Is sugar as bad as you think? What happens when our favorite fuel is also considered the enemy of a healthy diet? Let’s take a closer look at sugar myths.
If you want to wage war against food, there are plenty of ways to do it. We have vegans, who writhe in disgust at the thought of eating animal foods. And we have meatatarians, who eat animal foods almost exclusively (and writhe in disgust at the thought of being vegan).
There’s low-carb and low-fat, high-protein and low-glycemic. Raw or cooked. Good fats and bad fats, good carbs and bad carbs, soaked grains and grain-free…
And, of course, there are limitless combinations. “Hi, I’m a low-fat, grain-free raw vegan.” Or, “Hey, I’m a low-carb, high-fat meatatarian.” There are low-fat meatarians and high-fat vegans. The list goes on and on.
Even with all of these different ways to wage war on food, there is really only one mission: to eat healthfully. Everyone’s just trying to get there in competing ways. Vegans spread smear campaigns against meat and dairy. Low-carb gurus preach on the perils of the bread basket. Raw foodies condemn frying pans (even the safe kinds).
With so much hate flying around, something was bound to get caught in the crossfire. And it was something considered so evil, so sinister, so addictive, it’s been likened to cocaine and heroin because of the destruction it leaves in its wake (or so we’ve been told).
You may have heard of it. It’s called sugar.
Almost every single one of these food camps can agree on at least one thing: sugar is the bane of modern society. It’s a poison. It’s a drug. Some folks want to tax it. Some even want to outlaw it.
The problem? It’s your body’s favorite fuel.
Sugar: We Love to Hate It… and Hate to Love It
A few years ago, I knew sugar was bad. And I knew I was bad for craving it. Wanting something sweet was a weakness, a flaw in my very nature, an addictive behavior that needed to be swiftly eradicated. I could never be healed, I could never really be whole, as long as I gave in to this monster we call sugar.
But slowly–very slowly–a different explanation began to dawn on me: maybe my body was craving sugar because it needed it.
Blasphemy! I couldn’t speak of this idea to anyone. It was nutritional heresy.
I did more research, I experimented with purposefully adding sugar to my diet. I educated myself on some basic biological functions. At first it was difficult to acknowledge, much less actually believe. But all the while I was coming to the realization that my ideas about sugar were–if I dare admit it–wrong.
Sugar Myths: “Sugar Makes You Fat!”
Whole Health Source blogger Stephan Guyenet put together a fascinating post about whether or not science really points to sugar inherently being fattening. It turns out, sugar itself isn’t a determining factor in weight gain and obesity. Obesity is a multi-faceted issue, to say the least, and blaming it all on sugar is not looking at the bigger picture.
Sugar Myths: “Sugar Causes Diabetes!”
The connection between sugar and diabetes seems obvious on the surface level: type II diabetes is characterized by high blood sugar, and sugar can raise blood sugar levels. But high blood sugar issues are more likely to be a result of high stress hormones, which impair the body’s natural ability to regulate insulin and blood sugar. High blood sugar is more of a symptom than a cause.
Sugar Myths: “Sugar Causes Adrenal Stress!”
In fact, just the opposite happens. Chronic low blood sugar promotes high stress hormones (like adrenaline and cortisol). What combats this effect? That’s right. Sugar! Pair it with a little protein and you’ve got yourself an anti-stress snack. That’s why some fruit and cheese or hot cocoa may be the perfect antidote to your insomnia at bedtime.
Stress hormones are also required when you force your body to burn fat or protein as fuel. Giving your body a more efficient fuel source (like sugar), keeps those hormones in check.
Sugar in Context
Obviously, this post barely even scratches the surface when it comes to sugar. Each of the issues I’ve touched on could easily be expanded into multiple posts. Plus there are other issues to consider, like:
- What types of sugar are best (fruit vs. juice vs. honey vs. table sugar)?
- Does diet and lifestyle affect how we handle sugar?
- Are other ingredients in sweets (like sodas, cakes, candies, etc) to blame rather than just the sugar?
These questions are definitely worth asking.
I know by now I’ve inspired oodles of hate mail just from daring to question sugar’s bad reputation. Believe me, the last thing I want to do is stir up more controversy–I’ve been on the fence about posting this for a couple years now.
