I am always so amused by the “I don’t eat sugar” crowd who also don’t understand what a carbohydrate is, or that sorghum, agave, maple syrup and honey are all primarily… sugar. Like, just because you paid 12x as much for it it makes it ‘healthy’.
Also nothing you say about fig pollination will EVER turn me off the most delicious fruits my Italian soul needs. My newest acquisition for my garden is some traditional fig trees and a very edible indigenous Australian sandpaper fig.
It’s not exclusively Italian but in Australia you can always tell if an Italian (or Greek) family lived in a house at some point since World War Two because there was always a fig and olive tree out on the verge or front yard. My family were exception with a seemingly genetic black thumb from my nonno.
Does she know that sugar beets were the primary source of sugar before reliable sea trade routes to the tropics made cane sugar cheaper?
My bisnonno made a living at 12 after his father was killed in the war selling sugar door to door. It sold for more per ounce than gold because Germany cut off supplies of beet sugar to its opponents.
I shared some of this information with my daughter (who you are helping me save, even if you don't know it!!). She is lactose intolerant and was interested in the way her body works (or perhaps doesn't work!) when tasked with handling that disaccharide.
She asked me where I got the info and I told her that it was an essay from a blog called "Everything is Biology" -- to which she sanctimoniously responded "well that's right. Everything IS biology!!" She is knocking on the door of good common sense and sound science every day. I wish I could share your sex/gender essays with her, but I'll continue to bide my time on that for a bit.
This makes me think Mary Poppins was on to something - perhaps this spoonful of sugar WILL make the medicine go down eventually.
Well, it's quite a humbling privilege to be of some help, however small. If there's ever anything I can do or say, please let me know. I'm glad that she's knocking on the door of common sense and biology… Not everybody knocks. Some don't even stop if you open the door and beckon them in. It's never been easy being a parent. Nowadays, it seems like it's next to impossible.
Regarding the lactose intolerance, the enzyme that digests lactose is lactase, as I said. For many people, the gene that's the "recipe" for your cells to make lactase stops working when you get older. That's the root of lactose intolerance. Of course, there are individual differences, and differences between genetic/ethnic populations.
Good luck with everything… I wish you the very best! Sincerely, Frederick
My own health nut story: I was at some nice lefty place with nice lefty people. One woman was waxing on about allergens. She asked me what my allergies were and I told her, "I don't have any that I know of." She said I should get tested. "I have been," I said. She told me to get tested again, because I may have some allergies that I don't know about!
In other words, keep looking for something even if you're feeling fine.
I have an aunt who died at age 104, in fine physical shape, with a sharp albeit rather rigid mind. Every day she ate two eggs for breakfast and several times a week had a grilled cheese at the local diner. Didn't eat much outside of that; weight normal. Her cholesterol level was nearly 300. If she had had a cholesterol level of 200, she might have lived to 108.
Frederick, if you ever come to my neck of the woods (Puget Sound) for a conference or vacation, maybe we can meet for coffee...and pie! Would love to share my apple pie with you. A glorious result of chemistry, primitive technology (knives, cups, rolling pin) advanced technology (food processor, electric oven), the apples for which my state is famous, and of course beautiful, beautiful SUGAR!
Interesting, isn't it? I originally learned this from a botany professor who said she had her students dissect Fig Newtons (the cookies) looking for wasps. It's a strange and wonderful world out there… Full of surprises!
As I read, I felt so bad for this woman. She is clearly obsessed and probably has an eating disorder if she is talking about it to a complete stranger at a party. A grown woman, not a teen.
Well, she is a proselytizer. Nice person, but really immersed in the nutrition cult. She inspired this essay because much of what she said — and you read online — isn't accurate. For instance, most people that I've talked to don't know that a carbohydrate is simply a string of sugars, or that sodium is arguably the most important ion that you have in your body, and so on, ad infinitum. I'm really a proponent of healthy diets but they work out better if you understand some of the basics.
i teach yoga and so many people i know are restricting their diets in all sorts of ways. i don't. no one ever asks me because they probably presume i do. and also presume my interest in their dietary machinations. but really, i just like food and my body. liking both seems to keep things in shape for me. it's not rocket science.
