Sugar is bad, mmm-kay
ironmonkeystyle
Posts: 834 Member
http://money.msn.com/business-news/article.aspx?feed=AP&date=20140204&id=17317897&ocid=ansmony11
Text of the article copied below:
"CHICAGO (AP) - Could too much sugar be deadly? The biggest study of its kind suggests the answer is yes, at least when it comes to fatal heart problems.
It doesn't take all that much extra sugar, hidden in many processed foods, to substantially raise the risk, the researchers found, and most Americans eat more than the safest amount.
Having a cinnamon roll with your morning coffee, a super-sized sugary soda at lunch and a scoop of ice cream after dinner would put you in the highest risk category in the study. That means your chance of dying prematurely from heart problems is nearly three times greater than for people who eat only foods with little added sugar.
For someone who normally eats 2,000 calories daily, even consuming two 12-ounce cans of soda substantially increases the risk. For most American adults, sodas and other sugary drinks are the main source of added sugar.
Lead author Quanhe Yang of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention called the results sobering and said it's the first nationally representative study to examine the issue.
Scientists aren't certain exactly how sugar may contribute to deadly heart problems, but it has been shown to increase blood pressure and levels of unhealthy cholesterol and triglycerides; and also may increase signs of inflammation linked with heart disease, said Rachel Johnson, head of the American Heart Association's nutrition committee and a University of Vermont nutrition professor.
Yang and colleagues analyzed national health surveys between 1988 and 2010 that included questions about people's diets. The authors used national death data to calculate risks of dying during 15 years of follow-up.
Overall, more than 30,000 American adults aged 44 on average were involved.
Previous studies have linked diets high in sugar with increased risks for non-fatal heart problems, and with obesity, which can also lead to heart trouble. But in the new study, obesity didn't explain the link between sugary diets and death. That link was found even in normal-weight people who ate lots of added sugar.
"Too much sugar does not just make us fat; it can also make us sick," said Laura Schmidt, a health policy specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. She wrote an editorial accompanying the study in Monday's JAMA Internal Medicine.
The researchers focused on sugar added to processed foods or drinks, or sprinkled in coffee or cereal. Even foods that don't taste sweet have added sugar, including many brands of packaged bread, tomato sauce and salad dressing. Naturally occurring sugar, in fruit and some other foods, wasn't counted.
Most health experts agree that too much sugar isn't healthy, but there is no universal consensus on how much is too much.
U.S government dietary guidelines issued in 2010 say "empty" calories including those from added sugars should account for no more than 15 percent of total daily calories.
The average number of daily calories from added sugar among U.S. adults was about 15 percent toward the end of the study, slightly lower than in previous years.
The authors divided participants into five categories based on sugar intake, from less than 10 percent of daily calories — the safest amount — to more than 25 percent.
Most adults exceed the safest level; and for 1 in 10 adults, added sugar accounts for at least 25 percent of daily calories, the researchers said.
The researchers had death data on almost 12,000 adults, including 831 who died from heart disease during the 15-year follow-up. They took into account other factors known to contribute to heart problems, including smoking, inactivity and excess weight, and still found risks for sugar.
As sugar intake increased, risks climbed steeply.
Adults who got at least 25 percent of their calories from added sugar were almost three times more likely to die of heart problems than those who consumed the least — less than 10 percent.
For those who got more than 15 percent — or the equivalent of about two cans of sugary soda out of 2,000 calories daily — the risk was almost 20 percent higher than the safest level.
Sugar calories quickly add up: One teaspoon has about 16 calories; one 12-ounce can of non-diet soda contains has about 9 teaspoons of sugar or about 140 calories; many cinnamon rolls have about 13 teaspoons of sugar; one scoop of chocolate ice cream has about 5 teaspoons of sugar.
Dr. Jonathan Purnell, a professor at Oregon Health & Science University's Knight Cardiovascular Institute, said while the research doesn't prove "sugar can cause you to die of a heart attack", it adds to a growing body of circumstantial evidence suggesting that limiting sugar intake can lead to healthier, longer lives."
Text of the article copied below:
"CHICAGO (AP) - Could too much sugar be deadly? The biggest study of its kind suggests the answer is yes, at least when it comes to fatal heart problems.
It doesn't take all that much extra sugar, hidden in many processed foods, to substantially raise the risk, the researchers found, and most Americans eat more than the safest amount.
