Book Review: The Case Against Sugar

[Spiral]

Gary Taubes has written a book titled, "The Case Against Sugar."

Stephan Guyenet reviews Taubes' book and wonders if sugar is bad or if Taubes' journalism is bad.

Scientifically, The Case Against Sugar suffers from a condition Steven Pinker has called the “Igon Value Problem”. This term describes the tendency of certain science journalists to arrive at obtuse conclusions due to a superficial understanding of their subject matter (3). There are many examples of this in The Case Against Sugar, but the underlying theme is that Taubes misunderstands (or chooses not to apply) the scientific method itself.

It's good to see Gary Taubes taken to the woodshed.

[Birdy]

Here's another critical review from the Science-Based Medicine website https://sciencebasedmedicine.org/gary-t ... nst-sugar/

[Helpinghands]

Oh yeah, 150/170 pounds a sugar per year for the average American is good for you and does no harm? Just because you don't like what the author said in prior books doesn't mean he's wrong in everything he writes. Get over it and recognize when he's on the same page as us even if it's for the wrong reasons.

[Chumly]

We all agree that refined sugar is low nutrient, high calorie junk food that should be limited or eliminated. The problem is blaming all the obesity and health related issues on sugar (I am not sure that he does this, but I have heard people say that is what he claims). If the message is false and oversimplified, it's a lie and needs to be exposed as a lie.

[f1jim]

Even a broken clock is right twice a day?
f1jim

[dlee]

post by f1jim » Thu May 18, 2017 11:22 am
Even a broken clock is right twice a day?

f1jim
LOL!

[Willijan]

We all agree that refined sugar is low nutrient, high calorie junk food that should be limited or eliminated. The problem is blaming all the obesity and health related issues on sugar (I am not sure that he does this, but I have heard people say that is what he claims). If the message is false and oversimplified, it's a lie and needs to be exposed as a lie.

I agree. And it is a distraction from the food issues people need to be thinking about: animal products and oil. I just watched a video by Dr. McDougall where he talked about the distractions of the issues of gluten free (for people without celiac disease), gmo, and one other I can't remember.

Most books on a healthy diet are just distractions from the real issues, and also a way for their authors to make a buck without helping anyone in many cases.

[Skip]

I went to Amazon and read the first paragraph of his book in the preface called: "Author's Note." It states:

"The purpose of this book is to present the case against sugar---both sucrose and high-fructose corn syrup---as the principal cause of chronic disease that are most likely to kill us, or at least accelerate our demise......"

If this was true, wouldn't it be easy enough to do a study like Esselstyn/Ornish did with CVD patients and show that removing sugar from the diet prevented and reversed CVD? or other chronic diseases?

How would Taubes explain the use of sugar in Kemptner's Rice Diet which reversed so many chronic conditions?

I'm sure of a couple things here: Taubes is going to sell a lot of books and he was not backed by the sugar industry.
It's great for the meat, dairy, and egg industries for a book like this to be written because it shifts the blame off of them. You think Taubes gets any funding from them?

[Taggart]

Dr. Caldwell Esselstyn,

http://www.jeffnovick.com/RD/Q_%26_As/E ... ponds.html

In regard to eliminating all sugars...

“I am surprised that so many have said that I was absolute. I would prefer that people know that eating sugar is something that has the potential to injure their endothelial cells, however, with that note of caution most people will sensibly restrict their sugar intake without having to regard it as absolute.

I have always been reticent to give any specific number or percentage, as eating should be spontaneous and not developed from a calculator. I want people to have the knowledge that fructose can injure and merely ask as a favor to their endothelial cells that they sensibly restrict it.”

[patty]

I feel Dr Kessler in "The End of Overeating" shares it is the combination of SOS (Sugar Oil Salt) in processed foods that keep the consumer coming back. The hypereater doesn't release the same amount of endorphins as the "normal" person, so he/she keeps eating. The food industry knows the combination of SOS keeps the consumer coming back. Jeff Novick's Shopping DVD, he shares 20% fat to 100 calories. Check the ingredients for added salt, purchase no salt canned beans and vegetables, soy sauce 700 for a tablespoon, only use 1/2, (teaspoon/2300), watch out for hot sauces and the listed sugar should be way down on the list.

Aloha, patty

[Birdy]

Skip, in regard to your question,
"How would Taubes explain the use of sugar in Kemptner's Rice Diet which reversed so many chronic conditions?" I once called in to a live radio talk show with Gary Taubes and asked him why his book Good Carbs, Bad Carbs made no mention of all the research done on plant-based diets and reversal of chronic disease. He didn't answer the question but, instead, referred back to his own research. He clearly did not like my question.

[Poison Ivy]

Do not trade (replace) one unhealthy food addiction for another. Too much meat and dairy as well as refined sugar is bad for you.

People replace bad (real) hamburgers with supposedly healthy vegan burgers bc the brain is still addicted and they are trying to find a replacement (substitute). Seek psychological help with a professional!