The Man Taking Down Big Sugar

(Richard Morris) #1

http://www.mensjournal.com/features/articles/the-man-taking-down-big-sugar-w455184

#2

Coincidentally, I’m sitting at the library and they have these booklets to give away by the front desk. Sweeeet.

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(cindyshocklee) #3

Love this article. Wish I could afford to go out and buy all of his books. Or better yet if I could get them on audio. I am trying to figure out a way to convince my autistic teenage son that the sugar is going to have damaging effects on him in his future. Not an easy thing to get across to someone with autism. He doesn’t like change. Keep the articles coming though. I must arm myself with knowledge!!!

(G. Andrew Duthie) #4

Good read.

While it’s disappointing that NuSi isn’t having as much success as hoped (yet, at least), I have to say that the way it’s discussed in the article just makes me like Taubes more.

And as much as I like Dr. Attia, my sense is that he is one of those folks who lives on the extremes (similar to Tim Ferris) of even outliers. Pure speculation, but perhaps he didn’t have the patience to go beyond his intense n=1 experiments.

Looking forward to Taubes’ new book. Hoping perhaps it’ll help move the rest of my family further away from sugar.

(aino.shperber) #5

So looking forward to this book. Gary Taubes has done some amazing work and continue to do so.

Disappointed with NuSi too, but let’s hope there is still time for them to pull through.

(Meeping up the Science!) #6

It will take years and years for research to have any success, and even if they have statistically positive data, often journals will reject it if it does not meet their publication bias in some cases. I think we will likely see more concrete benefits 5-10 years down the road.

(jketoscribe) #7

You may be able to get an audible version of this book from your library because of your son’s disability. If he isn’t already signed up for audio books, ask the library how you get him signed up–it will open a whole world to him. If the library doesn’t have this book available once it’s published, you can ask them to get it.

Also, if you buy the book on Kindle when it’s available, if an audio version becomes available you’ll be able to get it for just a few dollars. It still costs money, but less than buying a hard back book.

(Vesa McD) #8

In regards to autism, I personally believe (through experience with a few cases) that gluten is much worse than sugar, along with food colorings, msg, and other artificial additives. I’d still leave out the sugar though. (I’ve been very clean keto for 10 months).

(Meeping up the Science!) #9

I was curious about that too. Studies for the gluten/autism aren’t as clear cut yet or as well researched to be more conclusive. However, I think that leaving out a lot of gluten also forces the diet to go low carb. It may be correlational with lower carbohydrate intake, which is definitely better for brain function in general, and Autism is clearly a neurodevelopmental disorder. I tell clients it can’t hurt, and in general there is often visible improvement.

Gluten does also cause neurological symptoms in individuals with Celiac, which is often overlooked. It may for other individuals too, since the diagnosis for Celiac is visible damage. Many people test positive for autoimmune antibodies while being negative on biopsy.

I really should read Grain Brain one of these days so I can suggest it to clients…

(Vesa McD) #10

In my own experience, the low carb is not the defining factor. I think it’s the inflamation caused by the gluten and other chemical stimuli. Most store candy and unclean junk food is also a problem. Clean candy and junkfood is ok though (no chemicals or grains). I personally also need to eat low fodmap foods and have other food allergies that have taken 10+ years to discover which is why I’ve been interested in reading about this. I also know of three different adhd/add adults who claim that gluten causes them mental focus problems and behavioural problems. I’m not a doctor or nurse or nutritionist. Just a curious guy who likes to read.

(Meeping up the Science!) #11

It’s both. When the brain utilizes ketone bodies over glucose, it encourages the expression of GABA versus glutamate, which causes a reduction in dysfunction. There are many studies about this. Anyone with a neurodevelopmental disorder (ADHD is neurodevelopmental too) would most likely absolutely benefit.

I think personally gluten is problematic, as well. More research needs to be done for me to be more specific in that regard. It’s hard to conclusively suggest things as a clinician without more replicable evidence, sadly. However, I think absolutely it is worth trying.

(cindyshocklee) #12

Yes Grain Brain is a wonderful book. You should read it. Or as I did, listen to the audio book. As far as gluten free, We were gluten free for a year. There was no change. And gluten free is definitely not low carb. All you do is replace the gluten flours with things like rice flour and potato starch and there is many more. All are high carb flours though. I have twins, both with autism. One is very dedicated to the low carb diet. The other one can’t stand to even hear the term carbs. Lol, his brother is always talking about carbs and it makes him furious. This is the one that I need to get to low carb. Baby steps. He didn’t like the Carl’s Head Pizza. I think I just need to try it again and cook the crust a little longer.

(cindyshocklee) #13

I am very curious about that stuff too. I was gluten free with my boys for a year though. I had very high hopes but couldn’t tell a difference. I feel better being keto though. I have one of my boys totally on board with Keto. The other one I am going to have to trick into it to see if it makes a difference in his school work. I home school them and he struggles with focus and attention terribly.

(Meeping up the Science!) #14

I’ve been gluten free for years (I have Celiac) and always low carb. It’s best with any autoimmune issue to avoid grains as they can cause or exacerbate it. I have so much less inflammation its ridiculous!

(G. Andrew Duthie) #15

Watching Taubes (as well as Robert Listing, and others) in the doco Sugar Coated, which is available on Netflix.

But if you watch it, be prepared to get angry. It’s outrageous, the extent to which the sugar (and processed food) industry practiced deception and corrupted government recommendations.

I’m not really very comfortable with Lustig’s desire for more regulation. The assumption that more power for regulators will solve the problem misses the fact that this simply retains the incentive to corrupt the regulators. I’d rather see more education and grassroots advocacy.

Despite my misgivings with Lustig’s proposed solutions, I am very grateful that he and Taubes and others are fighting this fight and shining a light on these issues.

(Meeping up the Science!) #16

We don’t need more regulation without making our regulation more efficient. However, I think many of the European models work far superior to our methods. Much of our political infrastructure is outdated and rife with cronyism. We must shift to a science-based government rather than belief-based where policy is concerned for there to be a difference.

Sugar Coated was one of the better documentaries, I think. Hopefully it will spur the education and grassroots advocacy, which I agree are very much needed.

(jketoscribe) #17

I’m of two minds on legislation. I think it was very successful in reducing smoking and tobacco use. The problem I see is that govt can just as easily get it wrong–e.g. The diet heart hypothesis villanizing saturated fat, for example.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #18

Exactly.

Part of the reason we have the massive obesity epidemic we have is that we allowed ourselves to rely on government recommendations for what we should eat…both directly by paying attention to the “food pyramid” idiocy, and through the downstream effects those recommendations had on our food supply.

As long as the gov’t has the power to regulate the food supply, then those who stand to make money selling food have a strong incentive to control the regulators. That’s how we got here in the first place.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #19

And this story would be a prime example of why I don’t think having the government in the business of “helping” us eat healthy makes any sense at all:

http://opportunitylives.com/the-foolish-reason-the-federal-government-is-storing-a-literal-mountain-of-cheese/

(Nathan Hall) #20

As long as the Government has power in any field there will be lobbyists trying to purchase that power.
Precisely why governments should have the least amount of power possible.