Having a cinnamon roll with your morning coffee, a super-sized sugary soda at lunch and a scoop of ice cream after dinner would put you in the highest risk category in the study. That means your chance of dying prematurely from heart problems is nearly three times greater than for people who eat only foods with little added sugar.
For someone who normally eats 2,000 calories daily, even consuming two 12-ounce cans of soda substantially increases the risk. For most American adults, sodas and other sugary drinks are the main source of added sugar.
Lead author Quanhe Yang of the U.S. Centers of Disease Control and Prevention called the results sobering and said it's the first nationally representative study to examine the issue.
Scientists aren't certain exactly how sugar may contribute to deadly heart problems, but it has been shown to increase blood pressure and levels of unhealthy cholesterol and triglycerides; and also may increase signs of inflammation linked with heart disease, said Rachel Johnson, head of the American Heart Association's nutrition committee and a University of Vermont nutrition professor.
Yang and colleagues analyzed national health surveys between 1988 and 2010 that included questions about people's diets. The authors used national death data to calculate risks of dying during 15 years of follow-up.
Overall, more than 30,000 American adults aged 44 on average were involved.
Previous studies have linked diets high in sugar with increased risks for non-fatal heart problems, and with obesity, which can also lead to heart trouble. But in the new study, obesity didn't explain the link between sugary diets and death. That link was found even in normal-weight people who ate lots of added sugar.
"Too much sugar does not just make us fat; it can also make us sick," said Laura Schmidt, a health policy specialist at the University of California, San Francisco. She wrote an editorial accompanying the study in Monday's JAMA Internal Medicine.
The researchers focused on sugar added to processed foods or drinks, or sprinkled in coffee or cereal. Even foods that don't taste sweet have added sugar, including many brands of packaged bread, tomato sauce and salad dressing. Naturally occurring sugar, in fruit and some other foods, wasn't counted.
Most health experts agree that too much sugar isn't healthy, but there is no universal consensus on how much is too much.
U.S government dietary guidelines issued in 2010 say "empty" calories including those from added sugars should account for no more than 15 percent of total daily calories.
The average number of daily calories from added sugar among U.S. adults was about 15 percent toward the end of the study, slightly lower than in previous years.
The authors divided participants into five categories based on sugar intake, from less than 10 percent of daily calories — the safest amount — to more than 25 percent.
Most adults exceed the safest level; and for 1 in 10 adults, added sugar accounts for at least 25 percent of daily calories, the researchers said.
The researchers had death data on almost 12,000 adults, including 831 who died from heart disease during the 15-year follow-up. They took into account other factors known to contribute to heart problems, including smoking, inactivity and excess weight, and still found risks for sugar.
As sugar intake increased, risks climbed steeply.
Adults who got at least 25 percent of their calories from added sugar were almost three times more likely to die of heart problems than those who consumed the least — less than 10 percent.
For those who got more than 15 percent — or the equivalent of about two cans of sugary soda out of 2,000 calories daily — the risk was almost 20 percent higher than the safest level.
Sugar calories quickly add up: One teaspoon has about 16 calories; one 12-ounce can of non-diet soda contains has about 9 teaspoons of sugar or about 140 calories; many cinnamon rolls have about 13 teaspoons of sugar; one scoop of chocolate ice cream has about 5 teaspoons of sugar.
Dr. Jonathan Purnell, a professor at Oregon Health & Science University's Knight Cardiovascular Institute, said while the research doesn't prove "sugar can cause you to die of a heart attack", it adds to a growing body of circumstantial evidence suggesting that limiting sugar intake can lead to healthier, longer lives."
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Replies
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Sugar is a carb. Carbs are calorie dense. Excess calories make you fat. Being fat makes you more likely to have a heart attack and die at an embarrassingly large size, so big you'll need a forklift in your funeral procession and a gurney as your pallbearers.
Say it with me. Excess calories are unhealthy. Sugar is delicious.0 -
are there studies that compare excess calories from simple carbs vs. other macros?0
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are there studies that compare excess calories from simple carbs vs. other macros?
Do you really think your body is going to know the difference between a simple vs complex carb?
They are all the same. I've built solid lean muscle with pop-tarts and Starbucks Double chocolate chunk cookies dude, lol.0 -
are there studies that compare excess calories from simple carbs vs. other macros?