In the end, I hope to inspire curiosity and a healthy level of questioning rather than hate and confusion. I want to break down the walls of dogmatic thinking, not build another layer of them.
Want to Learn More About Sugar?
I don’t pretend to be an expert in nutritional biology. If you want to learn more, I highly recommend checking out some of these blog posts by those far more versed in this field than myself:
- Fructose to the Rescue and The Benefits of Fructose by Cliff McCrary
- Blood Sugar by Rob Turner
MORE ARTICLES ON HEALTHY FOOD:
- How much protein do you really need every day?
- The Health Benefits of Magnesium and a List of Foods High in Magnesium
- Why I Eat Raw Egg Yolks Everyday
- Craving Peanut Butter? Learn The Root Cause
- 10 Foods That Affect the Thyroid for Better or Worse
- 10 Reasons Why I Love Butter
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You rule, Elizabeth! Thanks, I’ve been waiting for someone to write a post like this.
I notice I sleep better when I eat dessert.
I hope you have time to blog more often — I love what you write.
I thought you might enjoy this one, Ann Marie. 🙂
I hope to be doing more blogging over the summer, but, yes, life is busy!
I too am so glad to read this post, Elizabeth! Thank YOU!
Elizabeth – I am SO hoping this blog post is a sign of things to come from you! I am a long-time WAPer who is still sick and only recently discovered Ray Peats work. I follow the Ray Peat fan group on FB and seem most interested when you post, because I can relate to your WAP background. Hope that makes sense, LOL. It has taken me several months to really wrap my mind around this sugar thing, and I’m still so hesitant (which indicates just how indoctrinated into the “sugar is evil” dogma). I’m working on it though. I’m just desperately in need of someone to make sense of Peat’s work in layman’s terms. I know his work is generally difficult for even science-minded folks to assimilate, so biology noobs like me feel pretty lost. Don’t let hate mail discourage you from writing more! There are those of us who benefit tremendously from this type of educational post!
Thanks for the encouragement, Jocelyn! It took me a long time to even consider sugar being an acceptable (even optimal) part of a healthy diet. It’s hard to come around to an idea in opposition to what most people believe.
I don’t know if this post will turn into an ongoing series, but it’s a possibility I’m considering for the future. Ray Peat’s work is definitely something I admire and refer to often in my own life.
Jocelyn, look up some of Dr. Lita Lee’s podcasts and her website. She is a Ray peat disciple who translates him “into English.”lol
Very interesting. I have blood sugar problems, which seem to be exacerbated by eating sugar. More specifically, I have a tendency to have low blood sugar, and to have my blood sugar shoot too high when I do eat sugar. I manage this by not skipping meals, and watching my sugar consumption while eating plenty of protein and fat. I haven’t found a more effective way to maintain normal blood sugar than this.
That being said, I’m neither deliberately low-carb nor entirely anti-sweet. I just try to temper the sweets I eat. Dark chocolate or fruit with whipped cream have no discernible effect on my blood sugar.
I do feel that the anti-sugar camp is too simplistic. My suspicion is that symptoms we blame on sugar might be better attributed to ingredients commonly paired with sugar, like gluten and vegetable oil (baked goods), artificial additives (candy and soda), or caffeine (coffee drinks). And I don’t believe that an occasional dessert, even one that is grain-based, is comparable to drinking several cans of Coke every day.
I had problems with low blood sugar for years, but most of that has subsided during the last couple years or so. Eating balanced meals throughout the day as needed is probably the best key for balancing blood sugar (it also lowers stress hormones as well). I definitely do best eating this way. I always pair sugar or other carbs with some fat and protein to keep me satisfied and balanced.
Next you’ll be telling us that soy is a super food!
I kid!
It seems that once someone finally realizes that the USDA food pyramid is wrong they then have to figure out what the healthiest way to eat is… and nutritional advice is a dime a dozen these days. I’ve experienced my own evolution starting with low-carb. After reading Gary Taubes I tried the Atkins diet. I lost about 35lbs and then plateaued. I then tried adding in more fruit and starches in the WAPF style and have pretty easily been able to maintain my weight loss but haven’t figured out how to get any extra pounds to come off.
