Posted on 06/19/2016 5:32:39 PM PDT by beaversmom
The Secrets of Sugar - The Fifth Estate
"We’ve heard for years about the dangers of eating too much fat or salt. But there have never been recommended limits for sugar on Canadian food labels, despite emerging research that suggests the sweet stuff may be making more of us fat and sick. In the fifth estate’s season premiere, Gillian Findlay digs into the surprising science — and the reaction from the food industry — to reveal The Secrets of Sugar. Has the sugar industry been hiding an unsavoury truth from consumers?
A small but influential group of medical researchers is stirring up the health debate, linking sugar not just to rising obesity rates but also to a host of diseases including cancer, heart disease and Alzheimer’s.
We put a family of four on a healthy diet to try to beat their sugar habit and track the surprising results. We talk to leading scientists – and their critics. And we ask the food industry why those ingredient labels are far from clear when it comes to how much sugar is really on your plate.
I think obesity is epidemic. I struggle with my weight, as I know many do on this board do, too, Some have the complications that have followed from being overweight.
I wasn't overweight as a child, but I grew up in a time when things were starting to become more and more fast and convenient. My mom did cook, and we did get healthy meals, but during the 60s, 70s, and 80s when I grew up is when things really started taking off with fast, convenient, and highly sugared.
So people's health is very concerning. But also government overreach is concerning. How can do we become healthier as individuals and as a nation, but not have the government dictate what we consume? Health and freedom. I want conservatives to live long and healthy lives. Comments please.
The simple truth is that sugar is healthy.
One problem can be that some people’s bodies lose the capacity to process sugar. The main reason is damage of the pancreas caused by consumption of polyunsaturated fat.
Stop consuming polyunsaturated fats, and in a few months you will have an increased capacity to benefit from consuming sugar.
It is our responsibility as to what we consume in our bodies. A recent health episode drove that home to me. Maintain a balanced low carb diet is the key. A protein (half the plate), a starch(1/4 plate) and a vegetable (1/4 the plate) on your plate and shoot for your optimum carb intake each meal. Eat at regular times. Occasionally test your blood sugar and blood pressure.
Good deal, BpBob, on changing things for yourself.
Thanks. I feel better and I’m losing weight easily.
I’ve heard it’s a great deal once you get on the wave!
You are looking for an easy out.
If you are overweight, you ate too much food.
Yes, some of our food choices may be foolish, but,
you ate too much food.
And so fads in food come around full circle.
I can vouch that, although I am seriously pudgy today, when a child I could scarcely hang onto an ounce of body weight. And so I think I spoiled myself. I could scarf down whatever I wished; now I have to watch, watch, watch.
I think fat in the diet has itself been made into much more of a fiend than it needs to be. Fat helps food have staying power and be satisfying.
“you ate too much food.”
That is wrong. The inability to burn what you eat has more to do with the selection of foods than with the quantity.
For example, recently a study showed that a higher salt intake results in less weight. The mechanism is that salt reduces fat absorption.
They gave different groups diets with the same amount of calories, but different sodium intake. Those with more sodium intake had a lower weight at the end of the experiment. They looked at the mechanism and found that sodium reduces fat absorption. Sodium has no calories.
I’m definitely not looking for an easy out. I know there is none. I know that it boils down to the consumer making better choices. But I think sugar-laden foods are a big part of the problem. People need information about how dangerous it is, But I do fear the heavy hand of government.
There’s likely something to that. Modern improvements may have led to foods that are more attractive to eat, but that satisfy less. Even a mid-1950s diet would be better for most people.
The government is going to be dragged into this fad and that fad. People who still want to plan their diets can.
The sort of sugar makes a difference too. As the infamous HFCS has elbowed out sucrose for (politically distorted) economic reasons, we have sweet foods that satisfy less as compared to the calories they impart.
Being able to be satisfied is a major key to healthy eating.
Very true. And what they often promote is not that healthy.
I truly hate HFCS. Foods taste different. I would rather have cane sugar.
We have to be careful that just because we are government-aware, doesn’t mean that government is the fix-all hammer for problems.
The private world is going to have to show the way.
I’ve never been overweight(yet), but now that I’m in my 30’s, I try not to eat like I did as a teenager, and I’ve completely cut soda from my diet. I drink mostly water, as well as a glass of OJ for breakfast. During my last physical, after fasting for 16 hours, I had a blood sugar of 91. Surely all of the chemicals in our food are not healthy for us, but quantities matter too.
Well that is good, it cannot tempt you that much. It tastes just great to me, but has little staying power.
Good on the soda! And great on your blood sugars. I’m not a big soda drinker. I have one on a rare occasion. I like ice water! I add a little lemon to enhance the flavour.
So I made the commitment and gave up all sugared drinks, soda, koolaid,gatoraid, sweetened tea, the works. In three months time I dropped 40lbs. No exercise, diet, nothing. Just no sweetened drinks.
Happy with that and drinking only water I went along for about 8-10 months till I got involved with a MD/Nutritionist who was not very impressed with my weight lose. I had gotten interested in controlling both my blood pressure and blood sugar by natural non pharmaceutical means. Both where high but under control and also not impressing said doctor. He proceeded to introduce me to the “real foods” movement which stresses natural foods and supplements to control health.
The end result, for me at least, was a total abstinence of all processed sugar. White, brown, all fructose and other corn syrup products. I only consume apples, and occasional raw unprocessed honey. I avoid also any foods with sugar content as much as possible, bread for instance.
The results were staggering. From October of last year till now I went from appox. 95 lbs overweight to about 15 lbs overweight, an 80 lbs drop in 9 months!
All together I have lost almost 120 lbs in approx. 12 months. No exercise, no diet, just no sugar.
I'm convinced the stuff is poison.
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