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I expect sugar will turn out to be good for your brain (in moderation) and increase your IQ.

munk-a 7y ago
Nah, sadly... sugar is crap all the way down - but it tastes delicious. I just wish we could get some regulations banning it and salt as a flavour enhancer in partially prepared food products like frozen stuff and the pre-made components.
- rkop 7y ago
  Sugar? Maybe. Salt? Why?
differentView 7y ago
Can you provide link to any such research? Even ones funded by the sugar industry?
- pazimzadeh 7y ago
  Not quite the same thing, but glucose is the main source of energy for the brain. It's just that refined sugar is usually not how you get your glucose. But sure, eating sugar might give you a temporary boost in IQ - before the crash. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22436/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22436/
  - whenchamenia 7y ago
    Its only the main source when available. Ketones work fine in its absence, and glucose is not required.
machinelearning 7y ago
Yea it is quite interesting how the 'invisible hand' seems to have branded sugar as a 'drug, akin to cocaine' since it signals dopamine in the brain. Refined sugar is nothing but sucrose, a natural compound found in plants and fruits. Surely not all dopamine signalling is bad, just bad/prolonged signalling. Sure, it does cause an insulin spike that causes insulin resistance in the long term but in selective use of blood sugar spiking lies its utility.
- pazimzadeh 7y ago
  Cocaine is also a natural compound. So's cyanide. Pretty sure the 'invisible hand' demonized animal fats and promoted sugar, and now people are are starting to come to their senses.
  - machinelearning 7y ago
    Do you have a source showing that Cocaine is a natural compound? Perhaps the invisible hand did demonize animal fats and promote sugar but how is that in any way related to my argument?
    - pazimzadeh 7y ago
      Cocaine is found in coca leaves. "The pharmacologically active ingredient of coca is the cocaine alkaloid, which is found in the amount of about 0.3 to 1.5%, averaging 0.8%" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca Can you clarify what your argument is?
      - machinelearning 7y ago
        1. So you just contradicted yourself. Cocaine is not a naturally occurring compound but one extracted through a synthetic process specifically to inhibit re-uptake of certain neurotransmitters. 2. On the other hand, sugars have a very important purpose in the body and is present in fruits/vegetables. 3. Like my comment states, prolonged abuse of sugars certainly have negative effects, but as evident from the comment chain, people argue that any and all use of sugar is bad. That's the kind of coarse thinking that I think is harmful.
        pazimzadeh 7y ago
        How did I contradict myself - I pointed out to you that cocaine is a naturally occurring compound, which it is. "Cocaine is not a naturally occurring compound but one generated through a synthetic process specifically to inhibit re-uptake of certain neurotransmitters" No, cocaine is extracted from coca leaves, it is not synthesized. Refined sugar is also extracted from plants - same thing.
Merrill 7y ago
Glucose is the main source of energy for the brain. So corn syrup, the Karo kind, being pure glucose produced by depolymerizing corn starch, is fine for the brain. High fructose corn syrup, made by enzymatic conversion of about half the glucose to fructose, or cane sugar, which is a disaccharide consisting of paired molecules of glucose and fuctose, are not so fine. The fructose has to be processed by the liver before it can be used.

Nah, sadly... sugar is crap all the way down - but it tastes delicious. I just wish we could get some regulations banning it and salt as a flavour enhancer in partially prepared food products like frozen stuff and the pre-made components.

rkop 7y ago
Sugar? Maybe. Salt? Why?

differentView 7y ago

Can you provide link to any such research? Even ones funded by the sugar industry?

pazimzadeh 7y ago
Not quite the same thing, but glucose is the main source of energy for the brain. It's just that refined sugar is usually not how you get your glucose. But sure, eating sugar might give you a temporary boost in IQ - before the crash. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22436/ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22436/
- whenchamenia 7y ago
  Its only the main source when available. Ketones work fine in its absence, and glucose is not required.

machinelearning 7y ago

Yea it is quite interesting how the 'invisible hand' seems to have branded sugar as a 'drug, akin to cocaine' since it signals dopamine in the brain. Refined sugar is nothing but sucrose, a natural compound found in plants and fruits. Surely not all dopamine signalling is bad, just bad/prolonged signalling. Sure, it does cause an insulin spike that causes insulin resistance in the long term but in selective use of blood sugar spiking lies its utility.

pazimzadeh 7y ago
Cocaine is also a natural compound. So's cyanide. Pretty sure the 'invisible hand' demonized animal fats and promoted sugar, and now people are are starting to come to their senses.
- machinelearning 7y ago
  Do you have a source showing that Cocaine is a natural compound? Perhaps the invisible hand did demonize animal fats and promote sugar but how is that in any way related to my argument?
  - pazimzadeh 7y ago
    Cocaine is found in coca leaves. "The pharmacologically active ingredient of coca is the cocaine alkaloid, which is found in the amount of about 0.3 to 1.5%, averaging 0.8%" https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coca Can you clarify what your argument is?
    - machinelearning 7y ago
      1. So you just contradicted yourself. Cocaine is not a naturally occurring compound but one extracted through a synthetic process specifically to inhibit re-uptake of certain neurotransmitters. 2. On the other hand, sugars have a very important purpose in the body and is present in fruits/vegetables. 3. Like my comment states, prolonged abuse of sugars certainly have negative effects, but as evident from the comment chain, people argue that any and all use of sugar is bad. That's the kind of coarse thinking that I think is harmful.
      - pazimzadeh 7y ago
        How did I contradict myself - I pointed out to you that cocaine is a naturally occurring compound, which it is. "Cocaine is not a naturally occurring compound but one generated through a synthetic process specifically to inhibit re-uptake of certain neurotransmitters" No, cocaine is extracted from coca leaves, it is not synthesized. Refined sugar is also extracted from plants - same thing.

Merrill 7y ago

Glucose is the main source of energy for the brain. So corn syrup, the Karo kind, being pure glucose produced by depolymerizing corn starch, is fine for the brain. High fructose corn syrup, made by enzymatic conversion of about half the glucose to fructose, or cane sugar, which is a disaccharide consisting of paired molecules of glucose and fuctose, are not so fine. The fructose has to be processed by the liver before it can be used.