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Sugar alters hormones and metabolism, sets stage for obesity and diabetes

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Re: Sugar alters hormones and metabolism, sets stage for obesity and diabetes

#11

Post by zaroth »

goodells wrote: post #3
troydavis wrote: post #2

The CDC says 34% of US adults have pre-diabetes, and of those, 88% are undiagnosed[1]. Yes, about 29% of US adults have un-diagnosed pre-diabetes, or about 74 million people. I think a significant cause is that testing blood glucose is thought of as something that only diabetics do, and as a result, most people have no idea how their bodies respond to meals they'd consider normal. The feedback loop is completely open…

This sounds very interesting as another metric (like weight on a scale, as you put it) for someone trying to be conscious about their health. Is this something that a person could do cheaply at home with over-the-counter diabetic testing supplies? Could you be more specific or link to something about a protocol for e.g. measuring the effect of a meal on blood glucose and how to interpret those results?

You would need a blood glucose meter (BGM), lancets, and strips. About $50 to get started.

Taking the measurement by washing your hands or wiping off your finger with an alcohol wipe, let dry, prick finger, squeeze to produce a small blood droplet, touch the end of the strip to the blood.

As far as interpreting expected results an hour after a meal; it depends on about a half dozen primary factors.

- Baseline fasting glucose level - # of carbs consumed - Ratio of simple/complex carbs and how much associated protein and fat in the meal

8 carbs of juice will spike blood sugar a lot faster than 8 carbs of ice cream because fat/protein/fiber can all slow down absorption of the carbs.

But in general healthy glucose level is 90 - 120 mg/dL and I'd imagine an hour after eating you should be a bit higher maybe up to 140.

Re: Sugar alters hormones and metabolism, sets stage for obesity and diabetes

#12

Post by matt_wulfeck »

lokerfoi wrote: post #9
vixen99 wrote: post #4

Short take: this is adapted from ‘The Case Against Sugar’ by Gary Taubes, a science writer who's been a long-standing campaigner against dietary carbohydratesa and sugar'.

Is he bashing vegetables and fruits? The average US citizen does not eat the recommended minimum amount for fiber. Is he bashing the 3500kcal diet of average US citizen or is he purposefully demonizing a single macronutrient group?

Don’t you see the trend? “Recommended amounts” may be a large part of the issue. Doesn’t the US recommend 325 grams of sugar (carbohydrates) a day?

Re: Sugar alters hormones and metabolism, sets stage for obesity and diabetes

#13

Post by sliverstorm »

lokerfoi wrote: post #9
vixen99 wrote: post #4

Short take: this is adapted from ‘The Case Against Sugar’ by Gary Taubes, a science writer who's been a long-standing campaigner against dietary carbohydratesa and sugar'.

Is he bashing vegetables and fruits? The average US citizen does not eat the recommended minimum amount for fiber. Is he bashing the 3500kcal diet of average US citizen or is he purposefully demonizing a single macronutrient group?

If you read his writings you'll quickly understand he's chiefly against refined carbohydrates.

Fruit and vegetables contain carbohydrates, but their impact is completely different from refined carbs.

Re: Sugar alters hormones and metabolism, sets stage for obesity and diabetes

#14

Post by jnordwick »

The recent demonization of sugar substitutes hasn't helped either. The problem with studies that link them to weight gain is that they confuse correlation and caution then make some wild unsubstantiated stab at causation by guessing that maybe they cause insulin issues. I went looking for information on that, and found and excellent article by a diabetic site summarizing the evidence and treating each substitute as its own compound. The bulk is the data is that they have no correlation (there is some in vitro evidence for a couple of lesser used sweeteners but under very contrived circumstances). As long as we deny the existence of usable substitutes, we are making this harder on ourselves.

https://www.marksdailyapple.com/artificial-sweeteners-insuli...

Re: Sugar alters hormones and metabolism, sets stage for obesity and diabetes

#15

Post by alexandercrohde »

Tl; dr:

Author contrasts two explanations of the obesity and diabetes crises: A) that the root of the issue is caloric intake stemming from low-self-control or B) that the root of the issue is high blood-sugar and its subsequent effects.

