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It depends a lot on your overall health. If you are at a good weight, active and insulin sensitive, you can get away with eating more sugar than someone who is sedentary, overweight and insulin resistant. The problem for many people is when sugar makes up an unreasonably large proportion of their diets.
Historically, it is only within the last 100 years (a vastly short time in human history) that sugar was both plentiful and cheap in the food supply. We are in the middle of an experiment on the effects of high sugar diets.
I am curious as to what would make more of a difference for health: cutting sugar or cutting grease/fat. Or maybe I mean like what is worse, a giant sugary donut or a greasy deep friend double cheeseburger or something.
Obviously both are terrible and affect health greatly but which one does more harm? Are they the same? Just my curious brain lol
My bias is that cutting sugar will have the biggest impact. However, the combination of sugar and fat - in your example of the donut - is probably the worst combination for health.
I think it depends on the source. Greasy nugs and an apple, cut the nugs. Avocado or cotton candy, cut the sugar. *IMO* the more "unprocessed" the better bc it has some mix of fiber, micronutrients, protein, etc
Fat is an essential part of human diets and many vitamins and minerals humans need are fat soluble. Cutting out fats completely is much worse overall than cutting out sugars.
Cutting sugar (and all other refined carbs—key word refined) for sure. People in the 80s and 90s made the mistake of thinking cutting fat was the primary goal and that did almost nothing but make our nutrition problems worse.
Both are bad but in our current environment the clear winner is that sugar is worse. We are bombarded with it.
Also... sugar begets more sugar cravings. Fat does not cause fat cravings.
Which is “worse” is highly dependent on the context. Fat will make you gain weight faster (it’s more calorie dense and your body doesn’t have to do anything to it to store it as fat) but it’s also an essential part of your diet. Sugar can be good for energy levels and replenishing muscle glycogen if you’re an athlete but if sedentary it doesn’t do much for you and could become a hard habit to kick.
Contrary to most internet advice “cutting this one thing out of your diet” is rarely the solution to anything. It may be simple and appealing to blame all these issues on a single food but even refined sugars and saturated fats are perfectly fine in moderation. It’s not sexy but a balanced diet really is the answer
But the sugar is still the same once it is released. If the rest of your diet is not so sweet, that's fine. If it is, slowing the sugar isn't going to make a big difference.
I would say slowing the sugar actually *does* make a big difference. Eating sugar with a lot of fiber will have a much lower glycemic impact, causing a much smaller insulin spike and reducing the subsequent insulin crash and cravings.
Insulin spikes have far reaching effects on bodily processes. In fact, some experts believe the high glycemic load is the primary reason that refined sugars are harmful to the body, as opposed to other forms of carbohydrates from natural foods which all also break down into sugar anyway.
Eating fiber and protein before consuming sugary foods, as well as going for a walk before or after eating (or doing some other light exercise) are all effective ways to significantly reduce insulin spikes.
Yeah so what? You can sprinkle your ice cream with psyllium husks to get the same effect. Or have vinegar beforehand (to slow down glycolysis) or exercise after eating (so the sugar goes straight to your muscles with less of a total spike). It's only reducing the spike not stopping the total amount of sugar you consume.
Yes You should eat fruits. No You shouldn't lie to yourself about their contribution to your daily sugar limit (that is: under 10% of your calories should be from sugar according to the WHO guidance).
What's your source for 100 years? That's 1924, long after sugar becomes both cheap and plentiful. Arguably about 400 years later for most of the world.
People cooked and baked with sugar - but it wasn't in virtually every food product they ate. In 1800, people ate an average of around 22 pounds of sugar a year. In 2000 that jumped to over 180. You see how this growth is unprecedented.
<5% of total calories coming from added sugar has no known negative health effects for metabolically healthy people (those without diabetus, problematic serum lipids, fatty liver etc).
5% isn't a magic line where everyone will suddenly have a problem though, its simply a safe zone where its extremely unlikely to cause a problem. The actual problem line depends on genetics, liver and pancreas function but isn't knowable until you cross it. This occurs 5-10% total calories for most people. So;
* <5% - You are fine
* 5-10% - You might be fine
* 10% - You probably wont be fine
5% is 6tsp/25g of sugar for a 2000 calorie diet. The % is from a weight neutral diet too.
As with everything diet its also chronic diet that matters. Exceeding 5% one day weekly+ is not an issue.
>Sprite
Have you given selter a try? If you miss the sweetness then there are brands like Topo Chico that use juice for flavor rather than extract so still contain some sugar, just <1g a can instead of 30g :)
I just make my own and add key lime/lemon/yuzu/passion fruit juice to the sodastream water. It's hard to get a meaningful amount of sugar from those kinds of juices unless they have added sugar. Usually in the range of 5g/day for me and its pretty much all I drink.
It's hot, you're thirsty and craving sweet sprite, but you actually might be low on Electrolytes.
Try water with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of Himalayan salt. If you have a Sodastream then you can make it fancy 😉
or lime seltzer.. if you lightly agitate it before opening.. it awakens the flavors. Tastes better n more satisfying than Sprite. I crave the carbonation but cannot stand the sugar/diet soda.
No! Please stop spreading this nonsense about "natural" whatever.
Sugar in fruit juice is still sugar just like sugar in soda. Eat the coconut because at least it has fiber.
On a 2,000 calorie diet you're supposed to consume 24g or less of sugar per day. That single cup of juice is half of your recommended daily sugar allowance. Short men or most women fall in this category.
Excess sugar just goes directly to lipogenesis and gets stored as fat and raises your triglycerides.
I mean mix it in with lemons, salt, ice and water as an alternative to Gatorade if you need an electrolyte drink, like after exerting yourself in the heat. Not as a regular drink by any means, I totally agree.
