Why sugar(fructose) is so bad

[ItsHectic]

I remember asking here a while back why sugar is bad, I got the response that it is handled differently in the liver.
I never really saw it as something that could really contribute to fat gain if taken with food/fiber to keep insulin levels down, to me it was just another carb.

But after watching this presentation I will never look at sugar the same way again, it is almost like pure fat. I would say its a little healthier than trans fats, and trans fats are absolute garbage.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM"]YouTube- Sugar: The Bitter Truth[/ame]

It is a long presentation, in my previous efforts to edit it I have noted sections of interest, skipping around the racial and political stuff and general health issues(heart disease and such).

Below is the time in hr:min:sec on parts of interest, for people who want to skim.

0 02 13 - 0 02 20

0 7 30 - 0 10 50

0 12 57 - 0 14 0

0 15 18 - 0 15 45

0 17 16 - 0 18 20

0 19 31 - 0 19 37

0 20 57 - 0 21 18

0 21 49 - 0 23 25

0 26 0 - 0 26 37

0 42 12 - 1 16 03

1 19 44 - 1 22 30

1 27 27 - 1 27 55

1 28 29 - 1 28 50

 

[Kristopher]

Just watched it. Wow... It sucks that almost everything has either sucrose, HFCS, or "sugar" which is also sucrose.

Have to start being more of a nazi.

Thanks for the post, incredibly informative!!!

 

[injectedn2me]

I new it thats why i cut out all soads and juice over two years ago i have been leaner ever since....thats cool though thinks for the video...

 

[AntonG42O]

Im at work so I dont see the video. If this has to do with fructose/sucrose from HFCS and such then thats right on, but if they are trying to tell you to stay away from fructose in fruit then these people can F themselves. So i hope that its a syrup/soda bashing video and not amazing healthy delicious fruits.

 

[EasyEJL]

skipping around the racial and political stuff

but you can't separate it truly. If the presenter's theories are partially based around psycho radical stuff then you have to question everything else they say.

Just like that female doctor who talks about how you can feed a family on vegetables grown in a 4 foot by 4 foot area and then goes on to directly lie in her video about food laws makes me question how much of her other findings are total fiction as well.

 

[Kristopher]

but you can't separate it truly. If the presenter's theories are partially based around psycho radical stuff then you have to question everything else they say.

Just like that female doctor who talks about how you can feed a family on vegetables grown in a 4 foot by 4 foot area and then goes on to directly lie in her video about food laws makes me question how much of her other findings are total fiction as well.

The presenter is a Prof (MD) at UCSF, he is basing his argument on statistical analysis and biochemistry. He is explaining why/how we came to the state that we are in (rampant obesity). He correlates the decrease in dietary fat intake with the increase in obesity (pretty good correlation actually). And links political factors (elections) to the introduction of cheap sugar on the market. None of his ideas are conspiracy theory crazy, they are just ones that are not really examined alot in a country where we take many things for granted (i include canada in this).

The crux of the argument is that fructose is processed by the liver as a toxin, the same way ethanol is. The difference between ethanol and fructose is that ethanol is metabolized in the brain leading to acute ethanol toxic reactions (drunkenness etc). Ethanol comes from fructose. One stat he included was that 30% of all calories coming from fructose get turned into fat.
Fructose also increases insulin response (as it does not signal that food has entered the system, and the body freaks out) and decreases leptin sensitivity and insulin resistance in muscle tissue.

You should really check out at least from 42-1:16. Where he gets into the biochemistry of it.

Really enlightening.

And no, he does not criticize fruit. For all the fructose you take in in fruit form, it is balanced by a greater quantity of fibre that speeds up digestion, and pushes the fructose further down the digestive tract where it is broken up into smaller less harmful particles. Fruit and veggies are great, it would be insanity to say they are unhealthy.

 

[panther77]

had to watch the whole thing through, just couldn't stop lol great post though

 

[DerickVonD]

I used to be fat and have low endurance and used to breath heavy until I started eatting healthy.

 

[DerickVonD]

The first time I every benched was when I was about 15 and I could only bench around 10kg this is when I was eating a lot of hfcs. Later on when I changed my diet I started benching with 27kg

 

[Jimbo15]

Thought you guys might find this interesting:

There is more to your sweet tooth than simply enjoying the taste of sugary foods. You can become high on sugar, and eventually addicted.