Yes. Every study on obesity that has ever existed.
Being overweight increases mortality, sugar alone does not.0 -
This is a prime example of why, in scientific research, you're not allowed to imply causation from correlation, which is something most news reporters do not seem to understand. This is just like the claim that drinking diet soda makes you obese, when it is much more likely that for some reason obese people are drinking diet soda more often than the general population.0
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are there studies that compare excess calories from simple carbs vs. other macros?
there are overfeeding studies using various macro compositions for the excess
there are sucrose substitution trials switching sugar for other carbs with protein and fat constant0 -
are there studies that compare excess calories from simple carbs vs. other macros?
Yes. Every study on obesity that has ever existed.
Being overweight increases mortality, sugar alone does not.
Could you please post a link to one such study. I'd like to read it.0 -
this is pretty interesting: http://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejmoa12033880
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are there studies that compare excess calories from simple carbs vs. other macros?
there are overfeeding studies using various macro compositions for the excess
there are sucrose substitution trials switching sugar for other carbs with protein and fat constant
Links please? I'd like to read whatever you're describing. :-)0 -
This is an interesting study too:
http://www.plosone.org/article/info:doi/10.1371/journal.pone.0025929
Also, I agree that the media misreports evidence and is generally too quick to ascribe recommendations that are too simple.
It works in both directions though. Just declaring that all calories are equal, or that 1 person ate a pop-tart but is still lean, is also overly simple, and often not very productive or helpful. Being constructive and supportive is probably the best thing we can all do for each other. :-)0 -
What about for a diabetic or a woman with PCOS?
How does carbs/sugar not effect them?
(just confused bc i have PCOS and have been told to watch my carbs/sugars as well as calories)0 -
Sugar is a carb. Carbs are calorie dense. Excess calories make you fat. Being fat makes you more likely to have a heart attack and die at an embarrassingly large size, so big you'll need a forklift in your funeral procession and a gurney as your pallbearers.
Say it with me. Excess calories are unhealthy. Sugar is delicious.
If you actually read the article, it's saying that eating too much sugar for a NON overweight person causes multiple health risks.
" But in the new study, obesity didn't explain the link between sugary diets and death. That link was found even in normal-weight people who ate lots of added sugar"
Too much of most things aren't good for you, and sugar isn't the exception. Enjoy in moderation.0 -
Sugar is a carb. Carbs are calorie dense. Excess calories make you fat. Being fat makes you more likely to have a heart attack and die at an embarrassingly large size, so big you'll need a forklift in your funeral procession and a gurney as your pallbearers.
Say it with me. Excess calories are unhealthy. Sugar is delicious.
If you actually read the article, it's saying that eating too much sugar for a NON overweight person causes multiple health risks.
" But in the new study, obesity didn't explain the link between sugary diets and death. That link was found even in normal-weight people who ate lots of added sugar"
Too much of most things aren't good for you, and sugar isn't the exception. Enjoy in moderation.
NON overweight: Do you mean obese, healthy weight, or both? I can see where sugar is the devil with this interpretation. I drink the devil daily in my coffee, and the devil for a pre-run sometimes in its cousin's form (Honey); and sometimes post workout in fruit. So too much of any one thing is bad, makes sense. But, NON overweight...little help from the poster above, graci.0 -
Sugar is a carb. Carbs are calorie dense. Excess calories make you fat. Being fat makes you more likely to have a heart attack and die at an embarrassingly large size, so big you'll need a forklift in your funeral procession and a gurney as your pallbearers.
Say it with me. Excess calories are unhealthy. Sugar is delicious.
If you actually read the article, it's saying that eating too much sugar for a NON overweight person causes multiple health risks.
" But in the new study, obesity didn't explain the link between sugary diets and death. That link was found even in normal-weight people who ate lots of added sugar"
Too much of most things aren't good for you, and sugar isn't the exception. Enjoy in moderation.
I made no reference to weight until I proclaimed that excess calories make you overweight. They do.