Yes, I agree with that. A simple, healthy, well-balanced diet is the best biologically and calorically. The fads keep coming and going but the biology stays the same.
The problem is less what you eat, more what you absorb. Monosaccharides are absorbed passively--if you eat them, they're going into your bloodstream. The game, then, is figuring out how to stop the non-absorbable polysaccharides, of which sucrose is arguably the simplest, from crossing the gut wall and ending up in the bloodstream.
A few years ago, my A1c was high enough that my internist, with surprisingly little bedside manner, told me I was diabetic. Moi? No way. Well, your A1c says you are. After a cardiologist told me that there was strong, new statistical evidence inversely correlating average circulating glucose levels with longevity, I went to see someone about the issue. But by then, I had already reasoned out that if I could block the hydrolysis of polysaccharides into monosaccharides, I would be pretty much home free.
Turns out there are two FDA-approved drugs on the market. Apparently they're pretty much unknown because 1) they're pricey and 2) internists generally prefer that you live a Spartan life rather than give you options. Being an MD myself and a chemist before that, I decided to get my hands on some miglitol (aka "Glyset"--I think that's how it's spelled). Works like a charm. As long as I steer away from glucose and fructose, I'm golden. A1c immediately came down into normal range despite potatoes, rice, pasta, even table sugar in satisfying quantities.
An interesting solution. You are correct, miglitol inhibits glycoside hydrolase enzymes and the GLUT transporters can't move polysaccharides across the intestinal brush border… I'm glad that's working out for you! Enjoy your pasta!
I have to speak up as a vegan who enjoyed the article. We don't all believe that there's one weird trick (in this case not eating refined sugar) to keep us healthy. I was joined a vegan group when living as an expat in the UK, and the fascinating thing about it is that it really did look like a cross section of society--every body type, socio economic level, different personalities were represented.
I'm glad you're speaking up for vegans! I certainly in no way wanted to disparage that lifestyle. My only point was that misunderstandings of biology interfere with our ability to make reasonable choices. Eating a healthy diet is a good thing… It's just easier to do that if you have some idea about the underlying biology. Interestingly, as I said, a lot of my friends are adamantly against eating sugar but none of them knew that carbohydrates are actually strings of sugar, or that sugar is essential to our metabolism. Had the person I met been an avid carnivore who refused eat sugar, the essay would have been the same! Thanks so much for your comment... I appreciated it!
"That’s why we’re so healthy,” she continued. “Everyone else we know is taking all sorts of medications. We’re not… and our blood pressure is normal!”"
Oh my goodness, this was so funny and so spot on. Thank you so much for this link.... I think I've actually been at that dinner party. I'll be watching this over and over again. Yes, this wonderful, beautiful, mysterious, delightful world is enough… Even more than enough! Thanks again
I see no need for embarrassment! When one gets on a soapbox -- which I've been known to do! -- one has to be conscious of one's listener(s). Her vegan diet is apparently not making her sensitive to others.
It's kind of funny. I subscribe to Mickey Z's substack and he and commenters talked about how self-righteous they were when they were vegan (one woman said she's embarrassed now). Then a vegan appeared and wanted to argue with me about how animals are responsible for climate change, a trope I do not buy (and to be clear I am 100 percent opposed to CAFOs).
I am always so amused by the “I don’t eat sugar” crowd who also don’t understand what a carbohydrate is, or that sorghum, agave, maple syrup and honey are all primarily… sugar. Like, just because you paid 12x as much for it it makes it ‘healthy’.
Also nothing you say about fig pollination will EVER turn me off the most delicious fruits my Italian soul needs. My newest acquisition for my garden is some traditional fig trees and a very edible indigenous Australian sandpaper fig.
Yeah, I like figs, too.... Is it really an Italian thing? (I'm Italian, too.) I'll look for those Australian sandpaper figs.... ENJOY!