Author explores the long history of this debate and presents points for both sides. Author admits the thermodynamic validity of caloric math but cites that at a cellular glucose levels cause insulin levels to rise that cause the cell to take on fat. Author cites other research, such as increased appetite among obese animals, suggesting a systemic effect. Author cites ketogenic diets as evidence (which restrict sugars but not total calories).

Author contrasts the moral interpretation of each theory. Proposes the caloric consumption model places blame on the individual, whereas the glucose explanation places blame on the FDA.

Re: Sugar alters hormones and metabolism, sets stage for obesity and diabetes

#16

Post by ThrowawayR2 »

kichuku wrote: post #10

I would like to share an anecdote. In March 2016, I was weighing 96 kilograms (211.64 pounds). I made just one change during that time which is to stop having anything with sugar. I continued to take other natural sweeteners like jaggery and honey. The rest of my diet remained the same and my activity level remained the same ( I work in IT as a network engineer in a desk job) In October 2016, I was weighing 72 kilos…

> I continued to take other natural sweeteners like jaggery and honey.

...which are also 80+% sugar.

Re: Sugar alters hormones and metabolism, sets stage for obesity and diabetes

#17

Post by m1keil »

kichuku wrote: post #10

I would like to share an anecdote. In March 2016, I was weighing 96 kilograms (211.64 pounds). I made just one change during that time which is to stop having anything with sugar. I continued to take other natural sweeteners like jaggery and honey. The rest of my diet remained the same and my activity level remained the same ( I work in IT as a network engineer in a desk job) In October 2016, I was weighing 72 kilos…

Can confirm a very similar experience: a drop of 12kg from 86 to 74. No change in physical activity. Also work in IT. Only dietary difference is cutting out all sugar and as many carbs as I can.

Re: Sugar alters hormones and metabolism, sets stage for obesity and diabetes

#18

Post by smilliken »

ThrowawayR2 wrote: post #16
kichuku wrote: post #10

I would like to share an anecdote. In March 2016, I was weighing 96 kilograms (211.64 pounds). I made just one change during that time which is to stop having anything with sugar. I continued to take other natural sweeteners like jaggery and honey. The rest of my diet remained the same and my activity level remained the same ( I work in IT as a network engineer in a desk job) In October 2016, I was weighing 72 kilos…

> I continued to take other natural sweeteners like jaggery and honey. ...which are also 80+% sugar.

Honey has a lower glycemic index/insulin response than sucrose.

Re: Sugar alters hormones and metabolism, sets stage for obesity and diabetes

#19

Post by QAPereo »

jnordwick wrote: post #14

The recent demonization of sugar substitutes hasn't helped either. The problem with studies that link them to weight gain is that they confuse correlation and caution then make some wild unsubstantiated stab at causation by guessing that maybe they cause insulin issues. I went looking for information on that, and found and excellent article by a diabetic site summarizing the evidence and treating each substitute as i…

With very few edits, you've identified the problem with science journalism:

The problem with studies... is that they confuse correlation and caution [sic] then make some wild unsubstantiated stab at causation..."

Re: Sugar alters hormones and metabolism, sets stage for obesity and diabetes

#20

Post by analog31 »

kichuku wrote: post #10

I would like to share an anecdote. In March 2016, I was weighing 96 kilograms (211.64 pounds). I made just one change during that time which is to stop having anything with sugar. I continued to take other natural sweeteners like jaggery and honey. The rest of my diet remained the same and my activity level remained the same ( I work in IT as a network engineer in a desk job) In October 2016, I was weighing 72 kilos…

Oddly enough, I can share an anecdote too. After a health scare, I decided to change my diet. I didn't think that I was self disciplined enough to count calories, so I arbitrarily eliminated certain things from my diet, most notably butter.

My exercise didn't change much: Cycling to work every day. I got a new bike, but it didn't make me go that much faster.

Within a few months, I went from 175 to 150 pounds (about 79 to 68 kg), and have kept it off.

Now, this goes against the current "ketogenic" hypothesis, and is actually kind of puzzling, but I realize that butter makes things tasty, and I was just eating a lot less food overall because it was less pleasant. So it probably was a reduction in carbs.

It took more than a year before I could enjoy a piece of toast without anything on it.

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