# So what about sugar?



## AndyLT (Oct 8, 2007)

I read somewhere that eliminating sugar from the diet should ease the anxiety. But I've also read that too low levels of sugar could be the cause of anxiety.

Anyone knows more about this?


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

Anti-sugar quackery is almost as bad as anti-artificial sweetener quackery.

While excess sugar is bad, there's absolutely nothing to gain by purposely eliminating it except hypoglycaemia. Just eat a normal, healthy diet and only eat "junk" food when necessary or for pleasure, and stop worrying about sugar.

No amount of sugar will cause anxiety, not even hyperglycaemia, it will just knock you into a coma. In fact, unless you have diabetes, you will never even reach hyperglycaemic levels. The worst case is that you eat large amounts EVERY DAY and go on to develop diabetes, get fat and lose your teeth (latter can be prevented if you eat all of the sugar in one go and brush it all off straight after, though).

Processed sugar isn't "poison" despite what health food quacks want you to think. It's a given that lots of it is bad, and if you eat a proper diet there's no benefit to adding more, but there's no harm either unless you eat way too much or you already have diabetes.

Health food quacks recommend eliminating all sorts of stuff from your diet so they can replace it with overpriced supplements. Not to say supplements are bad, because I use loads of them and they're useful if you know what they actually do, but most of the profit they make is from their loyal follo^H^H^H^Hsheep who don't know why they need all the supplements they're taking, just that the big friendly hippie guy says that they should stop eating sugar, aspartame and MSG, and take loads of overpriced supplements instead.

tldr: ignore quacks.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Wont change much if your intake is limited but your staying on a high carb diet.


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## AndyLT (Oct 8, 2007)

Ghm, you really make sound sugar innocent.  What about those sayings, like: "sugar is white death"?

Dunno, there must be some truth to it.


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## HeWhoCouldNot (Nov 18, 2010)

AFAIK, sugar is a stimulant and therefore can increase anxiety if you have too much. 

I would put it on the same level as caffeine; be aware that it can cause anxiety, but in all likelihood its not going to be a problem.


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## Beggiatoa (Dec 25, 2004)

You wont get hypoglycemia by not eating sugar. Table sugar (sucrose) is not the same thing as the glucose circulating in your blood. You do not need sucrose to get glucose. Your body makes glucose from fats, carbs. and protein. Added sugar is bad all around and should be avoided. It causes diabetes, insulin resistance, inflammation and energy crashes. It will also make you more anxious.

Read this article and spend sometime in this website.

http://high-fat-nutrition.blogspot.com/2007/11/sugar-poisoning.html


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## LALoner (Dec 3, 2008)

AndyLT said:


> Ghm, you really make sound sugar innocent.  What about those sayings, like: "sugar is white death"?
> 
> Dunno, there must be some truth to it.


High blood sugar levels kill nerve cells. Thats why people with diabetes get their feet amputated so often, the nerves in the foot died and then the rest of the foot followed. But in a normal person excess sugar is quickly converted to body fat before it can harm your nerve cells. So cutting down on sugar will help you lose weight. But I don't think it will help your mood.


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## icedCoffee (Jun 14, 2009)

Personally I feel my anxiety is reduced by exercising and being on a low carb diet. When I'm eating whatever i want not only do I gain weight but it makes me more anxious, depressed and moody. I don't recommend low carb diets for everyone but for me I have felt the best physically and mentally on this particular diet. Yes cut out sugar and white bread! You could start a low carb diet and see how you feel on it. Atkins in his book talks about the link between mental health and excess carbs in the diet.



AndyLT said:


> I read somewhere that eliminating sugar from the diet should ease the anxiety. But I've also read that too low levels of sugar could be the cause of anxiety.
> 
> Anyone knows more about this?


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## Beggiatoa (Dec 25, 2004)

Low carb doesn't mean NO carbs. You can still eat all the fruits and vegetables you want. Just avoid sugar and grains.


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## proximo20 (Nov 25, 2006)

icedCoffee said:


> Personally I feel my anxiety is reduced by exercising and being on a low carb diet. When I'm eating whatever i want not only do I gain weight but it makes me more anxious, depressed and moody. I don't recommend low carb diets for everyone but for me I have felt the best physically and mentally on this particular diet. Yes cut out sugar and white bread! You could start a low carb diet and see how you feel on it. Atkins in his book talks about the link between mental health and excess carbs in the diet.


ditto


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

Linking quack sites that declare sugar to be "poison" doesn't make your argument look credible.


