Sugar Doesn't Prevent Weight Loss

Stephanie_Autry

0.o

Acg67

Those studies are total bull****e!

Sugar in my body is one study that I have done myself. Science and biological evolution completely play against those studies.

Can you say "Sugar Lobbyists?" Look hard enough and you'll find 'em behind this study. I KNOW IT!

Do tell, if you disagree, how does sugar prevent weight loss in the midst of a consistent caloric deficit?

bonniecarbs

I went to a nutritionist about 30 years ago and she told me this information. I was very surprised and happy. She showed me how to eat and I lost weight. But after a few years I got sick of eating right. And here I am on MFP. Doing pretty good though. Very good of your to share this information.

betsywalton

smart woman

bonniecarbs

I didnt know sugar was considered a processed food.

betsywalton

Sugar lobbyists are promoting high fructose corn syrup? Wouldn't they be paid to promote....sugar?

bonniecarbs

I'd rather have plain old sugar or organic honey to sweeten my drinks. I don't bother with candy when there are so many darn good protein bars out here.

Squidgeypaws007

commenting to read later.

tourettte

I'm not the smartest person here but here's what I think.

Everybody's different and what works for one person doesn't work for others. My dad lives on bacon and red meat (homemade/grown) an he has lower cholesterol than my health freak athlete cousin.
At the end of the day a calorie is a calorie - it's the mechanism that burns them (our body) that matters.

bonniecarbs

tourette I believe that also, thats just what my nutritionist 30 years ago told me and I proved her right.

jtakingcareofherself

This study isn't about "sugar preventing or not preventing weight loss". It's about different sugars and impact on weight loss. If you wanted to study the effect on sugar on weight loss, you would alter the amount of sugar, not the type of sugar.

ThaRealNicki

doesnt matter, high fructose corn syrup is still poison to the body

Acg67

doesnt matter, high fructose corn syrup is still poison to the body

In what dosage?

betsywalton

1. The objective was to prospectively compare the effects of HFCS- vs sucrose-sweetened soft drinks on acute metabolic and hemodynamic effects. Compared with sucrose, HFCS leads to greater fructose systemic exposure and significantly different acute metabolic effects.
Le, M., Frye, R., Rivard, C., Cheng, J., McFann, K., Segal, M., Johnson, R., Johnson, J., Frye RF, Rivard CJ, Cheng J, McFann KK, Segal MS, Johnson RJ, & Johnson JA (2012). Effects of high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose on the pharmacokinetics of fructose and acute metabolic and hemodynamic responses in healthy subjects. Metabolism. May, 2012;61(5):641-51.
2. Increased consumption of fructose-sweetened beverages along with increased prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes underscore the importance of investigating the metabolic consequences of fructose consumption in carefully controlled experiments.
Stanhope, K. & Havel, P. (2008). Endocrine and metabolic effects of consuming beverages sweetened with fructose, glucose, sucrose, or high-fructose corn syrup1,2,3,4,5. Am J Clin Nutr December, 2008 (88):6. 1733S-1737S
3. While regular table sugar (sucrose) is 50% fructose and 50% glucose, high-fructose corn syrup can contain up to 80% fructose and 20% glucose, almost twice the fructose of common table sugar. Calories alone are not the key problem with high-fructose corn syrup. Rather, metabolism of excess amounts of fructose is the major concern. High dietary intake of fructose is problematic because fructose is metabolized differently from glucose. Glucose can be metabolized and converted to ATP, which is readily “burned” for energy by the cells’ mitochondria. Fructose, on the other hand, is more rapidly metabolized in the liver, flooding metabolic pathways and leading to increased triglyceride synthesis and fat storage in the liver. The high flux of fructose to the liver disturbs glucose metabolism and uptake pathways and leads to metabolic disturbances that underlie the induction of insulin resistance, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. Scientists have therefore come to realize that all sugars are not created equal.
Flavin, D. MD (2008). Metabolic danger of high-fructose corn syrup. LE Magazine, December, 2008.

reyopo

This study isn't about "sugar preventing or not preventing weight loss". It's about different sugars and impact on weight loss. If you wanted to study the effect on sugar on weight loss, you would alter the amount of sugar, not the type of sugar.

YES, this! Health (or our personal perceived idea of it) and weight loss are mutually exclusive in this debate. My body hates refined sugar, nothing could be more obvious to me...but I could still be skinny and live on Twinkies, Cheetos, Bud Light and cocaine if my CICO was in order...it ain't rocket surgery.