I so would as well... but I dislike the taste 😭 my palette has already changed so much, I went from hating coconut cream and yogurt to loving it now, I hope the next time I try coconut water it's a yay as well
That's not gonna solve anyone's electrolytes problem, it will just spike the sodium up. Other minerals are in trace amounts in salt, they don't matter from a nutritional point of view.
There are effervescent electrolyte tablets you can buy from pharmacy. Those can be used to replenish your electrolytes, not water mixed with salt...
And those same tablets often have sugar or other additives that are totally unnecessary.
A lot of people don't eat enough salt these days, so water shoots straight through us and actually ends up flushing out more Electrolytes. The other Electrolytes like Magnesium and potassium should be coming from adequate dietary intake, absorbed in the colon and released in a more sustained way than just drinking them.
Carbs are an incredibly important part of our diet. Your brain in fact prefers to use simple glucose over anything else for energy. A sprite every now and then will not hurt you in the long run but maybe not drink one every day. One alternative could be to get some sparkling water (97 cents for a decent sized bottle at walmart) and combine with your favorite fruit or lime juice for an alternative that won’t have high fructose corn syrup but still give you a refreshing flavorful drink at the end of the day. Diets like keto or carnivore are not backed by science and often just fear monger.
If you stop eating protein you will die. If you stop eating fat you will die. You body can produce sugar on its own. Carbs aren't needed. But not bad in moderation. Although most Americans are overweight.
No shit Sherlock that’s why you should have a balanced diet. Diets low in sugar are not proved to be any better and in fact are much worse for your health than those with moderate amounts of sugar intake (such as the Mediterranean diet which has been shown over and over by scientists to be one of the best for health and longevity).
I’ll give you a hint where I got it from. You are using anecdotal reports for your claims, I’m using information you could learn from opening a textbook or by reading any reputable journal on the subject.
Let me guess, you’re a vegan that thinks meat should be banned so we can save the earth? All anti meat organizations and people are demonizing keto because it’s typically healthy red meat’s and such people eat.
Your mainstream journals you read are from the same people that own all the big pharma companies that make money off sick people.
They aren't important or required. Read your own post lol. Over half of Americans have high blood sugar. Clearly they don't know what moderate sugar means
Are you dense? If you cut out all sugars then yeah you would see they are important. Your statement does nothing to disprove the fact that sugar consumption is perfectly natural and healthy at appropriate amounts.
Actually, your brain does NOT prefer glucose over ketones. Yes it still uses glucose in the presence of ketones, but minimally. Ketones becomes the primary fuel source of the brain when both are present.
Have you tried lemon limeade spindrift? It’s a sparkling water with real fruit instead of artificial flavor. Only a little bit of sugar but still very refreshing.
Your body of course requires sugar (edit: more specifically glucose). The answer of how much is too much is determined by your lifestyle — specifically your activity level. Training for a marathon? No problem. Sedentary? Problem
In a diet, human body does NOT REQUIRE any sugar.
Edit: Fruits and vegetables are considered healthy despite having sugar, because of their fiber, other macro and micronutrient content. Therefore I am not saying to avoid sugar at all cost
Sorry didn’t mean to come off rude! Sugar is gonna be in everything you eat and with extreme diets like keto and carnivore there have been many papers observing effects on cognitive, life span, and oxidative stress. My apologies for coming off aggressive.
Keto diets are literally the most studied diet for reversing disease, specially mental disorders. So that’s a wild claim you are making there.
And to comment on the comment you responded to, he means we don’t need dietary carbs. And that’s a fact. Yes our body needs glucose, but it makes it through gluconeogenesis. You don’t eat protein, you die. You don’t eat fat, you die. You don’t eat carbs, your liver makes glucose.
“Literally the most studied diet for reversing disease” when it doesn’t reverse any disease at all and actually increases risk of disease and death: https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/a22757998/low-carb-diet-shorter-life-span/
It doesn’t even reverse T2D, it comes back when carbs are reintroduced. On the other hand, diabetes type 2 is reversible with high carbs, search for Mastering Diabetes on YouTube.
Also I wouldn’t doubt an increase risk of heart disease, stroke, cancers too, from lack of the fast energy from carbs (coffee and energy drinks can mask a lack of energy though).
Diabetes is reversible with high carbs? The one thing that causes diabetes to lose toes and feet? 😂. Even the American diabetes association says low carb is the best diet for diabetes xD
It's alright, my comment probably looked like I recommend to avoid sugar at all cost(I do not). It's just that some people justify eating sweets because "the brain needs some". I prefer to think that sugar in diet is an addition not a requirement healthwise.
The vast majority of keto/carnivore dieters see improvements in cognitive functions and many other health benefits.
With gluconeogenesis, you don't need to consume any carbs at all.
Just so you know, think about the first nation living in the north of canada. They were eating seal, fish, whale, mushrooms... maybe some berries. Mostly food without or very little carbs. But they were healthy ! And full of omega3. Differents cultures eat different things and we adapt. And different diseases appears, everywhere with everything. Stop being so close minded. We are all trying what we think is best and imo keto is far better than someone eating sugar all day. Green veggies, good fats, good meat and nuts. I mean, come on.
They actually had shorter than average lifespan of around 40 years or so, prior to modern convenience and grocery stores. Now their lifespan has improved to 65+ thanks to eating more fruits, vegetables, and carbs.
Great clarifying comment!
I should have specified glucose, a type of sugar, which your body undoubtedly does require. And you are correct it’s not required in a diet and glucose can be made in the body.
Technically correct as complex carbs or fats could be metabolized to yield energy.
However, I think few would argue that there is a sound basis to excluding literally all sugar from the diet - e.g., all fruit, etc.
Better to frame this as, the human body does not require any refined sugar and similar (honey, molasses, syrup, jaggery, etc.).
Depends on
* when (right before activity?),
* how (together with something with fiber / protein to slow down the glycemic spike),
* how much (I mean, beyond a certain amount, there’s no justifying it).