Increasing my carb intake while maintaining a steady weight (within a 3lb range for many months) has led me to believe that it isn’t carbohydrates that are the culprit behind obesity. My biggest suspects are simply refined foods. The worst offender is refined vegetable oil with refined sugar and refined flour in a distant, but not insignificant, second.
I’ve been using a good amount of raw honey as my sweetener of choice and rather enjoy being able to indulge in it.
Anyhow I agree that we should be questioning our assumptions and experimenting on ourselves to find what works best for us.
I totally agree about refined foods and vegetable oils. Modern food is just loaded with chemical additives and over-processed ingredients that can really do a number on the body. When people put all the blame on sugar, then other potential problems get swept under the rug.
I swear to god, once I started adding sugar back to my “5 year very low-sugar” diet, i stopped getting sick.
I’ve heard similar stories from others. This may be due to sugar decreasing stress hormones and/or increasing metabolic (thyroid) function.
I love this! I totally agree & have felt that way for years. Thank you so much for speaking up and not just getting carried away in all the anti-isms!
Thanks, Amy! “Anti-isms” — I like that. Definitely hard not to get carried away with those these days.
Very interesting, thank you!
Elizabeth, great article. The strongest argument I have heard to avoid processed sugar is that the total lack of nutritional content requires the body to pull nutrients from other food sources or reserves to actually break down and process sugar. So the vitmain C from the orange you ate is utilized by the body but not the way you intended. Sugar effectively negates beneficial nutrients.
Worth also mentioning agave nectar and honey are no better. It is a shame Paleo and Vegan recipes pour on the agave, because it is unprocessed.
I came across an interesting article about Intermittent Fasting, where the author avoided sugar until he couldn’t take it anymore, going on high sugar/high fat binges without being able to control himself. Essentially avoiding sugar for two weeks and his body and mind went nuts. Adding some small amount of sugar each day is ultimately better than depriving and gorging.
Sugar probably increases the body’s need for certain nutrients because it increases metabolic function. An increased metabolism calls for increased nutrition. So in the context of a nutrient-dense diet, sugar is less harmful than most would think.
Great story. I know the fastest way to trigger a massive sugar binge for me is to–of course–religiously restrict sugar! If I include sugar as part of my everyday diet (mostly in the form of fruit, juice, honey and some table sugar), then I don’t have uncontrollable cravings for it anymore.
Sam, I used to make the same argument about sugar needing other nutrients to help digest itself. Since I studied physiology at a deep level, I started to question this concept. Here are the questions I asked myself: Why would the body need to “process” sugar any differently from other sources of glucose? What does processing even mean – digesting/assimilating/metabolising?? The body doesn’t require other nutrients in order to digest or to “process” sugar: the body loves to digest glucose-fructose, which is essentially what sucrose/table sugar is. Sugar is so easy to digest that it is used in parenteral nutrition (IV or tube-feeding) in the very ill so they can get glucose and live – if it’s so easy and strips the body of other nutrients, then why not use a different source of glucose? How would sugar “pull” (how?) nutrients from other sources (from where – endogenous/exogenous?) when the Krebs’ cycle only uses glucose for fuel?
That was enough to convince me (plus some good physiology and endocrinology texts and a huge round-house kick of personal experience in using sugar) that sugar is essential to the body. All of those arguments against its use fell apart when I learned how the body really works. I would agree that fruits have more nutrition in them than table sugar, but that doesn’t mean table sugar is automatically bad for us. Sugar, we could say, is one pure source of nutrition: glucose-fructose. If our bodies need glucose-fructose, than isn’t sugar one of the best sources of that?
Deprivation causes gorging because the body is desperate for its number 1 fuel source – glucose (and fructose which eventually gets converted to glucose). If you deprived a person of water in the desert – they’d want to gorge on water when they finally had a taste of it, so it’s no wonder that guy who tried intermittent fasting went bonkers – no sugar for the brain, and plenty of stress hormones!
PS: What would be a “small” amount of sugar every day? I’m generally not a fan of arbitrary suggestions like that because what would small be? And why does it have to be a small amount? Maybe some people require more or less than their peers? Not trying to be rude or single you out at all; just asking because I’m sure many people would agree with you.