Acg67

1. The objective was to prospectively compare the effects of HFCS- vs sucrose-sweetened soft drinks on acute metabolic and hemodynamic effects. Compared with sucrose, HFCS leads to greater fructose systemic exposure and significantly different acute metabolic effects.
Le, M., Frye, R., Rivard, C., Cheng, J., McFann, K., Segal, M., Johnson, R., Johnson, J., Frye RF, Rivard CJ, Cheng J, McFann KK, Segal MS, Johnson RJ, & Johnson JA (2012). Effects of high-fructose corn syrup and sucrose on the pharmacokinetics of fructose and acute metabolic and hemodynamic responses in healthy subjects. Metabolism. May, 2012;61(5):641-51.
2. Increased consumption of fructose-sweetened beverages along with increased prevalence of obesity, metabolic syndrome, and type 2 diabetes underscore the importance of investigating the metabolic consequences of fructose consumption in carefully controlled experiments.
Stanhope, K. & Havel, P. (2008). Endocrine and metabolic effects of consuming beverages sweetened with fructose, glucose, sucrose, or high-fructose corn syrup1,2,3,4,5. Am J Clin Nutr December, 2008 (88):6. 1733S-1737S
3. While regular table sugar (sucrose) is 50% fructose and 50% glucose, high-fructose corn syrup can contain up to 80% fructose and 20% glucose, almost twice the fructose of common table sugar. Calories alone are not the key problem with high-fructose corn syrup. Rather, metabolism of excess amounts of fructose is the major concern. High dietary intake of fructose is problematic because fructose is metabolized differently from glucose. Glucose can be metabolized and converted to ATP, which is readily “burned” for energy by the cells’ mitochondria. Fructose, on the other hand, is more rapidly metabolized in the liver, flooding metabolic pathways and leading to increased triglyceride synthesis and fat storage in the liver. The high flux of fructose to the liver disturbs glucose metabolism and uptake pathways and leads to metabolic disturbances that underlie the induction of insulin resistance, a hallmark of type 2 diabetes. Scientists have therefore come to realize that all sugars are not created equal.
Flavin, D. MD (2008). Metabolic danger of high-fructose corn syrup. LE Magazine, December, 2008.

The first study I've read, and it seems at odds with the rest of the body of work on HFCS and sucrose

The 2nd one talks mostly about fructose and while it mentions HFCS in the paper, it doesn't say anything about HFCS raising blood glucose or insulin levels indignantly higher than sucrose

The 3rd reference I take you put in there as a joke? The most common forms of HFCS used in consumer products are HFCS-42 and HFCS-55

kajpen

Bump to read later

AlabasterVerve

The 3rd reference I take you put in there as a joke? The most common forms of HFCS used in consumer products are HFCS-42 and HFCS-55

Do we know how much HFCS we're actually consuming though? Nutrition information doesn't have to be correct -- something like 20% difference is perfectly legal I think. And since all of the studies seem to be pointing their fingers at fructose these days, it's definitely a legitimate cause for concern in my opinion.

High-fructose corn syrup in soda has much more fructose than advertised, study finds
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/26/news/la-heb-too-much-fructose-in-hfcs-soda-20101026

yarwell

High-fructose corn syrup in soda has much more fructose than advertised, study finds
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/26/news/la-heb-too-much-fructose-in-hfcs-soda-20101026

Most of the high deviations in total sugar content reported in http://goranlab.com/pdf/Ventura Obesity 2010-sugary beverages.pdf cited by the LA Times were in soda fountains where the syrup : water ratio must have been incorrect.

The data for Sprite at http://nutritiondata.self.com/facts/beverages/3870/2 also shows a 5:3 ratio of Fructose:Glucose rather than the 4:3 you would expect for HFCS 55. Perhaps there's some actual fruit in there LOL.

Sucrose used in acidic drinks like the Mexican cola will invert to a 50:50 mix of glucose and fructose, similarly Red Bull's mix of glucose and sucrose will end up with fructose in it if the mix is acidic.

TheVimFuego

The less sugar I consume, the less I crave, the less compelled I feel to eat at regular intervals.

Quite frankly the nitty gritty of the metabolic effects are all very interesting (and subject to many studies whose conclusions vary widely) but this one effect is enough for me to minimise my consumption of what is, essentially, non-essential.

hazelovesfood

Makes sense...but...BUT...

...was there any mention of number of/intensity of cravings of the test subjects dependent on their different diets?

I've always thought that actual weight loss was a simple CICO thing, but that the composition of our diets likely affects other aspects of our lives like cravings (quantity and quality), hormonal balance, overall health, etc.