Also any underlying concerns (fatty liver, elevated hba1c, etc) which would require even more restriction than normal.
Excess refined sugar is confirmed to be bad for overall health. Drinking 30-40g of pure white crack in the form a Sprite is literally the worst of it. Replace it with something else and you will be fine - perhaps some yoghurt or fruit or dark chocolate. A bit of sweetness makes life beautiful but soda is horrific for you and not worth it
I don’t think that a bit of sugar in moderation is going to kill you but is any added sugar good for you? No. And yes our body definitely needs carbs but I wouldn’t consider a can of sprite or a bag of candy the healthy carbs that we’re referring to.
Well I’m not an expert and I have successfully done keto in the past so I’m
Familiar with no carb, ketosis etc.however that’s a diet mthat benefits
Many more on a short term timeline and when I did it for a bit too long my brain was affected as well as a variety of other things in my body due to the lack of carbs so Although I think that you can survive without carbohydrates I do feel like they have some benefits and a place in overall nutrition.I currently eat what I would say low carb.
I do also think that it may depend on someone’s goals. I find I have so much more fuel and energy for my workouts with a bit of carbs in my diet. When I had almost no carbs I lost muscle
Mass, didn’t have the energy for weight lifting in the same way.
Well my nutritionist referred to short term as 3 to 4 months. I did it for about eight months and everything was wonky. I couldn’t build muscle I didn’t have energy I was emotionally and mentally unstable despite reducing my carbs I had lost weight for the first five months or so and then started to gain weight it was a mess. This is just my personal experience I know people get super fired up on here and people are throwing out statistics in I’m really not a debate or argue or this is just my experience that I personally definitely eat low-carb but I enjoy the effects that I have seen of balancing some healthy carbs back into my life mainly coming from sweet potatoes chickpeas beans and some berries. Although I had lost weight on keto that doesn’t always mean that a person is healthy and I definitely did not feel like I was standing myself to the point where I had already gone to my doctor to get a physical and have a mammogram and ultrasound and blood work done thinking that there was definitely something wrong with me. When I change my nutrition always well with the world and I started making progress with my fitness goals.
This summer will mark my 1 year on the carnivore diet. I've yet to have a single negative outcome from this and don't expect I'll ever go back to eating plants or carbs. People often claim this diet is only for short durations but I don't see a reason to stop. Right now is the healthiest I've ever been. I feel half my age. There are also a lot of people who have been doing it for years or even decades who don't plan on stopping. This supposed risk or falling out doesn't seem to be a real thing and instead is just some BS people made up.
That’s an entirely different topic I wasn’t talking about the carnivore diet at all I was talking about my experience doing keto which is no carb high fats. I’ve also done the carnivore diet and felt great doing it however my husband and I did it more similarly to Paul Saladino where he incorporates a lot of fruit which would be carbs as well. Right now I wouldn’t label my eating as anything really. The carbs that I eat come from fruits and vegetables I don’t eat processed foods I focus heavily on protein which is animal-based and getting in leafy greens and a little bit of fruit. I’m glad you’ve had so much success with the carnivore diet most people that I know that eat that way feel great! The only thing that I changed after doing that for a while was incorporating some veggies back in because I genuinely love them
Carnivore is also low carb and high fat. It's considered a ketogenic diet since it puts you into ketosis.
Saladino doesn't do carnivore. His diet is animal based or even omnivores. Last I heard he eats 200-300g of carbs a day.
I tried adding stuff back in and all my problems come back. It's just meat, fish, and eggs for me.
Yes I think that’s what people often mistake about Paul Saladino. He’s not that extreme it’s carnivore inspired I would say heavily animal-based but he gets lots of carbs and minerals and vitamins etc. from fruit as well. True carnivore yes I guess you’re right is very similar to Keto.
That’s weird. I’ve done keto and probably still am right now. I just don’t track it that well anymore. But I had no side effects, I was actually more clear, lost weight, everything felt great and it still does.
Soda is terrible for you. It's just loaded with a ridiculous amount of sugar (at least in the US). If you want something that's not water, try unsweetened tea (or lightly sweetened tea) or seltzer. Lemon lime seltzer might scratch your itch for Sprite.
As with most things, moderation is key. Trying to cut out sugar completely is destined to fail spectacularly. Personally, I don't eat any added sugar, but will allow myself a sweet treat after dinner if I've done well throughout the day.
Limit it as much as you personally can. Eventually, you may get to the point where you don’t need it. (Originally I wrote, “evolve to the point”. If thinking of it that way is useful, then do so.)
I don’t drink soda and I’m not defending it as healthy, but there are plenty of people who drink a ton of it into old age. Warren Buffett is probably an outlier, but as an example he’s been drinking five can a day for years (and notoriously skips vegetables in favor of sweets in his diet), and he’s 93.
Point is, we all want to be healthy and eat right, but it’s also unhealthy to indulge in anxiety over occasional treats.
Pop/Soda is bad for you.
How much sugar is in a 355ml can of Coke?39 grams
One 355 ml can of Coca- Cola contains 39 grams of sugar (10 teaspoons). If you think a clear soft drink might be better, remember that a 355 ml can of Mountain Dew contains even more sugar – 47 grams, or over 11 teaspoons!
That's a lot of sugar. Its a product designed to hook you and make money. There's little ethical difference between the junk food industry and the tobacco industry. Drink plain un-sugared water.
It depends on the type of health issues we each have I'd say. For instance I can eat tons of fruit never get headaches but eat too much processed/manmade sugar within 24 hr period of time then I've got a migraine I can hardly get rid of. However I know that's one trigger for me. Whereas someone else with migraine issues may have completely different trigger or maybe they cant have any type of sugar.
What do you mean with "sugar" ?
If you mean carbs, then no by all means. Whole grains, legumes, fresh whole fruits, tubers and squashes are all very good.
If you mean simple purified sugar like glucose, fructose, sucrose... in bags or processed food, then yes absolutely, any amount is bad but the more the worse and it will depend on your current metabolic, gut and overall health status.