Great post! Simple rule – eat sugar like your great grandparents ate it. A few cookies, some fruit, or some grass fed ice cream once a week won’t kill you and might even make you healthier (-:
Good rule of thumb. Even Weston Price’s food recommendations included oatmeal sweetened to taste, etc. He just knew that important nutrients needed to be in the diet as well.
There is definitely truth in this. I’m a huge believer that if God created it, it serves a purpose. Honey, fruits, etc. – all His work. Can we overdo it? Sure. But to restrict ourselves from these delicious creations doesn’t add up to me.
I always wondered why would it be called the land of milk and honey if dairy is toxic and sugar is poison, you know? It wouldn’t be a very effective metaphor in that case. 😉
Well done! I believe each individual is different, metabolizes differently etc. so in my nutritional counseling, one size does not fit all. The research by Dr. Russel Blaylock and Dr. Amen indicate sugar as a neurotoxin and highly addictive. It’s best to monitor just how much we are getting in our daily diets.
Susan
When the research on sugar is viewed collectively–and when you consider the basic biological functions in the body–then I don’t believe sugar can truly be labeled a neurotoxin. Sugar comes in many forms (fruit, honey, table sugar), and if not ingested directly, the body insists on getting some by breaking starches and even protein down into sugar. I am not sure it is logical to assume the body is actively trying to poison itself.
Great post as always! I tend to really crave sweets when I try to cut back too. Then I start to listen to my body 🙂 All things in moderation. I try to find a good balance.
Listening to your body is definitely a great way to gain some insight into what it needs. That’s always worked best for me.
I, too, have been re-thinking my hardcore sugar restrictions. We’ve strictly limited it for years, but I have found it really helpful to eat more sweets on the path to adrenal recovery, especially since we’re still eating mostly GAPS and easily digestible carbs can be hard to come by. Bring on the homemade ice cream and cookies, and my energy and moods are getting better. And I’ve been wondering why I am so strict on my daughter’s sweets consumption at the same time as I’m wondering why she gains weight so slowly. Maybe we all need more sugar and should listen to our bodies when they ask for the sweet stuff.
Strangely, after eating low-sugar for years, I had zero sugar cravings (or really zero cravings period). But listening closely to my body when I select my next meal does often lead to some sweets now, even though I still don’t have any hard cravings. It’s almost like we can turn off our bodies’ intuition by overthinking what we eat and worrying too much about what we “should” eat rather than what our body wants at the moment.
I agree, Sarah. I definitely think we lose our natural ability to eat intuitively when we ignore what our body is saying for years on end. This is probably one of the most common problems in our society today. Pretty much every way of eating promotes ignoring your body in some way (“You’re not really craving meat–you just need more vegetables!” or “You’re craving fruit but what you really need is more fat!” etc.). Ultimately we are going to do best (mentally and physically) eating foods that leave us satisfied as well as nourished.
Hi. I just want to be clear. You do mean “unprocessed” sugar, or you are advocating the nutrition less white stuff as well? We don’t do sugar in our house, but we do have desserts made with honey, dates, or fruit juice. For my teas, I use stevia. I have also used coconut sugar for baking. Any suggestions/info would be great. Personally, I lost tons of weight and feel much better after eliminating sugar. I have Candida, so I was advised to only do up to two teaspoons of honey a day and one serving of non sugary fruit. I am Growing and trying to be healthy everyday. Why is it so confusing!!
On a nutritional level, I do prefer sugar from sources like fruit, fruit juice and honey. They simply contain a better nutrient profile than white sugar.
However, if you’re only looking at how the sugar is broken down and used in the body, there is no significant difference between sugar from fruit and sugar from table sugar (for the most part; individuals may notice a difference in how their bodies handle specific types of sugar).
On that note, it would be better to eat more fruit/fruit juice/honey than table sugar for the sake of better nutrition, but if your diet is fairly nutrient-dense, then some white sugar is not a deal breaker health-wise.
You (and anyone else who may have candida questions) might be interested in reading another take on candida and yeast here: http://eastwesthealing.com/candida-overgrowth-myths-vs-facts/
This is such a great post! I am new to your blog and I am so excited to have found it!
