This Is MS Multiple Sclerosis Community: Knowledge & Support

60 Minutes had a segment that discussed the toxic effects of sugar. One of the interviews was with Robert H. Lustig, MD, a UCSF Professor. Dr. Lustig has posted a presentation of his research to youtube titled Sugar: The Bitter Truth. It's worth watching.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dBnniua6-oM


NHE

An interesting review of Dr. Lustig's lecture from the NY Times.

Is sugar toxic?
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/magaz ... wanted=all



NHE

Thanks, NHE - fascinating article. I'd much rather read an article than watch someone talk about it on youtube, so I very, very rarely click on links to those. This topic reminds me of the many discussions I've had over the last 40 years or so with health conscious friends extolling the virtues of using the more "natural" forms of sugar and flour, and their shock at my replies that I didn't do so.

As for the article about sugar being such a toxic substance... Early on, in my twenties, I started trying to eat as healthy as possible and feeding my family the same way, so it seemed like a great idea to join a Food Co-Op with some of my "back to nature" friends. I found rather quickly that most everyone's co-op interest was in being able to buy unrefined flours & sugars (like HONEY & brown sugar) in quantity for homemade baked goods, and there was little there for me to purchase.

I was assailed with many a lecture for the cardinal sin of using store-bought bread & sugar, when the main point of my (and my family's) diet was basically avoiding sugar altogether, and using only a few slices of whole wheat bread per week. I didn't bake "homemade, natural" desserts, because we didn't eat dessert at all - mostly fresh fruit or steamed veggies, salads, a lean piece of meat - none of which was available at the small co-op. (My husband (ex now) and son still don't even eat birthday cake at parties - just don't like it.)

The only thing I used sugar for at the time was to put a pinch into a big pot of chili or other recipe (after chipping a little chunk out of the solidified mass in the sugar canister). Since I no longer cook big meals, I haven't bought sugar in many, many years, and I've never liked sugary drinks - I drink mostly water now.

I still say that my relatively healthy, simple diet, with avoidance of sugar, junk food and grease over all these years (along with my daily exercise) has been the main reason MS hasn't managed to totally kick my ass over the 30 + years it's been trying to.

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Dx'd with MS & HNPP (hereditary peripheral neuropathy) 7/03 but must have had MS for 30 yrs before that. I've never taken meds for MS or MS symptoms except 1 yr experiment on LDN. (I found diet, exercise, sleep, humor, music help me the most.)

Hi Euphonia,
I'm happy that you appreciated the NY Times article. The two links are not equivalent. Dr. Lustig's lecture/presentation goes into depth on the biochemistry of sugar metabolism comparing glucose and fructose effects and how the two are processed differently. There is a lot to be learned from him that is not present in the NY Times review.

NHE

Yeah, NHE, I didn't expect them to be equivalent since you said the article was just a review, so I was glad that at least it was an extensive one - one that made me interested in the lecture itself. I appreciate the additional recommendation to watch the original video and I had put it on my "someday" list after the review, but it appears to be 1-1/2 hours long and I still hate sitting still to watch video lectures. I go to in-person lectures at work, too, and they're seldom worth the time if the person has written something more comprehensive I can read instead. If anyone comes up with a link to a transcript of it that I can print out, read at my own pace, and highlight whilst doing so, that would be great!

Although I like movies & videos, I'm so busy that even though I re-subscribed to Netflix in January, I still haven't gotten around to watching a single one. And I subscribe to about 15 magazines and newspapers because I don't watch TV news. My brain just doesn't work that way and my butt won't sit still long enough.

_________________
Dx'd with MS & HNPP (hereditary peripheral neuropathy) 7/03 but must have had MS for 30 yrs before that. I've never taken meds for MS or MS symptoms except 1 yr experiment on LDN. (I found diet, exercise, sleep, humor, music help me the most.)