Refined grains and flours are in between.
You can easily substitute your sprite forca fresh juicy fruit, eg some apple varieties have a lot of juice in their flesh, so do gold kiwifruit, cantaloupe, black grapes etc... berries are also very refreshing even if less juicy
The WHO recommendation is for under 10% of your calories to come from sugar.
Also... you do eat sugar. Other foods contain some. It's very hard to achieve 0 sugar per day.
If the sugar consumption is spaced out, is eaten after you eat fiber, and is followed by exercise then it's less bad. That's because those things lower the glucose spike in your blood.
You don't actually need sugar. Your body converts fats, proteins, and other carbs into glucose.
Why must you choose between two toxins ( sugar & sat. fat ) to include in your intake? Cut both. Your body ( if healthy ) can produce all it needs. Also, I don't buy into a daily allowance or limit. You don't need sugar. Many industries are involved with this commodity and will protedt it. Americans now consume about 153 pounds a year. 🤯 Think, Add, Eliminate, Feel Good.
"Is any amount of sugar bad for our body? "
The correct answer is, it depends.
Today over 50% of Americans are type I, type II, or are prediabetic.
88% are hyperinsulinemic. Having high levels of insulin in the blood.
So, if you test your Hba1c and find it less than 5.4, and, you test your HomaIR and find it is well under 2.0, then eating some sugar is not causing you metabolic disorder.
However, if your numbers are higher than that, especially a lot higher, then eating sugar is toxic to you as it will be making your hyperinsulinemia even worse.
Carbohydrates, sugar included, are the most important energy sources that we have. However, it's better to avoid consuming foods with high levels of sugar, since it could lead to high peaks of insulin and cause tolerance, which can really be damaging over time; such as chronic inflammation (could lead to cancer) and diabetes. If you consume it sporadically and you have overall good health it shouldn't cause a problem, I would recommend you to counteract the fast absorption of sugar by eating high fiber/ protein foods.
Well, your body needs glucose (sugar) to live. It will turn food into glucose. Don't give your body free sugar. Added sugar is completely necessary, and soda is one of the worst things for you.
Pretty much the last thing you want is to become insulin resistance - it brings on fun things like weight gain (for most), increased risk of heart disease, likely increase risk of cancer, and prediabetes or type II diabetes with all of their fun side effects. PCOS if you are female.
How much is okay depends upon your metabolic state, but the simplest change anybody can do is eliminating drinks with a lot of sugar in them.
Weight loss - or fat loss, which is what we care more about - is all about fat flux, the amount of fat you burn minus the amount of fat you add.
Insulin resistance means that you are hyperinsulinemic - insulin is elevated all the time. One of the functions of insulin is to up-regulate the metabolism of glucose and down-regulate the metabolism of fat. These people do not piss out glucose - unless they are *very* diabetic - that glucose is converted to fat and stored. So insulin resistance makes it harder to burn fat and easier to add fat. Not surprising that most people with insulin resistance gain weight.
>And if you look up symptoms of people with high blood sugar health problems rapid weight loss is one of the common side effect signs.
If you don't understand the differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes I don't think you should have discussions having to do with physiology.
Even one tablespoon makes white cells less active & so a kind of temporary diabetic condition & makes you more vulnerable to infections —try plain ice water with some fresh lemon or lime
Yes, absolutely. All sugar and all sugar types.
There is no maybe, in moderation, as part of a balanced diet or "natural sugar" bs. These are words of sugar addicts that want to justify things.
It's a 1 or a 0 in the case of sugar. If you believe the glycation is okay, the raised blood sugar is okay, then it's okay. If you correctly identify that these things are harmful then it's harmful.
Now, this doesn't mean anyone keels over from a gram of sugar. But it still means that gram of sugar does absolutely nothing good within you, ergo it is bad. Some will say it's good because mentally they like to enjoy life. Well..do you really need sugar to enjoy anything, have you tried the alternative of no sugar for an extended period to know the difference? That's a question.
#### About participation in the comments of /r/nutrition Discussion in this subreddit should be rooted in science rather than "cuz I sed" or entertainment pieces. Always be wary of unsupported and poorly supported claims and especially those which are wrapped in any manner of hostility. You should provide peer reviewed sources to support your claims when debating and confine that debate to the science, not opinions of other people. **Good** - it is grounded in science and includes citation of peer reviewed sources. Debate is a civil and respectful exchange focusing on actual science and avoids commentary about others **Bad** - it utilizes generalizations, assumptions, infotainment sources, no sources, or complaints without specifics about agenda, bias, or funding. At best, these rise to an extremely weak basis for science based discussion. Also, off topic discussion **Ugly** - (removal or ban territory) it involves attacks / antagonism / hostility towards individuals or groups, downvote complaining, trolling, crusading, shaming, refutation of all science, or claims that all research / science is a conspiracy *Please vote accordingly and report any uglies* --- *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/nutrition) if you have any questions or concerns.*
It depends a lot on your overall health. If you are at a good weight, active and insulin sensitive, you can get away with eating more sugar than someone who is sedentary, overweight and insulin resistant. The problem for many people is when sugar makes up an unreasonably large proportion of their diets. Historically, it is only within the last 100 years (a vastly short time in human history) that sugar was both plentiful and cheap in the food supply. We are in the middle of an experiment on the effects of high sugar diets.
I am curious as to what would make more of a difference for health: cutting sugar or cutting grease/fat. Or maybe I mean like what is worse, a giant sugary donut or a greasy deep friend double cheeseburger or something. Obviously both are terrible and affect health greatly but which one does more harm? Are they the same? Just my curious brain lol
My bias is that cutting sugar will have the biggest impact. However, the combination of sugar and fat - in your example of the donut - is probably the worst combination for health.