(Yeah, I'm too busy/lazy to actually read the studies to figure it out myself.)

As a victim of a sweet tooth, I can attest that the less junk food I eat, the less I crave it. But the anti-sugar crowd often lumps fruit into the evil category. I eat fruit daily, usually at least five servings in a smoothie. That doesn't trigger cravings at all.

I have stopped eating fruit now because of that red mark in the diary, one banana and its alomst over thats before you eat and veg and veg still has sugar in it, there is no no to avoid it imo. The majority of time I still go over my sugar and thats just with healthy foods, then sometimes i think bugger it and eat some divine fudge or some cake. I cant live trying to avoid sugar like its the plague.

hazelovesfood

The less sugar I consume, the less I crave, the less compelled I feel to eat at regular intervals.

Quite frankly the nitty gritty of the metabolic effects are all very interesting (and subject to many studies whose conclusions vary widely) but this one effect is enough for me to minimise my consumption of what is, essentially, non-essential.

I wil admit that it does make me crave more, btu i think thats a carby thing too.

m60kaf

Why is everyone always looking for a reason to fuel denial?

AllTehBeers

The 3rd reference I take you put in there as a joke? The most common forms of HFCS used in consumer products are HFCS-42 and HFCS-55

Do we know how much HFCS we're actually consuming though? Nutrition information doesn't have to be correct -- something like 20% difference is perfectly legal I think. And since all of the studies seem to be pointing their fingers at fructose these days, it's definitely a legitimate cause for concern in my opinion.

High-fructose corn syrup in soda has much more fructose than advertised, study finds
http://articles.latimes.com/2010/oct/26/news/la-heb-too-much-fructose-in-hfcs-soda-20101026

In that case, how do we know anything we're consuming? If it were that completely inaccurate, calorie counting wouldn't be worth the effort.

ahamm002

I have stopped eating fruit now because of that red mark in the diary, one banana and its alomst over thats before you eat and veg and veg still has sugar in it, there is no no to avoid it imo. The majority of time I still go over my sugar and thats just with healthy foods, then sometimes i think bugger it and eat some divine fudge or some cake. I cant live trying to avoid sugar like its the plague.

Fruit is associated with numerous health benefits, including longer life! So it would be a bad idea to avoid it because of the naturally occurring sugar it contains.

Acg67

Why is everyone always looking for a reason to fuel denial?

The denial that sugar isn't as evil as fear mongerers would lead you to beleive?

mmapags

Why is everyone always looking for a reason to fuel denial?

The denial that sugar isn't as evil as fear mongerers would lead you to beleive?

Or othorexia?

LadyCNE

I do not eat any sugar, unless it's a fresh/frozen fruit/veggie. If I need to have something sweeter, I use unprocessed date syrup. No processed foods. When I did this, cravings stopped. Sugar is addicting, to me. Just like I guess an addict is, I stay clean away.

myofibril

There's an excellent blog post by Stephan Guyenet on sugar which can be found here:

http://wholehealthsource.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/is-sugar-fattening.html#more

Conclusions

Here are the take-home points from this post:

Sugar, including fructose, is not inherently fattening relative to other calorie sources, and unrefined sugar is compatible with fat loss in the context of simple whole food diets.

Sugar can be fattening in certain contexts, specifically if it is added to foods and beverages to increase their palatability, reward value and energy density.

Sugar-sweetened beverages are probably one of the most fattening elements of the modern diet.

Fruit is not fattening, and it may actually be slimming.

In excess, refined sugar can cause body fat to redistribute from the subcutaneous depot (under the skin, where you want it) to the visceral depots and the liver (where you don't want it). It can also cause insulin resistance in the liver and increase blood pressure, all components of the 'metabolic syndrome'. This is caused specifically by the fructose portion of the sugar.

Here are the implications:

Avoiding sugar-sweetened foods, and particularly sugar-sweetened beverages (soda, punch, sweetened coffee, cocktails, maybe fruit juice as well?) can prevent and to some extent reverse fat gain and metabolic dysfunction.

I see no reason to believe that refined and unrefined sugars, used in the same context (e.g. muffins baked with white vs. brown sugar), would have different effects on body fatness. However, unrefined sugars may be less harmful to other aspects of health, because they contain other substances that may be protective. Mark Sisson discussed this idea in a recent post on honey (38).

Eating fruit does not contribute to fat gain in most people, but instead probably favors leanness. Fruit is a whole food with a low energy density and a moderate palatability and reward value.

That pretty much covers the bases I think...

beckajw

doesnt matter, high fructose corn syrup is still poison to the body

:laugh: good one!