It’s not exclusively Italian but in Australia you can always tell if an Italian (or Greek) family lived in a house at some point since World War Two because there was always a fig and olive tree out on the verge or front yard. My family were exception with a seemingly genetic black thumb from my nonno.
Would it be considered passive-aggressive of me to send this to my mother-in-law regarding her ‘sugar free’ chocolate beetroot cake? 🙈
Does she know that sugar beets were the primary source of sugar before reliable sea trade routes to the tropics made cane sugar cheaper?
My bisnonno made a living at 12 after his father was killed in the war selling sugar door to door. It sold for more per ounce than gold because Germany cut off supplies of beet sugar to its opponents.
LOL. Probably... And consider the family dynamic repercussions! Sometimes, discretion is the better part of valor. Good luck with your decision!
I shared some of this information with my daughter (who you are helping me save, even if you don't know it!!). She is lactose intolerant and was interested in the way her body works (or perhaps doesn't work!) when tasked with handling that disaccharide.
She asked me where I got the info and I told her that it was an essay from a blog called "Everything is Biology" -- to which she sanctimoniously responded "well that's right. Everything IS biology!!" She is knocking on the door of good common sense and sound science every day. I wish I could share your sex/gender essays with her, but I'll continue to bide my time on that for a bit.
This makes me think Mary Poppins was on to something - perhaps this spoonful of sugar WILL make the medicine go down eventually.
Well, it's quite a humbling privilege to be of some help, however small. If there's ever anything I can do or say, please let me know. I'm glad that she's knocking on the door of common sense and biology… Not everybody knocks. Some don't even stop if you open the door and beckon them in. It's never been easy being a parent. Nowadays, it seems like it's next to impossible.
Regarding the lactose intolerance, the enzyme that digests lactose is lactase, as I said. For many people, the gene that's the "recipe" for your cells to make lactase stops working when you get older. That's the root of lactose intolerance. Of course, there are individual differences, and differences between genetic/ethnic populations.
Good luck with everything… I wish you the very best! Sincerely, Frederick
Brilliant.
Thanx!
I'm never going to eat a fig again.
My own health nut story: I was at some nice lefty place with nice lefty people. One woman was waxing on about allergens. She asked me what my allergies were and I told her, "I don't have any that I know of." She said I should get tested. "I have been," I said. She told me to get tested again, because I may have some allergies that I don't know about!
In other words, keep looking for something even if you're feeling fine.
I have an aunt who died at age 104, in fine physical shape, with a sharp albeit rather rigid mind. Every day she ate two eggs for breakfast and several times a week had a grilled cheese at the local diner. Didn't eat much outside of that; weight normal. Her cholesterol level was nearly 300. If she had had a cholesterol level of 200, she might have lived to 108.
Great anecdote! Isn’t it strange how some people just defy all odds? Oh, and sorry about the figs.
Frederick, if you ever come to my neck of the woods (Puget Sound) for a conference or vacation, maybe we can meet for coffee...and pie! Would love to share my apple pie with you. A glorious result of chemistry, primitive technology (knives, cups, rolling pin) advanced technology (food processor, electric oven), the apples for which my state is famous, and of course beautiful, beautiful SUGAR!
How wonderful! I will absolutely take you up on your offer if I’m there! Thank you!
I'll never eat figs again!
Interesting, isn't it? I originally learned this from a botany professor who said she had her students dissect Fig Newtons (the cookies) looking for wasps. It's a strange and wonderful world out there… Full of surprises!
I love this so much.
Thanks! I'm glad you did… It was fun to write!
I have sugar powder on my keyboard.
That's funny. I got chocolate cake crumbs all over mine…
As I read, I felt so bad for this woman. She is clearly obsessed and probably has an eating disorder if she is talking about it to a complete stranger at a party. A grown woman, not a teen.
Well, she is a proselytizer. Nice person, but really immersed in the nutrition cult. She inspired this essay because much of what she said — and you read online — isn't accurate. For instance, most people that I've talked to don't know that a carbohydrate is simply a string of sugars, or that sodium is arguably the most important ion that you have in your body, and so on, ad infinitum. I'm really a proponent of healthy diets but they work out better if you understand some of the basics.