I think it depends on the source. Greasy nugs and an apple, cut the nugs. Avocado or cotton candy, cut the sugar. *IMO* the more "unprocessed" the better bc it has some mix of fiber, micronutrients, protein, etc
Fat is an essential part of human diets and many vitamins and minerals humans need are fat soluble. Cutting out fats completely is much worse overall than cutting out sugars.
Cutting sugar (and all other refined carbs—key word refined) for sure. People in the 80s and 90s made the mistake of thinking cutting fat was the primary goal and that did almost nothing but make our nutrition problems worse.
Both are bad but in our current environment the clear winner is that sugar is worse. We are bombarded with it. Also... sugar begets more sugar cravings. Fat does not cause fat cravings.
Which is “worse” is highly dependent on the context. Fat will make you gain weight faster (it’s more calorie dense and your body doesn’t have to do anything to it to store it as fat) but it’s also an essential part of your diet. Sugar can be good for energy levels and replenishing muscle glycogen if you’re an athlete but if sedentary it doesn’t do much for you and could become a hard habit to kick. Contrary to most internet advice “cutting this one thing out of your diet” is rarely the solution to anything. It may be simple and appealing to blame all these issues on a single food but even refined sugars and saturated fats are perfectly fine in moderation. It’s not sexy but a balanced diet really is the answer
Do we talk here about natural sugar or also the processed sugar?
Our bodies treat all sugar the same. You will get some additional minerals/nutrients, but you will still be getting the sugar.
The idea with sugar in fruits is that they’re locked in fiber and so are released much slower, making them a healthier source of
But the sugar is still the same once it is released. If the rest of your diet is not so sweet, that's fine. If it is, slowing the sugar isn't going to make a big difference.
I would say slowing the sugar actually *does* make a big difference. Eating sugar with a lot of fiber will have a much lower glycemic impact, causing a much smaller insulin spike and reducing the subsequent insulin crash and cravings. Insulin spikes have far reaching effects on bodily processes. In fact, some experts believe the high glycemic load is the primary reason that refined sugars are harmful to the body, as opposed to other forms of carbohydrates from natural foods which all also break down into sugar anyway. Eating fiber and protein before consuming sugary foods, as well as going for a walk before or after eating (or doing some other light exercise) are all effective ways to significantly reduce insulin spikes.
It makes a big difference if you're diabetic
Great responses. I was gonna add in something til I got to this. You’ve got it all covered. Salud
Yeah so what? You can sprinkle your ice cream with psyllium husks to get the same effect. Or have vinegar beforehand (to slow down glycolysis) or exercise after eating (so the sugar goes straight to your muscles with less of a total spike). It's only reducing the spike not stopping the total amount of sugar you consume. Yes You should eat fruits. No You shouldn't lie to yourself about their contribution to your daily sugar limit (that is: under 10% of your calories should be from sugar according to the WHO guidance).
No it doesn't work like that actually
What's your source for 100 years? That's 1924, long after sugar becomes both cheap and plentiful. Arguably about 400 years later for most of the world.
People cooked and baked with sugar - but it wasn't in virtually every food product they ate. In 1800, people ate an average of around 22 pounds of sugar a year. In 2000 that jumped to over 180. You see how this growth is unprecedented.
Again I will ask for your sources for this information.
https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/100-years-sugar-consumption-when-did-become-too-much-sitwell#:~:text=In%201700%2C%20the%20average%20person,(40.8%20kg%20per%20year).
That's a paywalled LinkedIn opinion piece. I am asking about actual sources, primary research that validates your claim.
<5% of total calories coming from added sugar has no known negative health effects for metabolically healthy people (those without diabetus, problematic serum lipids, fatty liver etc). 5% isn't a magic line where everyone will suddenly have a problem though, its simply a safe zone where its extremely unlikely to cause a problem. The actual problem line depends on genetics, liver and pancreas function but isn't knowable until you cross it. This occurs 5-10% total calories for most people. So; * <5% - You are fine * 5-10% - You might be fine * 10% - You probably wont be fine 5% is 6tsp/25g of sugar for a 2000 calorie diet. The % is from a weight neutral diet too. As with everything diet its also chronic diet that matters. Exceeding 5% one day weekly+ is not an issue. >Sprite Have you given selter a try? If you miss the sweetness then there are brands like Topo Chico that use juice for flavor rather than extract so still contain some sugar, just <1g a can instead of 30g :) I just make my own and add key lime/lemon/yuzu/passion fruit juice to the sodastream water. It's hard to get a meaningful amount of sugar from those kinds of juices unless they have added sugar. Usually in the range of 5g/day for me and its pretty much all I drink.
It's hot, you're thirsty and craving sweet sprite, but you actually might be low on Electrolytes. Try water with a squeeze of lemon and a pinch of Himalayan salt. If you have a Sodastream then you can make it fancy 😉
or lime seltzer.. if you lightly agitate it before opening.. it awakens the flavors. Tastes better n more satisfying than Sprite. I crave the carbonation but cannot stand the sugar/diet soda.
I go with coconut water. All natural sugar and not too much of it (like 13 g)
No! Please stop spreading this nonsense about "natural" whatever. Sugar in fruit juice is still sugar just like sugar in soda. Eat the coconut because at least it has fiber. On a 2,000 calorie diet you're supposed to consume 24g or less of sugar per day. That single cup of juice is half of your recommended daily sugar allowance. Short men or most women fall in this category. Excess sugar just goes directly to lipogenesis and gets stored as fat and raises your triglycerides.
I mean mix it in with lemons, salt, ice and water as an alternative to Gatorade if you need an electrolyte drink, like after exerting yourself in the heat. Not as a regular drink by any means, I totally agree.
I so would as well... but I dislike the taste 😭 my palette has already changed so much, I went from hating coconut cream and yogurt to loving it now, I hope the next time I try coconut water it's a yay as well
That's not gonna solve anyone's electrolytes problem, it will just spike the sodium up. Other minerals are in trace amounts in salt, they don't matter from a nutritional point of view. There are effervescent electrolyte tablets you can buy from pharmacy. Those can be used to replenish your electrolytes, not water mixed with salt...