Welcome, Alicia, so glad you’re enjoying the blog!
Wow wow wow. After being on the emotional roller coaster of being disappointed in myself after detoxing from sugar, then sadly returning – i thank you. Sugar is absolutely demonized and though I kicked the habit, I eventually returned. The mood swings over the summer were ridiculous – anything and everything set me of edge. I’ve returned to baking our cakes, cookies, and desserts and feel so much better. Thank you for blessing my heart this morning.
So glad you enjoyed this post! When we demonize foods it does lead to even more unhealthy patterns–like the emotional roller coaster you describe. The cycle of restricting, craving, overindulging, hating yourself and then restricting all over again is an incredible unhealthy and causes a lot of unnecessary stress.
Hi, I think you should be careful when dispelling these suggestions as “myths”. To make such a claim you need scientific evidence that proves it.
I think the key point should be that excessive simple sugar consumption can lead to insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety, fatigue and obesity. By consuming complex carbohydrate which is a long chain of glucose (sugar) molecules, your body is receiving the glucose it needs for energy without the drastic insulin spike seen when consuming simple sugars. Eating fruits with sugar is fine as it also has fibre and nutrients the body requires, plus there is only so much fruit you can eat due to the bulk from the fibre. Drinking fruit is not great as you consume much more sugar with little fibre. It is much easier to drink 5 apples than eat 5 apples.
It is also important to remember that good fats and protein leaves you fuller for longer, therefore consuming less calories. Foods that induce a fast spike in your insulin levels (simple sugars) will leave you hungry an hour later as your blood sugar crashes.
Eat complex carbohydrates, fruits in their original form and vegetables and you receive all the glucose your body requires.
Avoid simple sugar with no nutritive value found in cookies, cakes, ice creams and just about any processed food, as these will contribute to chronic health conditions plaguing society today and it is not natural to consume processed sugar.
A hot cocoa at night with sugar is not what is helping you sleep, its the calcium and magnesium.
I think this blog is way to simple to make such bold statements such as “myths”.
Thanks for your comment, Celia. I think most of my readers have heard advice like yours before, in one form or another. If that advice works for you, then that’s awesome. I believe in listening to your body and doing what works for you.
But for myself and many of my readers, it didn’t work, and not for lack of trying. This post expresses an alternative view for everyone wondering why.
You said, “A hot cocoa at night with sugar is not what is helping you sleep, its the calcium and magnesium.”
I’ll have to disagree. The same cocoa sweetened with stevia does not put me to sleep. A low-carb, low-sugar diet does not help me sleep. In fact, my sleep gets progressively worse on such a diet.
And you’re right. This blog is simple. I believe it’s healthy to keep things simple. So I take that as a compliment. 🙂
Provocative, indeed! Sugar, specifically glucose, isn’t the only fuel for the body and brain. Fats and ketones work just fine, once you become fat-adapted or keto-adapted. The human body is marvelously adaptable and humans have survived on a wide variety of diets, obviously. But being fat-adapted has many advantages: You aren’t a slave to eating every two hours. Sugar is lovely but, for me, highly addictive and it also kickstarts chronic candidiasis for me. If that weren’t an issue (and canker sores in my mouth, weight gain and blood sugar swings, etc etc), I’d welcome the excuse to dive into a sugar bowl. I’m not 100% sugar-free, I think that’s a difficult standard to maintain, but I limit my intake to a tiny bit of maple syrup, coconut sugar, etc, but always have to keep an eye on it.
I’m not an ardent “low-carber,” but I do think that timing of carbohydrate consumption can make a big difference. I tend to eat carbs at night for better sleep, rather than during the day, which tends to drive cravings for more — at least for me. Your mileage may vary. And, I don’t always eat breakfast anymore — talk about questioning nutritional dogma! Sometimes I have coffee or decaf following the Bulletproof Coffee recipe: with an ounce or more of unsalted Kerrygold butter, a tablespoon or so of MCT oil or coconut oil, perhaps a splash of cream. The fat and lack of sugar, and especially the use of MCT oil, makes it easier for the body to make ketones even in the presence of carbohydrates, and that fuels the brain and body for hours. I don’t do this daily, but maybe a couple of times a week when I’m just not hungry in the morning.
