4 ms·

In science, "sugar" is a class of molecules, of which sucrose is one. One thing I'm trying to point out the difference between common language uses of scientifi

by mbreese 14y ago

In science, "sugar" is a class of molecules, of which sucrose is one. One thing I'm trying to point out the difference between common language uses of scientific terms. The other is the sheer ludicrous nature of the statement "sugar is toxic" (meaning sucrose). No, it isn't. Too much sugar in your diet can lead to health problems, but you will not die from eating sugar. In sufficient quantities, even water is toxic to some degree (and I'm not even talking about drowning). So, why don't you tone it down a little.

natrius 14y ago
If sugar causes diabetes and people die of diabetes, doesn't that mean that the amount of sugar that is commonly consumed is toxic? By the logic you've laid out, cigarettes aren't toxic. Smoking them can cause a variety of diseases that kill you.
- mbreese 14y ago
  Water isn't toxic, yet drinking too much water can cause your blood to become so diluted that you can die (water intoxication/hyponatremia). And yet water is essential for life. Consuming sugar (in some form, not necessarily sucrose) is also essential for life. It's what your brain runs on. So to call it toxic is quite a stretch. I'm not criticizing the research. I haven't read the paper and I probably won't - it's not my field. But I am criticizing the overly broad generalities in the NYT article.
  - eurleif 14y ago
    Consuming any amount of any form of pure sugar will spike your blood glucose. If it's a small enough amount, the spike will be small enough that it won't do you harm, but the human body evolved to handle gradual rises in blood glucose, like complex carbohydrates cause, not spikes. Comparing that to water is a stretch.
  - natrius 14y ago
    Commonly consumed amounts of water don't make you ill. Commonly consumed amounts of sugar do make you ill. Is it an exaggeration to call trans fats toxic? Your body can use them to run, but if you eat them, you'll get sick.

by mbreese 14y ago

natrius 14y ago

If sugar causes diabetes and people die of diabetes, doesn't that mean that the amount of sugar that is commonly consumed is toxic? By the logic you've laid out, cigarettes aren't toxic. Smoking them can cause a variety of diseases that kill you.

mbreese 14y ago
Water isn't toxic, yet drinking too much water can cause your blood to become so diluted that you can die (water intoxication/hyponatremia). And yet water is essential for life. Consuming sugar (in some form, not necessarily sucrose) is also essential for life. It's what your brain runs on. So to call it toxic is quite a stretch. I'm not criticizing the research. I haven't read the paper and I probably won't - it's not my field. But I am criticizing the overly broad generalities in the NYT article.
- eurleif 14y ago
  Consuming any amount of any form of pure sugar will spike your blood glucose. If it's a small enough amount, the spike will be small enough that it won't do you harm, but the human body evolved to handle gradual rises in blood glucose, like complex carbohydrates cause, not spikes. Comparing that to water is a stretch.
- natrius 14y ago
  Commonly consumed amounts of water don't make you ill. Commonly consumed amounts of sugar do make you ill. Is it an exaggeration to call trans fats toxic? Your body can use them to run, but if you eat them, you'll get sick.