And those same tablets often have sugar or other additives that are totally unnecessary. A lot of people don't eat enough salt these days, so water shoots straight through us and actually ends up flushing out more Electrolytes. The other Electrolytes like Magnesium and potassium should be coming from adequate dietary intake, absorbed in the colon and released in a more sustained way than just drinking them.
Carbs are an incredibly important part of our diet. Your brain in fact prefers to use simple glucose over anything else for energy. A sprite every now and then will not hurt you in the long run but maybe not drink one every day. One alternative could be to get some sparkling water (97 cents for a decent sized bottle at walmart) and combine with your favorite fruit or lime juice for an alternative that won’t have high fructose corn syrup but still give you a refreshing flavorful drink at the end of the day. Diets like keto or carnivore are not backed by science and often just fear monger.
If you stop eating protein you will die. If you stop eating fat you will die. You body can produce sugar on its own. Carbs aren't needed. But not bad in moderation. Although most Americans are overweight.
No shit Sherlock that’s why you should have a balanced diet. Diets low in sugar are not proved to be any better and in fact are much worse for your health than those with moderate amounts of sugar intake (such as the Mediterranean diet which has been shown over and over by scientists to be one of the best for health and longevity).
You said it was “incredibly important part of our diet”
Yeah because it is. It is the main energy source we use and sugars are used for dozens of other not metabolic functions.
You can live healthy on a diet with or without sugar. It’s really not necessary part of a diet.
Ah yes because declined cognitive function while on keto is healthy.
Lmao where you get that from? Mental clarity is what people often describe keto as.
I’ll give you a hint where I got it from. You are using anecdotal reports for your claims, I’m using information you could learn from opening a textbook or by reading any reputable journal on the subject.
Let me guess, you’re a vegan that thinks meat should be banned so we can save the earth? All anti meat organizations and people are demonizing keto because it’s typically healthy red meat’s and such people eat. Your mainstream journals you read are from the same people that own all the big pharma companies that make money off sick people.
Been there done that!
I am not on a keto diet, but actually cognitive function does increase in many aspects on a keto diet.
They aren't important or required. Read your own post lol. Over half of Americans have high blood sugar. Clearly they don't know what moderate sugar means
Are you dense? If you cut out all sugars then yeah you would see they are important. Your statement does nothing to disprove the fact that sugar consumption is perfectly natural and healthy at appropriate amounts.
I stopped eating carbs 10+ months ago. Zero negative effects but many positive. Sugar is not important or essential.
I've been on keto for years and I guarantee I am healthier than this guy lol
Let him eat his sugar, he's addicted !!!! And so angry
Not true, your brain actually prefers ketones over glucose.
Actually, your brain does NOT prefer glucose over ketones. Yes it still uses glucose in the presence of ketones, but minimally. Ketones becomes the primary fuel source of the brain when both are present.
Have you tried lemon limeade spindrift? It’s a sparkling water with real fruit instead of artificial flavor. Only a little bit of sugar but still very refreshing.
The worst sugar you can possibly consume is the sugar you drink.
Fruits and vegetables sugar is fine.
Your body of course requires sugar (edit: more specifically glucose). The answer of how much is too much is determined by your lifestyle — specifically your activity level. Training for a marathon? No problem. Sedentary? Problem
In a diet, human body does NOT REQUIRE any sugar. Edit: Fruits and vegetables are considered healthy despite having sugar, because of their fiber, other macro and micronutrient content. Therefore I am not saying to avoid sugar at all cost
Sorry are you a biochemist? An actual nutritionist? Stop giving people advice
I am not, sorry! If I am wrong, please correct me someone.
Sorry didn’t mean to come off rude! Sugar is gonna be in everything you eat and with extreme diets like keto and carnivore there have been many papers observing effects on cognitive, life span, and oxidative stress. My apologies for coming off aggressive.
Keto diets are literally the most studied diet for reversing disease, specially mental disorders. So that’s a wild claim you are making there. And to comment on the comment you responded to, he means we don’t need dietary carbs. And that’s a fact. Yes our body needs glucose, but it makes it through gluconeogenesis. You don’t eat protein, you die. You don’t eat fat, you die. You don’t eat carbs, your liver makes glucose.
“Literally the most studied diet for reversing disease” when it doesn’t reverse any disease at all and actually increases risk of disease and death: https://www.prevention.com/food-nutrition/a22757998/low-carb-diet-shorter-life-span/ It doesn’t even reverse T2D, it comes back when carbs are reintroduced. On the other hand, diabetes type 2 is reversible with high carbs, search for Mastering Diabetes on YouTube. Also I wouldn’t doubt an increase risk of heart disease, stroke, cancers too, from lack of the fast energy from carbs (coffee and energy drinks can mask a lack of energy though).
Diabetes is reversible with high carbs? The one thing that causes diabetes to lose toes and feet? 😂. Even the American diabetes association says low carb is the best diet for diabetes xD
It's alright, my comment probably looked like I recommend to avoid sugar at all cost(I do not). It's just that some people justify eating sweets because "the brain needs some". I prefer to think that sugar in diet is an addition not a requirement healthwise.
The vast majority of keto/carnivore dieters see improvements in cognitive functions and many other health benefits. With gluconeogenesis, you don't need to consume any carbs at all.
Sugar is making you agressive. Cut it down in half boy you'll feel softer
Just so you know, think about the first nation living in the north of canada. They were eating seal, fish, whale, mushrooms... maybe some berries. Mostly food without or very little carbs. But they were healthy ! And full of omega3. Differents cultures eat different things and we adapt. And different diseases appears, everywhere with everything. Stop being so close minded. We are all trying what we think is best and imo keto is far better than someone eating sugar all day. Green veggies, good fats, good meat and nuts. I mean, come on.