You’re right about ketones as an alternative energy source. My concern is the hormonal cascade required to produce ketones. It requires stress hormones (which in chronic doses can cause metabolic imbalances) and is not a particularly efficient way to produce energy compared to glucose. The body stores glucose as glycogen as a longer-term easy to access energy stores (meaning it’s not always necessary to refuel on sugar/starch every couple of hours).
However, having said that, I do believe in doing what works for you! High quality butter and coconut oil, as you mention, are excellent fats and provide definite metabolic advantages. For me personally, I had problems with low blood sugar even when I was on a high-fat, low-carb diet, and I still had to eat every two hours to avoid crashing. I still eat high quality fats, but I have to balance them with carbohydrates in order to stay balanced and healthy.
In any case, we all have different bodies, lifestyles and backgrounds, which is why what works for one person doesn’t always work for the next. Or sometimes what works for someone during one stage of their life doesn’t work as well at another time. Always a good idea to listen to your body and go from there!
Hi!
I bought your metabolism book and have read it. I appreciate your calm, mature way of wording compared to some others. 😉
It’s been a couple of years since you wrote this post. Have you changed your opinion since then? I’m feeling a little lost this week as I try to figure out where to go from here. I’ve done Atkins (lost and regained the weight) had gestational diabetes with my last pregnancy, try to implement WAPF principles using my Nourishing Traditions book, just finished GAPS and now am so confused as I read your book and know that my metabolism is way out of whack and I may just be well on my way to creating eating disorders in my kids – my oldest went to a friend’s house yesterday for supper and was so proud of himself that he had only eaten a couple chicken nuggets and a little bit of ketchup cause the nuggets were breaded-he’s twelve. I’m so proud that he is concerned enough to remember what I’ve taught him when I’m not with him, but have I taught him the right things? He’s not even overweight by any definition so he should be able to eat whatever on the rare occasions he goes out and yet he’s not.
Ugh. I think I might be over-analysing, but am I? Sorry for the novel 🙂 My question again is whether your opinion of what you wrote in this post is still the same as it was two years ago?
Blessings, Lisa-V in BC
Lisa, thanks for your comment. Yes, my opinions are still the same as when this post was written. I think the degree to which someone should eat sugar greatly depends on their own body (and even their own preferences–some people tend to prefer sweet foods while others don’t). Sugar, of course, meaning any source of dietary sugar like fruit, honey, maple syrup, coconut sugar, or even cane sugar. Some people feel better on more starchy foods, others feel better when their carbs come from natural sugars. I think the main focus should be that your general diet is nutritious and balanced–then having some sugar is no big deal.
thanks for reply Elizabeth!
I have noticed huge improvement in my mood first and foremost since adding back carb (and we’re mostly eating muffins and cookies with white flour, butter or coconut oil and all the sugar called for in the recipes) but my skin is also smoothing out and becoming softer and moister – even my heels which have been dry and cracked for as long as I can remember!! I also think my hair is softer and I think there is less of it coming out when I run my fingers through it as well – hoping that it’ll stop being so brittle and that the gray hairs will become dark again – ha, wishful thinking maybe 🙂 But I’ve also noticed that my “chin hairs” are softer and I’ve not had to pluck out stray, dark, thick ones every day for the last three days – I’m really hoping that is a sign that my hormones are evening out – Oh, I was dreading having to shave a beard 🙁 This is still only the 2nd week that I’ve been tracking my temperature and trying to sleep better, but each day my waking temp also seems to be moving higher.
I’m a believer 🙂 And everybody in our house is much happier 😀
Blessings!
Lisa V in BC
Wow, that’s awesome, Lisa! Keep us updated! 😀
I just love your post. My husband drinks at least a six pack of Coke everyday and I want my children to learn there’s nothing wrong with sugar and carb loading, especially since we’re both fit and have no health issues. Those obese and diabetic people are just sick because they have high protein diets. They just don’t understand that our bodies need high carb diets in order to function well. I always base my decisions on what dieticians and nutritionists tell me. Since the food pyramid pushes grains, I cook white rice at least once per week. We love our carbs, it’s the only way to have good health. My sister Keila would agree, this is how we grew up.