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Reducing sugar in packaged foods can prevent disease in millions

eurekalert.org

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Re: Reducing sugar in packaged foods can prevent disease in millions

#11

Post by cbhl »

sandworm101 wrote: post #8
EamonnMR wrote: post #3

Earlier quoted context omitted.

What baffles me is that artificial sweeteners exist and yet there is enough (imo) unfounded FUD about them that leads people to instead choose Sugar or Nothing (which inevitably translates to Sugar because of the pseudo-addictiveness you mention.) Is wireheading bad? Maybe, but if I'm going to be doing it either way I'd rather reduce the harm.

The switch to sugar alternatives is already happening. https://www.marketingweek.com/diet-coke-sales-overtake- classic-coca-cola/ "Compare this to the week before, when Diet Coke sales were at £10.4m and classic Coca-Cola £10.65m. The data shows Coca-Cola value sales were higher than Diet Coke every week for the past year until the brand overhaul and subsequent introduction of the sugar tax. Since then they have dive…

Beverages are interesting because there are now financial incentives to switch off of sweetened beverages: sweetened beverages are taxed higher in some municipalities (e.g. SF) and even banned in some school districts (e.g. PepsiCo has been selling Dasani and Bubly in some in-school vending machines instead).

Re: Reducing sugar in packaged foods can prevent disease in millions

#12

Post by windexh8er »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #9

The nice thing about reducing sugar is that after a while your taste buds realize how insanely over-sweetened many products are in the US. My current favorite example is bottled teas. When I was a kid I remember drinking Snapple, now I can't understand how I ever downed that stuff, it's like drinking syrup. If I'm lazy I'll get a bottle of unsweetened tea and mix it about 4-1 with sweetened tea. I get something that…

This. I abstain from all sugar a few times a year for at least a week. I can't drink soda in any form anymore, it all tastes like syrup at this point. I have no cravings for it at all. But continually breaking the sugar cycle helps me realize how off things taste being overloaded with sugar. There's plenty of research showcasing how addictive sugar can be and since there's no health value to consuming it there's no downside to minimizing it.

Re: Reducing sugar in packaged foods can prevent disease in millions

#13

Post by ogma »

EamonnMR wrote: post #10
postalrat wrote: post #5

Earlier quoted context omitted.

Do you avoid eating any sugar?

I'm not super strict about it but when given the choice yeah I go for the substitutes.

Insanity, carbohydrates are nothing to fear. Any serious athlete could tell you that. Just make fruits and vegetables the core of your diet...

I even eat chocolate, palm / cane / brown sugar, pastries, etc. fairly often and I could easily pass for one of those guys on a Men's Health cover.

Re: Reducing sugar in packaged foods can prevent disease in millions

#14

Post by inetknght »

guerrilla wrote: post #2

But if sugar is addictive, as it seems it is, this would cost a significant fraction of annual revenue to food producers, so there's no way they'd do it. Even if it's not literally addictive, it's clearly attractive and they'd take a big hit.

> Even if it's not literally addictive

Except that some research suggests that it is:

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2235907/

Re: Reducing sugar in packaged foods can prevent disease in millions

#15

Post by o10449366 »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #9

The nice thing about reducing sugar is that after a while your taste buds realize how insanely over-sweetened many products are in the US. My current favorite example is bottled teas. When I was a kid I remember drinking Snapple, now I can't understand how I ever downed that stuff, it's like drinking syrup. If I'm lazy I'll get a bottle of unsweetened tea and mix it about 4-1 with sweetened tea. I get something that…

Yep. Cereals, fruit juices, mainstream coffee (Starbucks, Dunkin, etc.), yogurt, baked goods...

It's insane to me that society in the US has been conditioned to consume literally hundreds of grams of sugar for breakfast. If you need caffeine (which is a separate discussion), you don't need to consume what's essentially a frozen milkshake as the delivery vehicle.

Re: Reducing sugar in packaged foods can prevent disease in millions

#18

Post by domenici2000 »

guerrilla wrote: post #2

But if sugar is addictive, as it seems it is, this would cost a significant fraction of annual revenue to food producers, so there's no way they'd do it. Even if it's not literally addictive, it's clearly attractive and they'd take a big hit.

Yes, but we are effectively subsidizing them with increased health care costs due to type 2 diabetes and other illnesses.

Re: Reducing sugar in packaged foods can prevent disease in millions

#19

Post by bschwindHN »

hn_throwaway_99 wrote: post #9

The nice thing about reducing sugar is that after a while your taste buds realize how insanely over-sweetened many products are in the US. My current favorite example is bottled teas. When I was a kid I remember drinking Snapple, now I can't understand how I ever downed that stuff, it's like drinking syrup. If I'm lazy I'll get a bottle of unsweetened tea and mix it about 4-1 with sweetened tea. I get something that…

I witnessed a lot of Japanese exchange students happily purchasing a bottle of "green tea" in the states only to see a look of pure shock on their face as they tried it.

It only takes a few weeks to get used to unsweetened tea but it's so much better for you, and honestly really refreshing. Oi Ocha and Ayataka green tea are my personal favorites. If the states had more of a vending machine culture (like Japan) with these healthier drinks in them, maybe it would catch on more. That's probably too optimistic of me though...

Re: Reducing sugar in packaged foods can prevent disease in millions

#20

Post by 2muchcoffeeman »

josh_today wrote: post #17

Sounds like a sugar epidemic. Why are these ingredients not banned?

These suggestions are very extreme: ban ingredients, use artificial sweeteners.

What about America means that you can’t just use less sugar and eat less sugar? Plenty of other countries don’t have this problem.

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