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## Beggiatoa (Dec 25, 2004)

Duke of Prunes said:


> Linking quack sites that declare sugar to be "poison" doesn't make your argument look credible.


I welcome you to eat all the sugar you want and please, let us all know how much your anxiety levels improve.


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## rubyruby (Jun 17, 2009)

To Duke of Prunes: There are a lot of overweight people in the world. They must be eating and drinking something to make them gain so much weight.


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

Yes, they're eating _too much_ and not doing anything to burn off the energy they've consumed. That doesn't mean sugar is "poison". Just because something is dangerous in large quantities, doesn't in any way make it a "poison".

You know what happens if you consume too much 'substance A'? Your blood becomes diluted to the point that your sodium levels per volume drop too low (hyponatraemia), which causes excess fluid to enter cells, causing oedemas and eventually death if untreated. It overwhelms your kidneys too, so even if you survive the hyponatraemia, your kidneys will suffer from the sheer volume passing through them.

Sounds pretty dangerous right? Yeah, if you drink 7-8 litres of it in an hour. It's _water_. Let's ban water guys, it's poisonous!

:roll


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## jonny neurotic (Jan 20, 2011)

> I read somewhere that eliminating sugar from the diet should ease the anxiety. But I've also read that too low levels of sugar could be the cause of anxiety.
> 
> Anyone knows more about this?


Too much sugar can have detrimental effects but how much is too much depends on various factors. Genetics, how active you are and your nutritional status. Chromium deficiency can cause insulin resistance which means that sugar levels increase too much then the body reacts by producing too much insulin and sugar levels drop too low. Your body reacts by releasing adrenalin to raise blood sugar levels. Having a sugary drink or snack as a pick me up when blood sugar levels drop will make you feel better and so becomes a habit. This only serves to exacerbate the problem.

Taking a chromium supplement should deal with insulin resistance if thats what you have. Also make sure you get enough protein as this can also help maintain sugar levels.



> Ghm, you really make sound sugar innocent. What about those sayings, like: "sugar is white death"?
> 
> Dunno, there must be some truth to it.


As for "white death"; this is based on the fact that molasses contains minerals. But the tiny amount of molasses in brown sugar is not going to make any difference to anyone.


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## Hanley (Oct 19, 2010)

AndyLT said:


> I read somewhere that eliminating sugar from the diet should ease the anxiety. But I've also read that too low levels of sugar could be the cause of anxiety.
> 
> Anyone knows more about this?


You are absolutely right we should handle all the condition we should not leave it and should not eat more just use it at a middle level.


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## Beggiatoa (Dec 25, 2004)

Obesity is not about calories, it's about insulin and those high glycemic foods that cause more of it to be released. Here's some perspective:

*Why You Got Fat
*


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## anxiousnervous (Jan 7, 2011)

AndyLT said:


> Ghm, you really make sound sugar innocent.  What about those sayings, like: "sugar is white death"?
> 
> Dunno, there must be some truth to it.


That was what Arnold said, I think what he meant was in excess, or if you're addicted to it.


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## confidencelost (Sep 3, 2010)

The ideal way to consume sugar is in small quantities in a natural, un-refined forms.

Foods high on the glycemic index, which are sugars and simple carbohydrates, should be consumed in low quantities. The most dangerous thing about these foods is that levels of CRP in the blood rise causing inflammation. Chronic inflammation is related to many chronic illnesses, especially heart disease.

The real question is how much is too much? There isn't really a good answer to the question. What you should do is eat a balanced diet. For example, in the case of CRP levels in the blood, omega 3 lowers it, and omega 6 and omega 9 aid in the anti-inflammatory effects. Not many people in the west eat balanced diets though. Oily fish, nuts, and leafy green vegetables are not exactly the food stuff of choice for the majority.

Anyway, as for the effects of sugar and simple carbs on anxiety, I have no idea. It's obviously been studied, but it's more complex and hard to measure I think. Anecdotal evidence obviously suggests that anxiety isn't related to diet in any significant way.


