Glucose Goddess Show: Understanding Sugars and Sweeteners

Jul 18, 2024

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Glucose Goddess Show Lecture Notes

Introduction to Sugar and Sweeteners

  • Host: Jesse Inasp, French biochemist
  • Topics:
    • Misunderstanding of sugars
    • Trickery by food companies
    • Comparison of sugar and sweeteners

Olivia's Story

  • Background:
    • Struggled with acne, exhaustion, and focus
    • Breakfast: hot chocolate, toast, jam
  • Advice: Switch to fruit smoothies (mangoes, apples, bananas, kiwis)
  • Outcome: Felt worse (worse skin, more exhaustion, inability to focus)
  • Solution: Switch to savory breakfast with protein
  • Lesson: Sugar from fruit smoothies is not better than sugar from chocolate/jams

Understanding Sugar

  • Key Point: Sugar is sugar, regardless of the source
  • Sugar Molecules: Sucrose in fruit is the same as in processed sugars
  • Impact on Body: All sugars processed the same way in the body
  • Example: Fruit smoothie can cause larger glucose spikes than previous breakfast

Effects of Whole Fruits vs. Processed Fruits

  • Whole Fruits:
    • Contain fiber which slows sugar absorption
    • Better for controlling glucose spikes
  • Processed Fruits (Smoothies/Juices):
    • Lack fiber
    • Sugar absorbed faster, leading to higher glucose spikes

Different Forms of Sugar

  • Examples: Brown sugar, molasses, maple syrup, agave syrup
  • Fact: All these sugars have the same molecular makeup
  • Special Mention:
    • Agave syrup has higher fructose, which is worse
    • Commercial honey often just liquid sugar
    • Raw honey: still same sugar molecules

Honey and Antioxidants

  • Myth: Honey thought to be healthy due to antioxidants
  • Reality: Better sources of antioxidants are fruits and vegetables

Marketing Tricks to Watch For

  • Misleading Labels: 100% natural, no sugar added
  • Ingredients to Look Out For:
    • Fruit juice concentrate, glucose syrup, high fructose corn syrup, etc.

Sweeteners: Good vs. Bad

  • Bad Sweeteners to Avoid: Aspartame, maltitol, saccharin, xylitol, acesulfame K
  • Better Sweeteners: Allulose, Stevia, erythritol, monk fruit
  • Advice: Prefer diet sodas over regular sodas to avoid high sugar intake

Conclusion

  • General Advice: All sugars are the same, use the one you like best
  • Resources: Hacks to reduce glucose impact; list of different sugar names

Resources and Links Provided in the Description: Hacks and lists