Skeptics Stack Exchange
Skeptics Stack Exchange

Questions tagged [sugar]

A range of chemical substances containing carbon, hydrogen and oxygen which induce sweet taste and are important in living organisms storage and transport of energy.

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How bitter is Robert Lustig's "Bitter Truth" about sugar?

A couple of months ago I watched the talk "Sugar: The Bitter Truth" by endocrinologist Dr. Robert Lustig on YouTube. The overall tone of the talk raised a couple of red flags; it sounded a little too much like conspiracy mongering for my taste, but…
flitzwald
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Does the "sugar high" exist at all?

I've heard numerous times that eating1 a high quantity of sugar will give you a "sugar high" or "sugar buzz" The high one gets after consuming large amounts of sugar. Also called a "sugar rush." Sugar highs cause twitchiness, spasms, and hyper…
Sklivvz
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Can eating too much sugar cause diabetes?

I have frequently heard (even from diabetics) that diets high in sugar can cause (or at least contribute to) diabetes. Others have said it's a common misunderstanding, and there's no demonstrated causal connection between the two, but only…
jrdioko
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Is diet soda less healthy than regular soda?

The top 10 worst foods listed at planetgreen.com elects diet soda as the number one worst food/beverage, even worse than regular soda. However, I find it a little hard to believe, since the number of calories is much lower and the sugar content is…
djeidot
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Is sugar in fruit juice less likely to cause weight gain than refined sugar?

Refined sugar is regularly described as the root of all evil, while sugar in fruit juice slips under the net. I just noticed my 330ml juice has 33g of sugar in it. There are currently initiatives across the US to ban sugary treats and sodas,…
Moz
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Are McDonald's fries coated in sugar before cooking?

I've heard that McDonalds and other fast food chains coat their fries in sugar water before frying to aid in color development, but the official McDonalds nutrition information (see page 2) indicates that their fries contain no sugar. Is there…
Adam Wuerl
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Is sugar one element away from cocaine or any other drug?

I've heard multiple times through out my college and early work career that they believed sugar was one element away from being cocaine (or some other drug). However, none of these people had a biology or chemistry background, so I was skeptical. …
But I'm Not A Wrapper Class
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Do high-fat diets causes heart disease?

This article in The Guardian alleges that the nutritional science establishment has spent the last 4 decades claiming that fatty diets cause heart disease when in fact sugar is largely to blame. The article presents this as a case of eminence-based…
Paul Johnson
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Is brown sugar healthier than white sugar?

I've heard that before. The reasoning is, "White sugar is more 'processed' than brown sugar, so it's not as healthy." Is this true?
Mateen Ulhaq
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Does "sugar feed infection"?

Whenever I'm sick I hear people say "Don't eat sugar. Sugar feeds infection". It seems like a well-known concepts: "Sugar feeds infection", "feeds infection and causes inflammation" and "contributes to a weakened defense against bacterial…
Coomie
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Is HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup) bad for you?

I can link to thousands of sources from all types of studies, but I don't know which one to believe. http://www.sweetsurprise.com/ looks like a lobbyist site, but they link to third party studies, but I have no idea if they were funded by them or…
Oscar Godson
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Does sugar "feed" cancer?

I keep seeing this claim in alternative health circles that sugar feeds cancer and if you restrict carbohydrate from your diet, particularly refined sugar, you can prevent cancer or even "starve" existing cancer. Here is an example of this…
Melissa
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Does (diet) soda cause tooth decay?

I've often heard and read that soda causes tooth decay; most often the reason involves the sugars present in the soda being converted into acids which wear out the enamel. I'm curious if there is anything in a soda that doesn't contain sugar, such…
zzzzBov
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Has selective breeding increased the sugar level of fruits?

It has been claimed that selective breeding has resulted in fruit that is high in sugar and just as bad as eating candy. Examples: They have selectively bred fruit trees to much higher (sweeter sells better) sugar content fruit then your …
going
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Does a tax on drinks with high sugar content reduce sugar consumption?

The UK government is introducing a sugar tax on soft drinks with more than 5g per 100ml of sugar. Coca-Cola claims that this "flies in the face of evidence from around the world" A longer quote: He said it was a “disappointment” that the government…
Tim
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