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## ju_pa (Sep 21, 2008)

icedCoffee said:


> Personally I feel my anxiety is reduced by exercising and being on a low carb diet. When I'm eating whatever i want not only do I gain weight but it makes me more anxious, depressed and moody. I don't recommend low carb diets for everyone but for me I have felt the best physically and mentally on this particular diet. Yes cut out sugar and white bread! You could start a low carb diet and see how you feel on it. Atkins in his book talks about the link between mental health and excess carbs in the diet.


word


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## ju_pa (Sep 21, 2008)

1) white sugar is hard on adrenals
2) sugar makes your candida worse if you have that problem
3) sugar allergy is really common but not well recognized
4) sugar makes your insulin jump high
5) sugar is tasty:blank


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## Duke of Prunes (Jul 20, 2009)

Atkins was a quack and pasta is awesome.


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## Beggiatoa (Dec 25, 2004)

Duke of Prunes said:


> Atkins was a quack and pasta is awesome.


You're a quack ! I think you're just bored, so you come here and push people's buttons.


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## 2Talkative (Nov 1, 2007)

Simple carbs = avoid as much as possible, with the exception of fruit because it has minimal levels of sugar and obviously no added sugar.


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## ju_pa (Sep 21, 2008)

Beggiatoa said:


> You're a quack ! I think you're just bored, so you come here and push people's buttons.


Actually I love pasta :lol A month back I tried pasta. For my suprise it didn't cause anything bad. I didn't feel bad nor I didn't have more anxiety. I might even say that I felt better with it. It could be from wheat selenium as whole wheat pasta had much better calming effect on me. It's now my cheat food that I can enjoy  But it has to be pure pasta and with lots of fats (olive oil, coconut, butter or other animal fats..)

But Atkins definitely wasn't a quack. Claims that he was obese before death are wrong.


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## Paper Samurai (Oct 1, 2009)

Like some of you guys here I'm doing very well restricting my simple sugar intake. I don't really know about reducing anxiety, but it has made me feel alot less tired and helps me to focus better. (which could indirectly help I guess)


I'm also glad that a few here are on fat friendly diets heh  Getting rid of the irrational mainstream fear of fats/animal products is one of the best things I've done in recent times. (it helps digestion immensely I find) 
I'm not low carb though, I don't entirely go along with Gary Taubes' hypothesis on insulin being the driver of fat gain - that being said it's a pretty damn effective way to lose/maintain weight - so it definitely does have it's uses.


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## ju_pa (Sep 21, 2008)

Paper Samurai said:


> I'm not low carb though, I don't entirely go along with Gary Taubes' hypothesis on insulin being the driver of fat gain - that being said it's a pretty damn effective way to lose/maintain weight - so it definitely does have it's uses.


Insulin will direct fat into the cells if it's present. So if you eat sugar with fat, the insulin is released and fat will be directed into the cells. So yeah, I would say too that insulin triggers fat gain.


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## Paper Samurai (Oct 1, 2009)

ju_pa said:


> Insulin will direct fat into the cells if it's present. So if you eat sugar with fat, the insulin is released and fat will be directed into the cells. So yeah, I would say too that insulin triggers fat gain.


Hmm, well I do agree with the actual mechanism(that you've outlined pretty much) e.g. that insulin shuttles energy into cells.

However, Taubes' theory then goes on to say that it's the excess of carbs past a point that's the causes of widespread obesity common today. This isn't congruent with the fact that the majority of Asia eat a diet of 70%+ carbohydrates - and yet are one of the slimmest populations in the world. This is also mirrored in several other populations scattered across the globe (Kitavians & Pima Indians for example)

Thus, I think the whole Western obesity epidemic (if you want to call it that) is a whole lot more complicated than such a simplified notion can explain.


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## jonny neurotic (Jan 20, 2011)

ju_pa said:


> 1) white sugar is hard on adrenals
> 2) sugar makes your candida worse if you have that problem
> 3) sugar allergy is really common but not well recognized
> 4) sugar makes your insulin jump high
> 5) sugar is tasty:blank


1) Only in excess and not just white sugar.
2) Only in excess.
3) Sugar allergy? No such thing. Don't believe the random $*!% you find on the internet. We can't possibly have an allergy to sugar. Same with "intolerance". Lactose is a sugar. Look up lactose intolerance. No one has sucrose intolerance. 
4) Only really a problem if you are insulin resistant. 
5) True. So true.


