How bad is sugar, really? page

[Gadsie]

White sugar, how evil is it? It's considered very toxic by a lot. But how is it different from sugar in an apple? an apple has fiber and nutrients, but isn't that it?
I'm sure sugar is bad in excessive amounts, just like everything. And sugar is consumed in excess a lot quicker than fat for example. But how is sugar in itself toxic?

[Dirlot]

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/forum/thread36157.html

[Dirlot]

Sugar: The Bitter Truth - YouTube

Explains it all.

[Gadsie]

Sugar: The Bitter Truth - YouTube

Explains it all.

I actually watched that entire video about a year ago, but I forgot almost everything. All I remember is him saying "everywhere in nature where there is sugar, there is fiber"

[Dirlot]

Then worth watching again.

[mneveux]

Here is a link to a PDF version of Pure, White & Deadly:

http://dl.dropbox.com/u/42576421/Joh...ised_1986).pdf

[ChocoTaco369]

White sugar, how evil is it? It's considered very toxic by a lot. But how is it different from sugar in an apple? an apple has fiber and nutrients, but isn't that it?
I'm sure sugar is bad in excessive amounts, just like everything. And sugar is consumed in excess a lot quicker than fat for example. But how is sugar in itself toxic?

No one should consider white sugar toxic IMO.

Wheat is toxic.
Soy is toxic.
HFCS is toxic.
Bleach is toxic.
Cyanide is toxic.

Those things above are toxic because they're loaded with poisons that attack the human body. White sugar isn't toxic in and of itself. It's pure. Yes, it's empty calories. If you eat it, you are getting basically nothing nutritionally. It will make you fat and will give you nothing positive in return aside from brief, immediate gratification from the sweet taste.

Can sugar BE toxic? Yes, if you consume more than your body can withstand at once, it becomes a toxin. Does that sound scary? Well, it shouldn't. Anything is toxic if you exceed your body's ability to handle the dosage. Too much water is toxic. Too much oxygen is toxic. Too much sunshine is toxic. People have died countless times from consuming too much of all of the above. Simply put, if you have room calorically in your diet for the white sugar, you eat a diet nutritious enough to absorb the empty sugar calories and you don't give your body a dosage higher than it can handle at once, there isn't anything inherently "wrong" with consuming white sugar. Putting a packet of white sugar in your coffee each morning isn't going to hurt anyone. Even a diabetic could probably handle 4 grams of white sugar. Drinking Pepsi Throwback, which has over 10 teaspoons of sugar in a single shot? Now THAT is going to be an issue for most because that is approaching even a healthy person's liver's ability to process that amount of refined sugar. Combine that with other carbohydrate and you're now in the eye of a shitstorm.

How much white sugar is in my diet? ZERO. I don't consume white sugar. The only time it may happen is when I go out to eat and I put on the blinders to what's in the sauces I get with my foods. Let's face it, most restaurants are probably putting sugar in buffalo wing sauce. I'll deal with it. When I'm at home, the only sweeteners I have in my pantry are stevia, uncooked/unfiltered creamed honey, organic Grade B maple syrup, organic whole coconut sugar and blackstrap molasses. And I even use those things VERY sparingly.

[ChocoTaco369]

I actually watched that entire video about a year ago, but I forgot almost everything. All I remember is him saying "everywhere in nature where there is sugar, there is fiber"

Sure there is. It's not the fiber IMO. Sticking inulin in stuff isn't going to help. There isn't any fiber in raw honey, molasses or maple syrup. When you consume whole sugar, you're getting dozens - and sometimes hundreds - of antioxidants and phytochemicals along with the sugars that retard, or even eliminate, the oxidative damages of sugar. Boiled honey from the grocery store - the fake, clear crap - shoots your triglycerides through the roof. Raw honey doesn't, so there is something protective going on there. With fruit, the benefits often outweigh the downsides. A lot of fruit is very nutritious.

It's true, you won't get this protection with white sugar. The beneficial properties are removed, so you're going to elevate your trigs. However, I don't personally believe that small servings are enough to cause damage. Even Mark Sisson puts white sugar in his morning coffee. Just don't let your teaspoon turn into a tablespoon. It's a slippery slope. I recommend not buying white sugar at all and avoiding it wherever you can. Just don't go all Whole 30 Nazi style where you flip out because there may be 1/2 teaspoon of white sugar in your buffalo wing sauce at a restaurant.

[sbhikes]

Weston A. Price showed what sugar can do to your facial structure and teeth. It's too late for your facial structure, but you can save your teeth.

I don't find sugar to be especially troublesome for me, actually, as long as I stay moderate about it. In fact, I prefer to get my carbs from sugar when I can. Usually in the form of chocolate or dried fruit. Sometimes fresh fruit in the form of a mango salsa or even a coconut cream smoothie or fresh plums from the neighbors. Even ice cream the other night.

[ChocoTaco369]

Weston A. Price showed what sugar can do to your facial structure and teeth. It's too late for your facial structure, but you can save your teeth.

I don't find sugar to be especially troublesome for me, actually, as long as I stay moderate about it. In fact, I prefer to get my carbs from sugar when I can. Usually in the form of chocolate or dried fruit. Sometimes fresh fruit in the form of a mango salsa or even a coconut cream smoothie or fresh plums from the neighbors. Even ice cream the other night.

Ray Peat has made very convincing arguments that sugar is far more healthful than starch. He claims that because the GI is much lower, it doesn't instantize in your body the way starch does. We know for a fact that starch is far more glycemic than sugar, so he claims sucrose is much less likely to be stored as body fat thanks to the fructose counterpart that slows the body's absorption and helps minimize the insulin response. He recommends you get your carbs from whole fruit sources, mainly melons and tropical fruits (not berries because you're forced to eat the seeds which are toxic, not bananas because they're starchy and not apples because they're often shelf-ripened), and dairy (lactose). I think he makes valid points. I still love my potatoes and bananas, though.

Peat also recommends using white sugar as a supplement to reduce stress, so YMMV with that kind of advice. I'll pass on that one. I'd rather eat real food.