Recreational drugs and simple carbohydrates like those found in sugary comfort foods are both involved in the reward mechanisms of the mesolimbic dopamine system and the nucleus accumbens (a collection of neurons in the brain involved in reward and pleasure). (1) Stimulation of dopamine and the reward/pleasure center in the brain lead to cravings and feelings of addiction. Once you’re hooked, regular or non-sugary foods don’t have the same dopamine response, and thus leave you feeling unsatisfied. (1)

With frequent, repeated exposure to sugar, feelings of satiety decrease, meaning it takes more sugary food and a longer period of time for you to feel satisfied. (2)

Like drugs, the more sugar you eat, the more you crave it, and the more it takes for you to feel satisfied (3). It’s a vicious cycle, and something to think about the next time you find yourself staring down a pint of Ben & Jerry’s.

Sugar addiction is real

 

[DerickVonD]

I only have refined sugar about once maybe twice a week, when I go to see my friend. His mom makes a lot of cakes and brownies. I never eat anything prepacked though, except for a few things like bacon from whole foods, that is only pork, sea salt and evaporated cane juice. That's the only bacon I'll eat.

 

[Lacradocious]

I am pretty sure Bacon plays a significant role in my dopamine / reward mechanism.

Bacon addiction is real.

 

[bioman]

I only eat fructose as fruit. I gave up on soda over 10 years ago and it's probably one of the best things I ever did for my health.

 

[Jimbo15]

I am pretty sure Bacon plays a significant role in my dopamine / reward mechanism.

Bacon addiction is real.

Bacon addiction probably is real. But protein and fat is better for you than sugar.

 

[MH8219]

Nice vid, I cut HFCS completely out of my diet a few years back, its complete crap for the body.

 

[hardknock]

The presenter is a Prof (MD) at UCSF, he is basing his argument on statistical analysis and biochemistry. He is explaining why/how we came to the state that we are in (rampant obesity). He correlates the decrease in dietary fat intake with the increase in obesity (pretty good correlation actually). And links political factors (elections) to the introduction of cheap sugar on the market.

Sorry but nothing that this guy is saying is enlightening to the least. Well, at least not to someone who has studied this for 10 years or so.

To be honest, he should be focusing on why people are truly obese. And, this is because people do not expend more calories than they take in.

The bottom line is this...if you eat more calories than you burn, stay sedentary, you will accumulate fat. I can eat grilled chicken and raw carrots 4 times a day for 16 years, if I sit on the couch every afternoon to catch the news and watch 6 hrs of T.V. shows then I am going to be just as obese as the person eating honey buns. The difference is that it will just take me longer.

People need to quit blaming and looking for alter reasons for being out of shape and fat. If you are not mentally or physically disabled, there is NO GOOD reason why you are not putting in some type of exercise, if only for 30 mins a day...end of story.

 

[hardknock]

I used to be fat and have low endurance and used to breath heavy until I started eatting healthy.

I am sure that exercise of some sort played a vital role in that as well...? If not strength building, cardio?

 

[DerickVonD]

I am sure that exercise of some sort played a vital role in that as well...? If not strength building, cardio?

walking the dog, but I was already doing that before I changed my diet. It was just much easier to loose fat once I changed my diet. I trimmed down with no problem with in a few months. I've been 86kg and my body weight mainly composed of fat and I've been 86kg and my body be mainly composed of muscle. Although the muscle was mainly in my legs and chest. I've never had big arms. I've decided to only say and do measurements in metric whenever possible and when ever I can convert from the dumb imperial system.

 

[Kristopher]

The bottom line is this...if you eat more calories than you burn, stay sedentary, you will accumulate fat.

The guy's whole point was that all calories are NOT equal. While 30% of every calorie from fructose (lets make a distinction from refined and natural here, obviously apples wont make you fat) goes to adipogenesis, the same is not true of glucose.

Obviously exercise is important, but maintaining a neutral energy balance with the right types of energy is more important.

Maybe you should actually watch the vid before you bash it.

Its mostly directed at sugar drinks anyways.