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## Aves (Feb 1, 2011)

The fact is that prossessed sugar and flour (white flour, also found in pasta) give a high level of energy right away, then your blood sugar levels go up and down very fast. Speaking for myself these peaks and lows in the blood sugar levels leaves me extremely uncomfortable and moody. This IS problem for some people, and I think people should respect us that do not want to eat fast carbohydrates. In comparison the coarser flours takes longer for the body to disolve and make into energy. This raises the bloodsugar levels slower and they decrease slower. This gives a steady amount of energy that lasts longer. This makes MY body feel better  maybe a tip for more moody and anxious people


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## proximo20 (Nov 25, 2006)

Aves said:


> The fact is that prossessed sugar and flour (white flour, also found in pasta) give a high level of energy right away


In the long run you become a person who gets tired quickly. If you go to gym it makes you progress slower or probably no progress at all.


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## crayzyMed (Nov 2, 2006)

Duke of Prunes said:


> Atkins was a quack and pasta is awesome.


Wrong, atkins was right all along.


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## Cosmic (Feb 7, 2011)

Well, I'm on a low-carb diet because I have PCOS and I can say that eliminating simple carbs and sugars has definitely improved my mood. Moderate exercise and eating lean proteins, fruits, vegetables and drinking lots of water is a great way to stay healthy and feel good. Vitamins and fiber supplements are also a must.


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## pehrj (Feb 12, 2009)

Here's some info on the vitamins & nutrients sugar consumption depletes. Not sure how much sugar you need to consume for it to really hurt you though. Also, I've read where sugar, like caffeine, depletes dopamine. So I imagine for those reasons you may want to avoid it.


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## RenegadeReloaded (Mar 12, 2011)

Beggiatoa said:


> Low carb doesn't mean NO carbs. You can still eat all the fruits and vegetables you want. Just avoid sugar and grains.


Ussualy fruits with moderation, they contain carbs that are rapidly absorbed and deposited as fat if not consumed as energy.



Beggiatoa said:


> You're a quack ! I think you're just bored, so you come here and push people's buttons.


he was joking


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## Kon (Oct 21, 2010)

There are a number of studies linking diet and risk/severity of mental illness like the one study below but a causal link has yet to be shown.

http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/reprint/184/5/404

Personally, I try to follow these nutritional guidelines even though I have come across some good arguments against it:

*The ancestral human diet: what was it and should it be a paradigm for **contemporary nutrition?*​
http://www.gregdavis.ca/share/paleo-articles/academic/The Ancestral Human Diet by S. Boyd Eaton.pdf

http://www.staffanlindeberg.com/

What is it? 
Lean meat, fish, fruits, vegetables, root vegetables, eggs, nuts etc.

What is it not? 
Grains, dairy products, refined sugar, fats and oils.


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## dutchguy (Jun 8, 2009)

Kon said:


> There are a number of studies linking diet and risk/severity of mental illness like the one study below but a causal link has yet to be shown.
> 
> http://bjp.rcpsych.org/cgi/reprint/184/5/404
> 
> ...


What I don't understand about the diet you talk about is, how are you going to get enough calories? I think you have to eat really large amounts of food to get at least 2000 calories. I don't say it is impossible, but it requires a lifestyle change and you have to spend much more time on eating.
Do you follow such a diet?


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## Kon (Oct 21, 2010)

dutchguy said:


> What I don't understand about the diet you talk about is, how are you going to get enough calories? I think you have to eat really large amounts of food to get at least 2000 calories. I don't say it is impossible, but it requires a lifestyle change and you have to spend much more time on eating.
> Do you follow such a diet?


I try to follow it but there are occassional lapses. I went from 185 lbs. to 163 lbs. from March 2010 to December 2010 but then I messed up and went to ~173 lbs. now. I'm ~ 5'11". What messed me up is starting work and driving home from work. I eat junk food on the route back home. But it's easy to get enough calories:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Paleolithic_diet

http://thepaleodiet.com/published_research/index.htm

Here's a study suggesting some possible benefits:

http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2724493/pdf/1475-2840-8-35.pdf

It's not a diet per se but a nutritional alternative to the food pyramid that's so popular with ADA, etc. It's more practical than Atkin's in my opinion. It's a bit expensive though. Junk food is so cheap and convenient compared to healthier food.


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