Sugar Busters Based on Broken Science
Sugar Busters Based On Broken ScienceA CEO and 3 MD?s have come up with the latest version of the ?high carbohydrate diets are bad for you? claims. They are most concerned about sugar, which they claim is toxic (p. 3) but all high carbohydrate foods with a high glycemic index are also claimed to be bad for you. The authors appear to be oblivious to the role of calorie density and fiber in influencing satiety and ad libitum calorie intake. Sugar Busters claims that if you scooped out a baked potato and filled the skin with sugar it would be exactly the same (p. 121). In fact, sugar has 1725 calories per pound while the potato you scooped out has about 450 calories per pound. What makes a baked potato fattening are mainly the calorie dense toppings like butter and sour cream.This book is so full of factual errors it is hard to select a few to illustrate how little the authors know about nutrition and weight control. On p. 87 they claim most sugars or carbohydrates are converted to fat when consumed. Wrong! Most are burned for energy or stored as glycogen. In fact, one must overeat high carbohydrate foods for several days before there is any significant conversion of CHO to fat [Acheson KJ et al Metabolism 1982;31:1234-40]. Much of what they say is self contradictory or confusing. For example, the authors state on p. 130, that it is not necessary to count calories but portion size is very important and do not go back for seconds or thirds. They also tell you to eat nothing after 8PM (p. 131). Now if they could just explain the difference between eating less food and eating fewer calories? On p. 3, the authors state that ?refined sugar in any significant quantity is toxic to human bodies...? and ?fructose will normally not hurt you...? In fact, fructose has been shown to elevate LDL-cholesterol [Swanson JE et al Am J Clin Nutr 1992;55:851-6].So why have some people lost weight on this diet? Well, anyone who follows the author?s advice when he or she goes out to eat will have to eliminate the white bread (and also the butter and olive oil) and not eat the potato, rice or corn that come with your entr?e and also trim the saturated fat from your entr?e and then skip the desserts because all of them have too much ?toxic? sugar. And don?t forget ?no seconds or thirds.? Hum, now that wouldn?t result in reduced calorie intake, would it?By Dr. James J. Kenney, PhD, RD, FACN.