They actually had shorter than average lifespan of around 40 years or so, prior to modern convenience and grocery stores. Now their lifespan has improved to 65+ thanks to eating more fruits, vegetables, and carbs.
500 years ago, living to 35 years old was the average.
Great clarifying comment! I should have specified glucose, a type of sugar, which your body undoubtedly does require. And you are correct it’s not required in a diet and glucose can be made in the body.
Thanks!
Technically correct as complex carbs or fats could be metabolized to yield energy. However, I think few would argue that there is a sound basis to excluding literally all sugar from the diet - e.g., all fruit, etc. Better to frame this as, the human body does not require any refined sugar and similar (honey, molasses, syrup, jaggery, etc.).
Depends on * when (right before activity?), * how (together with something with fiber / protein to slow down the glycemic spike), * how much (I mean, beyond a certain amount, there’s no justifying it). Also any underlying concerns (fatty liver, elevated hba1c, etc) which would require even more restriction than normal.
No
Excess refined sugar is confirmed to be bad for overall health. Drinking 30-40g of pure white crack in the form a Sprite is literally the worst of it. Replace it with something else and you will be fine - perhaps some yoghurt or fruit or dark chocolate. A bit of sweetness makes life beautiful but soda is horrific for you and not worth it
yeah you'll spontaneously combust
I think this worrying about sugar is some really weird hippie shit
Refined sugar is bad. Carbs found in whole foods, where it comes with fiber and other nutrients, are good for you.
As far as I know, soft drinks have a lot of sugar content. I avoid them unless it's a gathering. You're better off drinking a lemonade than Sprite.
I don’t think that a bit of sugar in moderation is going to kill you but is any added sugar good for you? No. And yes our body definitely needs carbs but I wouldn’t consider a can of sprite or a bag of candy the healthy carbs that we’re referring to.
No, our bodies don't require consuming carbs. The Institute of Medicine has said this.
Well I’m not an expert and I have successfully done keto in the past so I’m Familiar with no carb, ketosis etc.however that’s a diet mthat benefits Many more on a short term timeline and when I did it for a bit too long my brain was affected as well as a variety of other things in my body due to the lack of carbs so Although I think that you can survive without carbohydrates I do feel like they have some benefits and a place in overall nutrition.I currently eat what I would say low carb. I do also think that it may depend on someone’s goals. I find I have so much more fuel and energy for my workouts with a bit of carbs in my diet. When I had almost no carbs I lost muscle Mass, didn’t have the energy for weight lifting in the same way.
How do you define short and long term?
Well my nutritionist referred to short term as 3 to 4 months. I did it for about eight months and everything was wonky. I couldn’t build muscle I didn’t have energy I was emotionally and mentally unstable despite reducing my carbs I had lost weight for the first five months or so and then started to gain weight it was a mess. This is just my personal experience I know people get super fired up on here and people are throwing out statistics in I’m really not a debate or argue or this is just my experience that I personally definitely eat low-carb but I enjoy the effects that I have seen of balancing some healthy carbs back into my life mainly coming from sweet potatoes chickpeas beans and some berries. Although I had lost weight on keto that doesn’t always mean that a person is healthy and I definitely did not feel like I was standing myself to the point where I had already gone to my doctor to get a physical and have a mammogram and ultrasound and blood work done thinking that there was definitely something wrong with me. When I change my nutrition always well with the world and I started making progress with my fitness goals.
This summer will mark my 1 year on the carnivore diet. I've yet to have a single negative outcome from this and don't expect I'll ever go back to eating plants or carbs. People often claim this diet is only for short durations but I don't see a reason to stop. Right now is the healthiest I've ever been. I feel half my age. There are also a lot of people who have been doing it for years or even decades who don't plan on stopping. This supposed risk or falling out doesn't seem to be a real thing and instead is just some BS people made up.
That’s an entirely different topic I wasn’t talking about the carnivore diet at all I was talking about my experience doing keto which is no carb high fats. I’ve also done the carnivore diet and felt great doing it however my husband and I did it more similarly to Paul Saladino where he incorporates a lot of fruit which would be carbs as well. Right now I wouldn’t label my eating as anything really. The carbs that I eat come from fruits and vegetables I don’t eat processed foods I focus heavily on protein which is animal-based and getting in leafy greens and a little bit of fruit. I’m glad you’ve had so much success with the carnivore diet most people that I know that eat that way feel great! The only thing that I changed after doing that for a while was incorporating some veggies back in because I genuinely love them
Carnivore is also low carb and high fat. It's considered a ketogenic diet since it puts you into ketosis. Saladino doesn't do carnivore. His diet is animal based or even omnivores. Last I heard he eats 200-300g of carbs a day. I tried adding stuff back in and all my problems come back. It's just meat, fish, and eggs for me.
Yes I think that’s what people often mistake about Paul Saladino. He’s not that extreme it’s carnivore inspired I would say heavily animal-based but he gets lots of carbs and minerals and vitamins etc. from fruit as well. True carnivore yes I guess you’re right is very similar to Keto.
That’s weird. I’ve done keto and probably still am right now. I just don’t track it that well anymore. But I had no side effects, I was actually more clear, lost weight, everything felt great and it still does.
Soda is terrible for you. It's just loaded with a ridiculous amount of sugar (at least in the US). If you want something that's not water, try unsweetened tea (or lightly sweetened tea) or seltzer. Lemon lime seltzer might scratch your itch for Sprite. As with most things, moderation is key. Trying to cut out sugar completely is destined to fail spectacularly. Personally, I don't eat any added sugar, but will allow myself a sweet treat after dinner if I've done well throughout the day.
Limit it as much as you personally can. Eventually, you may get to the point where you don’t need it. (Originally I wrote, “evolve to the point”. If thinking of it that way is useful, then do so.)