What the OP quoted made reference to a 2,000 calorie diet with 2 cans of soda on top of it. Say that soda is Coke. That's about 300 extra calories per day for a standard 12oz can. Forgetting that, like 1,200 calories to lose weight, 2,000 calories is not a catch-all ideal goal for people to consume, you are nonetheless likely creating a calorie surplus.0 -
I gave up sugar and other added sweeteners (I eat fruit and even salad dressing and other food that has sugar in it, just not sweets or diet soda or added sweeteners) for New Years. I feel way better -- don't get tired in the afternoon. Also I no longer get as hungry. And after the first week, I lost the craving for it. Some people are able to eat sweets in moderation and still lose weight, but for me I found the more sweets I eat, the more sweets I want. And I also drank 4-8 diet cokes a day. I'm going to stay off sweeteners for the year and see how it goes. For me, it appears to be working.0
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What about for a diabetic or a woman with PCOS?
How does carbs/sugar not effect them?
(just confused bc i have PCOS and have been told to watch my carbs/sugars as well as calories)
Calories in, calories out applies to you, too.
You may find yourself more prone to energy lulls depending on the carbs you consume and when you consume them, but "sugar crashes" can occur whoever you are.
I also have PCOS and IR, I have never completely restricted my intake of white flour, rice, sugar, potatoes, etc. but I do opt for more nutritionally dense foods more frequently now and the main portion of my diet is now protein rather than carbs. Pair a protein source with a carb source and it takes longer to digest (GI/GL theory).
But these are the principles of a balanced diet anyway.0 -
What about for a diabetic or a woman with PCOS?
How does carbs/sugar not effect them?
(just confused bc i have PCOS and have been told to watch my carbs/sugars as well as calories)
Calories in, calories out applies to you, too.
You may find yourself more prone to energy lulls depending on the carbs you consume and when you consume them, but "sugar crashes" can occur whoever you are.
I also have PCOS and IR, I have never completely restricted my intake of white flour, rice, sugar, potatoes, etc. but I do opt for more nutritionally dense foods more frequently now and the main portion of my diet is now protein rather than carbs. Pair a protein source with a carb source and it takes longer to digest (GI/GL theory).
But these are the principles of a balanced diet anyway.
But then in the end aren't you still watching your calories AND carbs? You said you mainly eat protein now0 -
I tend not to put too much stock in any article that doesn't cite it's references - as in actual research papers, not quotes from this person or the other. If anyone finds the original study, link it here so we can take a look at the actual parameters.
From the article:The researchers had death data on almost 12,000 adults, including 831 who died from heart disease during the 15-year follow-up. They took into account other factors known to contribute to heart problems, including smoking, inactivity and excess weight, and still found risks for sugar.
OK. There's a correlation.
How strong is it? What is the statistical power? What happened when they looked at other macros/micros? Did they think to control for familial history of CVD, geography, etc? Did they evaluate each survey and ensure it was well-written and didn't introduce bias thanks to poor design? What about non-added sugars - what happens when naturally occurring sugars are thrown in the mix?
If all of these questions (and others I've not thought of off the top of my head) can be answered satisfactorily, congratulations. Now they can form a hypothesis that over-consumption of sugar is a problem and go test it.0 -
But then in the end aren't you still watching your calories AND carbs? You said you mainly eat protein now
I don't monitor my carb intake at all, as long as I stay within my calorie allowance. I just make sure I vary my sources of carbs simply because it helps with maintaining overall health... it's the same for anyone who doesn't have PCOS. You'll get a greater amount of micronutrients from a varied diet. I still eat white bread, which is a complex carb... and white rice, etc. but I do it less frequently because they're calorically dense with an inferior nutritional profile to, say, red rice or my favourite soya & linseed bread. More fibre, more vitamins, and so on.
But it's not a requirement for losing weight... if you prefer white bread, rice, sugar, and the like, then eat them. Just allow for it in your calorie intake.
I used to eat very little protein and had a very carb-heavy diet, is what I meant. Now I monitor my calories, I usually find that I get a greater proportion of protein to carbs, or they wind up about equal at the end of the day.
I make sure I hit a certain amount of protein as a priority now, while I have calories to spare. This is in relation to resistance training and preserving lean mass... women with PCOS are at greater risk of bone density related diseases like osteoporosis, so it's important to build and preserve muscle and strength train to preserve and increase bone density. It's also very good for controlling blood sugar and for feeling full.
But, again, it's not just women with PCOS who would benefit from eating protein as a priority... it's everybody.
I hope that makes sense.0 -
I tend not to put too much stock in any article that doesn't cite it's references - as in actual research papers, not quotes from this person or the other. If anyone finds the original study, link it here so we can take a look at the actual parameters.
