Why do we have such a primal response and increased hunger signals to sweet tastes?

#21

yes but we’ve had hundreds of thousands of years of differentiation after that. you may notice someone from Sweden has a very different phenotype form someone from Somalia.

(Erin Macfarland ) #22

Yes!

(Erin Macfarland ) #23

I thought the same thing @Mike_W_Ellwood.

(Siobhan) #24

Not really well aquainted with the topic but just random searching is bringing up between 2 million and 60k years ago for first people leaving africa which may or may not be long enough to change from environmental pressures but…

  1. We can already see there are genetic differences between people (like apoE4!) anyway enough to make significant differences like some people being more prone to diabetes or things like sickle cell anemia and tay-sachs, and some populations being able to handle much higher carb loads and wheat (like middle easteners… they’re not immune though just slightly more tolerant to somewhat higher levels iirc) so clearly there has been enough time for some differences

  2. different populations have interbred with neanderthals, the other one from russia, and another very early human from europe discovered recently - this can actually be seen in our dna and may have some influence because some of those are far more north/cold climate adapted

  3. We can see different blood sugar responses to seemingly random food like rice vs corn between people. Unsure if this has been attributed to genetics but something else to consider as even gut microbes are passed from mother to child

So… yes but maybe long enough ago to cause some differences. And Im not saying huge differences either - put a somoan or middle easterner or what have you on a western diet and they still get sick. But different populations do seem to have different tolerance levels for carbs.

I could also be completely wrong though so if so go ahead and correct me, this is not a topic I am strong in as I said. But based off of what I have read there does seem to be some level of genetic component to it.

#25

how much time do you think it takes to alter gene expression? how long did it take to change a wolf into a shitzu? how long did it take tochange maize to corn? your arbitrary “feeling” that there hasn’t been enough time is not scientifically valid.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #26

Tossing this on the pile. Not necessarily because I agree with it, but because it’s an interesting read and very much related:

http://www.stephanguyenet.com/why-are-some-people-carboholics/

I think he makes a good point about Taubes’ tendency to focus on one particular bad guy, but then turns around and makes (IMO) the same mistake. I think Guyenet’s explanation is oversimplified, and fails to account for why fat alone (as opposed to fat plus sugar or fat plus starch) doesn’t seem to have the same effect on cravings.

Perhaps fat has a amplifying effect in combination with sugar and/or starch.

#27

Guyenets views are in direct conflict with the current state of nutrition and clinical science. There is no doubt that sugar is bad for all, more complex starches are bad for most, vegetable oils and soy are disastrous to health, and meat is not inherently bad.

He is a complete and utter idiot, incapable of rational decision making or thinking… He claims ice cream is provocative because of the fat, ignoring the sugar. he says he has no desire for low fat yogurt but he would desire neither if not laced with sugar. who craves cream?

(Mike Glasbrener) #28

I’m not shooting the messenger!

The article does not fit with my N=1 experience. When I was riding the BS roller coaster my carb weakness mirrored the insulin/BS explanation. If he read more than the NY time of Taubes work it is littered with many many pages of reference material. For Guyenet to state his work is provocative speculation is disingenuous. I do think there are Pavlovian addictions from carbs. However, for me, I can completely ignore all carbs and alcohol after abstaining for some time (months). I even had a couple of glasses of wine at Easter then no more. The addiction is completely broken. I don’t really know of anyone who completely breaks their addition to smoking, narcotics or alcohol without life long cravings. So I think the two are a bit different in their biological manifestations in the human body

(Erin Macfarland ) #29

I love this discussion.

(G. Andrew Duthie) #30

Please try to avoid ad hominem arguments. They do not strengthen your case, and someone being wrong doesn’t necessarily make them an idiot.

As noted above, I’m not saying Guyenet’s is right. But I think his theory bears reading and consideration, even if one ultimately rejects it.