookies for subsistence, I can see how fresh meat and produce can be slightly more expensive. (Or you may be considering time it takes to prepare meals from fresh ingredients as an expense?)

In fact, one of my first realizations when I began to cook meals myself, after college, was that eating healthy was surprisingly cheap. You can consistently eat healthy and get all your nutritions for under $5 a meal.

Re: Big Sugar Versus Your Body

#45

Post by 121789 »

lev99 wrote: post #23

I encourage everyone to measure everything they eat for one week. Use an app, a scale and count the calories, macronutrients and micronutrients. The results are well worth the trouble of doing it for one week. I found my sodium and sugar intake were way to high, and foods I thought were high in protein were often not. Now I read the white label on every food item I buy at the grocery store. After several years my tas…

I know it would decrease adherence, but I suggest that people do this for 3-6 months. Set a calorie limit based roughly on daily energy expenditure and track what you eat with an app.

I do not think this is necessary long-term (and it can be harmful if you take it to the extreme), but it is really helpful to calibrate your perception of portion sizes and calories relative to what you can eat in a day. You start to look at things like chipotle burritos and pop-tarts in a much different manner.

Re: Big Sugar Versus Your Body

#46

Post by beggi »

jakewins wrote: post #16
beggi wrote: post #5

The author conflates sugar/honey etc (pure carbs - glucose, fructose) and artificial sweeteners like stevia and erythritol which don't have any effect on your blood glucose and really are completely different. I fully agree with the premise of minimizing sugar consumption but I don't think encouraging people to avoid certain artificial sweeteners like stevia etc is helpful - and in fact it's hurting because certain p…

> on't have any effect on your blood glucose and really are completely different Source for this? My understanding is that the link between non-caloric artificial sweeteners (NAS) and diabetes is growing increasingly clear. For instance: NAS linked to glucose intolerance (pre-diabetic hyperglacemia): https://www.nature.com/articles/nature13793 NAS unlikely to be healthy alternative to sugar for prevention of type 2 d…

First one: an interesting study - but it only applies to mice. Currently we just don't know if this applies to humans.

Second one: I haven't read the whole study but they categorize fruit juice which is chock full of sugar along side artificially sweetened drinks - which is a red flag to me. Also, I don't think people who swap sugary drinks for diet drinks and changes no other aspect of their diet will have a better outcome in regards to type 2 diabetes. It doesn't mean that diet sodas contribute or cause type 2 diabetes.

Re: Big Sugar Versus Your Body

#47

Post by jackhack »

deyan wrote: post #18

I can confirm at least one part of this story with a personal anecdote: As a child, I absolutely loved, craved, was addicted to Coca Cola. A liter a day, perhaps more. Coming to the US, I noticed that it tasted different because of substituting sugar with high fructose corn syrup. No problem - I switched to Mexican Coca Cola (the one in a glass bottle) - and carried on. Fast forward to after grad school, I wanted to…

>Coca Cola. A liter a day...

I am stunned. 1L of Coca Cola = 840 calories @ 234grams of sugar. That's 18 Tablespoons. Or a bit more than one measuring cup of sugar per day in addition to whatever else you ate!

1/3 of an adult's typical days caloric needs consumed as pure sugar. Since you were a child, it's likely you were consuming more than half your daily calories this way.

Re: Big Sugar Versus Your Body

#48

Post by JAFTEM »

TACIXAT wrote: post #17

I go through full withdrawal cutting out sugar, and it was the only thing that got me to actually stop going back to it. It took me about 3 times going back and forth and the last time I decided I really didn't want to go through the process of getting sick again. I used to eat a few bowls of ice cream each day. I'd drink tons of root beer and cream soda. I still miss it every so often, but I know it's the right choi…

I've completely cut out sugar too and it's intriguing how the body responds. I once accidentally sipped my partner's coffee (filled with sugar) thinking it was mine and I actually gagged.

Re: Big Sugar Versus Your Body

#49

Post by sevensor »

gascan wrote: post #41
sevensor wrote: post #19

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I was sad to learn that sauces like ketchup are mostly sugar. Even sriracha is quite sugary.

If it's a popular sauce in America, it's almost sugary as a rule. BBQ sauce, maple syrup, salad dressing, tomato sauce. Mustard might be the one solid exception (?) I don't know if this is because sugary sauces become popular, or because popular sauces were adulterated with sugar.

Would you believe that even Grey fricking Poupon mustard has added sugar?
Post reply on HN