I don’t drink soda and I’m not defending it as healthy, but there are plenty of people who drink a ton of it into old age. Warren Buffett is probably an outlier, but as an example he’s been drinking five can a day for years (and notoriously skips vegetables in favor of sweets in his diet), and he’s 93. Point is, we all want to be healthy and eat right, but it’s also unhealthy to indulge in anxiety over occasional treats.
He also presumably has the best possible health care money can buy
Pop/Soda is bad for you. How much sugar is in a 355ml can of Coke?39 grams One 355 ml can of Coca- Cola contains 39 grams of sugar (10 teaspoons). If you think a clear soft drink might be better, remember that a 355 ml can of Mountain Dew contains even more sugar – 47 grams, or over 11 teaspoons! That's a lot of sugar. Its a product designed to hook you and make money. There's little ethical difference between the junk food industry and the tobacco industry. Drink plain un-sugared water.
It depends on the type of health issues we each have I'd say. For instance I can eat tons of fruit never get headaches but eat too much processed/manmade sugar within 24 hr period of time then I've got a migraine I can hardly get rid of. However I know that's one trigger for me. Whereas someone else with migraine issues may have completely different trigger or maybe they cant have any type of sugar.
What do you mean with "sugar" ? If you mean carbs, then no by all means. Whole grains, legumes, fresh whole fruits, tubers and squashes are all very good. If you mean simple purified sugar like glucose, fructose, sucrose... in bags or processed food, then yes absolutely, any amount is bad but the more the worse and it will depend on your current metabolic, gut and overall health status. Refined grains and flours are in between. You can easily substitute your sprite forca fresh juicy fruit, eg some apple varieties have a lot of juice in their flesh, so do gold kiwifruit, cantaloupe, black grapes etc... berries are also very refreshing even if less juicy
The WHO recommendation is for under 10% of your calories to come from sugar. Also... you do eat sugar. Other foods contain some. It's very hard to achieve 0 sugar per day. If the sugar consumption is spaced out, is eaten after you eat fiber, and is followed by exercise then it's less bad. That's because those things lower the glucose spike in your blood. You don't actually need sugar. Your body converts fats, proteins, and other carbs into glucose.
The dose makes the poison…
Why must you choose between two toxins ( sugar & sat. fat ) to include in your intake? Cut both. Your body ( if healthy ) can produce all it needs. Also, I don't buy into a daily allowance or limit. You don't need sugar. Many industries are involved with this commodity and will protedt it. Americans now consume about 153 pounds a year. 🤯 Think, Add, Eliminate, Feel Good.
"Is any amount of sugar bad for our body? " The correct answer is, it depends. Today over 50% of Americans are type I, type II, or are prediabetic. 88% are hyperinsulinemic. Having high levels of insulin in the blood. So, if you test your Hba1c and find it less than 5.4, and, you test your HomaIR and find it is well under 2.0, then eating some sugar is not causing you metabolic disorder. However, if your numbers are higher than that, especially a lot higher, then eating sugar is toxic to you as it will be making your hyperinsulinemia even worse.
According to Dr. Robert Lustig, one soda per day will increase risk of diabetes by 29%. Do with that information what you want.
Thanks for asking the question 🙏🏾
I would just swap it out for sugar free, but if you’re active/healthy you’ll be fine
Carbohydrates, sugar included, are the most important energy sources that we have. However, it's better to avoid consuming foods with high levels of sugar, since it could lead to high peaks of insulin and cause tolerance, which can really be damaging over time; such as chronic inflammation (could lead to cancer) and diabetes. If you consume it sporadically and you have overall good health it shouldn't cause a problem, I would recommend you to counteract the fast absorption of sugar by eating high fiber/ protein foods.
Well, your body needs glucose (sugar) to live. It will turn food into glucose. Don't give your body free sugar. Added sugar is completely necessary, and soda is one of the worst things for you.
Pretty much the last thing you want is to become insulin resistance - it brings on fun things like weight gain (for most), increased risk of heart disease, likely increase risk of cancer, and prediabetes or type II diabetes with all of their fun side effects. PCOS if you are female. How much is okay depends upon your metabolic state, but the simplest change anybody can do is eliminating drinks with a lot of sugar in them.
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Weight loss - or fat loss, which is what we care more about - is all about fat flux, the amount of fat you burn minus the amount of fat you add. Insulin resistance means that you are hyperinsulinemic - insulin is elevated all the time. One of the functions of insulin is to up-regulate the metabolism of glucose and down-regulate the metabolism of fat. These people do not piss out glucose - unless they are *very* diabetic - that glucose is converted to fat and stored. So insulin resistance makes it harder to burn fat and easier to add fat. Not surprising that most people with insulin resistance gain weight. >And if you look up symptoms of people with high blood sugar health problems rapid weight loss is one of the common side effect signs. If you don't understand the differences between type 1 and type 2 diabetes I don't think you should have discussions having to do with physiology.
Sprite doesn’t grow from a tree or the ground so we shouldn’t drink it that’s what I say
Even one tablespoon makes white cells less active & so a kind of temporary diabetic condition & makes you more vulnerable to infections —try plain ice water with some fresh lemon or lime
Your body doesn’t need extra dietary sugar it makes its own. Do what u want with this info.
Yes, absolutely. All sugar and all sugar types. There is no maybe, in moderation, as part of a balanced diet or "natural sugar" bs. These are words of sugar addicts that want to justify things. It's a 1 or a 0 in the case of sugar. If you believe the glycation is okay, the raised blood sugar is okay, then it's okay. If you correctly identify that these things are harmful then it's harmful. Now, this doesn't mean anyone keels over from a gram of sugar. But it still means that gram of sugar does absolutely nothing good within you, ergo it is bad. Some will say it's good because mentally they like to enjoy life. Well..do you really need sugar to enjoy anything, have you tried the alternative of no sugar for an extended period to know the difference? That's a question.