From the article:The researchers had death data on almost 12,000 adults, including 831 who died from heart disease during the 15-year follow-up. They took into account other factors known to contribute to heart problems, including smoking, inactivity and excess weight, and still found risks for sugar.
OK. There's a correlation.
How strong is it? What is the statistical power? What happened when they looked at other macros/micros? Did they think to control for familial history of CVD, geography, etc? Did they evaluate each survey and ensure it was well-written and didn't introduce bias thanks to poor design? What about non-added sugars - what happens when naturally occurring sugars are thrown in the mix?
If all of these questions (and others I've not thought of off the top of my head) can be answered satisfactorily, congratulations. Now they can form a hypothesis that over-consumption of sugar is a problem and go test it.
Agreed. :-)0 -
@Happystack:
Forgetting about the article for a second, the mantra of "a calorie is a calorie" makes sense to me if one is only caring about weight loss. That's a good goal, but not the only goal for many of us. For instance, I don't really care if I weight 150 of 300, if in both instances, my body fat % were 17%.
I don't think it is the case that eating the exact same number of calories in ALL SUGAR (hey, a calorie is a calorie, right?) would help me improve body fat percentage at the same rate as eating a good macro balanced profile of 40-35-25, let's say, for the sake of this hypothetical. That's because adequate protein consumption is important for muscle development. More muscle, less body fat percentage. More muscle, less body fat, then you still might need a forklift for your coffin (if you don't believe in the whole cremation thing that is), but that's bc you'll look like this:
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I hear you. Sugar is bad. Fake sugar is bad too. I can give up sugar in coffee and yogurt and lost weight while doing that, and even lost my sweet tooth to a certain extent, but I do like sweet things, and everything can't contain brown sugar, agave, honey or maple syrup. And the jury is out as to how healthy those items are too.
Moderation. Unless you're a diabetic, of course.0 -
are there studies that compare excess calories from simple carbs vs. other macros?
Nope.0 -
@Happystack:
Forgetting about the article for a second, the mantra of "a calorie is a calorie" makes sense to me if one is only caring about weight loss. That's a good goal, but not the only goal for many of us. For instance, I don't really care if I weight 150 of 300, if in both instances, my body fat % were 17%.
I don't think it is the case that eating the exact same number of calories in ALL SUGAR (hey, a calorie is a calorie, right?) would help me improve body fat percentage at the same rate as eating a good macro balanced profile of 40-35-25, let's say, for the sake of this hypothetical. That's because adequate protein consumption is important for muscle development. More muscle, less body fat percentage. More muscle, less body fat, then you still might need a forklift for your coffin (if you don't believe in the whole cremation thing that is), but that's bc you'll look like this:
Well, now... all carbs are sugars. Vegans, vegetarians, fruitarians... people whose diet is fundamentally carbohydrate, even their sources of protein and fats are tinged with saccharides. We're frequently told that these diets are more healthy than the "standard American diet".
I know that by all sugar you mean the white refined kind, or cane/beet sugar in any other form. For the sake of semantics and being silly, yes, that's poor health. To consume nothing but table sugar. Ever. Or a vast majority of your calories from table sugar.
But so is eating nothing but protein sources. Ever. (See "rabbit starvation")
For good health, as I mentioned in my other posts, a varied diet is key. And this varied diet can consist of a varying amount of table sugar... you just have to control whatever incentive you have to overeat sugar, and control your intake of other macros to achieve your goals.
Not to mention for building lean body mass, because carbs are protein sparing, too.
That's why - when you cut - you tend to lower carbs to make sure you're getting adequate protein in the face of a calorie deficit.
But - when you bulk - in the face of a calorie surplus, your macro ratio will tilt in favour of carbs. Because carbs are a great and efficient source of energy, the greater spikes of insulin they produce are inherently anabolic, etc. etc. etc.
One of the most interesting comparisons is the studies suggesting that high carb diets, particularly when coupled with strenuous exercise, promote the release of certain hormones which promote inflammation. That inflammation may be, according to some, implicated in poor health and heart disease.
Then you have the aforementioned studies on vegetarianism and veganism, proclaiming their unmatched health benefits to all.
These studies are interesting reads, frequently controversial and disunited, but they're not to be taken as the Good Health Bible.0
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