Ah! So it was more in the spirit of "Excuse me, sir. Have you heard the Good... sorry the Bad News about sugar?"
Probably your initial thoughts were more on target.
i teach yoga and so many people i know are restricting their diets in all sorts of ways. i don't. no one ever asks me because they probably presume i do. and also presume my interest in their dietary machinations. but really, i just like food and my body. liking both seems to keep things in shape for me. it's not rocket science.
Yes, I agree with that. A simple, healthy, well-balanced diet is the best biologically and calorically. The fads keep coming and going but the biology stays the same.
The problem is less what you eat, more what you absorb. Monosaccharides are absorbed passively--if you eat them, they're going into your bloodstream. The game, then, is figuring out how to stop the non-absorbable polysaccharides, of which sucrose is arguably the simplest, from crossing the gut wall and ending up in the bloodstream.
A few years ago, my A1c was high enough that my internist, with surprisingly little bedside manner, told me I was diabetic. Moi? No way. Well, your A1c says you are. After a cardiologist told me that there was strong, new statistical evidence inversely correlating average circulating glucose levels with longevity, I went to see someone about the issue. But by then, I had already reasoned out that if I could block the hydrolysis of polysaccharides into monosaccharides, I would be pretty much home free.
Turns out there are two FDA-approved drugs on the market. Apparently they're pretty much unknown because 1) they're pricey and 2) internists generally prefer that you live a Spartan life rather than give you options. Being an MD myself and a chemist before that, I decided to get my hands on some miglitol (aka "Glyset"--I think that's how it's spelled). Works like a charm. As long as I steer away from glucose and fructose, I'm golden. A1c immediately came down into normal range despite potatoes, rice, pasta, even table sugar in satisfying quantities.
An interesting solution. You are correct, miglitol inhibits glycoside hydrolase enzymes and the GLUT transporters can't move polysaccharides across the intestinal brush border… I'm glad that's working out for you! Enjoy your pasta!
I have to speak up as a vegan who enjoyed the article. We don't all believe that there's one weird trick (in this case not eating refined sugar) to keep us healthy. I was joined a vegan group when living as an expat in the UK, and the fascinating thing about it is that it really did look like a cross section of society--every body type, socio economic level, different personalities were represented.
I'm glad you're speaking up for vegans! I certainly in no way wanted to disparage that lifestyle. My only point was that misunderstandings of biology interfere with our ability to make reasonable choices. Eating a healthy diet is a good thing… It's just easier to do that if you have some idea about the underlying biology. Interestingly, as I said, a lot of my friends are adamantly against eating sugar but none of them knew that carbohydrates are actually strings of sugar, or that sugar is essential to our metabolism. Had the person I met been an avid carnivore who refused eat sugar, the essay would have been the same! Thanks so much for your comment... I appreciated it!
"That’s why we’re so healthy,” she continued. “Everyone else we know is taking all sorts of medications. We’re not… and our blood pressure is normal!”"
Not her husband's I bet!
Probably not… But who knows. I talked to him later on in the party. There was some surreptitious eating going on.
Tim Minchin's Storm the Animated Movie
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HhGuXCuDb1U
Oh my goodness, this was so funny and so spot on. Thank you so much for this link.... I think I've actually been at that dinner party. I'll be watching this over and over again. Yes, this wonderful, beautiful, mysterious, delightful world is enough… Even more than enough! Thanks again
Wow. I loved it!
I particularly like the drifting in and out of the sermon the vegan was expounding!
Yes, I'm a bit embarrassed, but I just couldn't stay focused.
I see no need for embarrassment! When one gets on a soapbox -- which I've been known to do! -- one has to be conscious of one's listener(s). Her vegan diet is apparently not making her sensitive to others.
True…
It's kind of funny. I subscribe to Mickey Z's substack and he and commenters talked about how self-righteous they were when they were vegan (one woman said she's embarrassed now). Then a vegan appeared and wanted to argue with me about how animals are responsible for climate change, a trope I do not buy (and to be clear I am 100 percent opposed to CAFOs).
Agree!