 

[hardknock]

The guy's whole point was that all calories are NOT equal. While 30% of every calorie from fructose (lets make a distinction from refined and natural here, obviously apples wont make you fat) goes to adipogenesis, the same is not true of glucose.

Obviously exercise is important, but maintaining a neutral energy balance with the right types of energy is more important.

Maybe you should actually watch the vid before you bash it.

Its mostly directed at sugar drinks anyways.

I've seen the video, why would I watch it again?

I was just saying that nothing which he stated was remarkable or enlightening to me. What's wrong with that? I think what he said was basic everyday information which mostly anyone in the nutrition field would already know (me, myself, and I). If you think that exercising is not THAT important when compared to having a neutral energy balance, then that is your educated opinion. I never bashed the vid. I never said this guy sucks or is ignorant. He is very much telling the truth; however, it's nothing more than basic info to me...

 

[Gokmog]

EZ, men.

What we need to do is come to a consensus on the difference between:

1. fruits

2. energy-dense foods with unnaturally high levels of fructose (HFCS-laden beverages)

3. glucose

4. starches

 

[ItsHectic]

I was just saying that nothing which he stated was remarkable or enlightening to me. What's wrong with that? ... If you think that exercising is not THAT important when compared to having a neutral energy balance, then that is your educated opinion.

Lack of exercise has played a role but it cant be the sole reason, or even as significant as what we are eating and how much, for example 2 hours on a treadmill for 1 big mac?

It might not be news to you but almost every nutritional/diet article on the net will say to avoid sugar, just sugar not glucose or fructose or lactose etc, just to avoid sugar, and they often give the reason being that it is high GI which is not correct most the time, last time I checked sucrose was medium GI. Ask most people why they should avoid sugar and they will give the insulin reason, well by that logic having sugar with a meal should solve that.

As soon as I found out sucrose was medium GI I never regarded it as something to avoid. I have never seen an article explain that fructose converts to fat so easily compared to other sugar and that it has nothing to do with insulin response. Nutritionists etc need to give this reason instead of giving out misinformation, this is why I feel this video is important.

 

[JudoJosh]

I would say its a little healthier than trans fats, and trans fats are absolute garbage.

FYI.... CLA is a trans fat and is awesome!!! I know your prolly talking about the hydrogenated oil synthetic trans fat.. just thought ill add this tid bit into the fat talk :bigok:

 

[MakaveliThaDon]

Lack of exercise has played a role but it cant be the sole reason, or even as significant as what we are eating and how much, for example 2 hours on a treadmill for 1 big mac?

It might not be news to you but almost every nutritional/diet article on the net will say to avoid sugar, just sugar not glucose or fructose or lactose etc, just to avoid sugar, and they often give the reason being that it is high GI which is not correct most the time, last time I checked sucrose was medium GI. Ask most people why they should avoid sugar and they will give the insulin reason, well by that logic having sugar with a meal should solve that.

As soon as I found out sucrose was medium GI I never regarded it as something to avoid. I have never seen an article explain that fructose converts to fat so easily compared to other sugar and that it has nothing to do with insulin response. Nutritionists etc need to give this reason instead of giving out misinformation, this is why I feel this video is important.

This is a way old bump, forgive me. But any chance you can dig up the article or reference that you have for sucrose being medium gi? I'm not calling you wrong, I'm just interested to read more... I've been experimenting with different types of fruit, very small portions at every meal to try and keep a steady blood sugar level (I have problems dropping too low in between meals) and I've been looking up all the fructose/glucose/sucrose content of every piece of fruit I've tried to try and nail down a specific one that seems to work perfecty for both keeping my blood sugar levels up, but isn't going over the top with regards to blunting lipolysis and being able to lean out.

That being said, not feeling like crap by having a low blood sugar episode is even MORE paramount to being able to lean out, lol

If anyone else is curious, almost every fruits specific glucose/fructose/sucrose content can be found on http://nutritiondata.self.com/

For instance dried apricots are literally almost complete glucose, with very little fructose. Others are a fairly even ratio of fructose to glucose.

chopped dates have been a fav of mine so far, they have an almost exact even distribution of glucose/sucrose/fructose.