Just watched "Fed Up" on NetFlix

[Orrex]

Last edited Wed Aug 12, 2015, 11:34 AM - Edit history (1)

Here's the Wiki page.

It presented a lot of very specific metabolic and digestive info that's simply outside of my field of expertise, but the film paints a sad and horrifying picture.

One thing that stuck out for me was the film's matter-of-fact statement that the dreaded HFCS is not inherently worse than other sugars, despite what you'll commonly read in GD. The film went to considerable lengths to demonstrate and explain how "all calories are not equal," and that the means of consumption (e.g. sugary soda vs. fiber-rich fruit) plays a significant role in absorption and metabolism of sugar.

However, cynic that I am, I'm reluctant to embrace the film as a whole until I've heard from others who are in a position to assess it.

Have you seen it? What do you think?

[Warpy]

1. Fructose is metabolized differently from either sucrose or glucose

Sucrose is a disaccharide, a double sugar composed of 1 glucose and 1 fructose. Maltose is 2 glucose molecules hooked together. Before artificial sweeteners became available, diabetics were told to sweeten their tea and coffee with small amounts of fructose since it didn't lead to the spikes and crashes in blood sugar that glucose did. They simply used a fruit exchange to cover it.

The jawbreaking sciency stuff is at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fructolysis. Fructose increases fat production in the liver and raises triglycerides when eaten in large quantities, not good for people with high cholesterol induced diseases.

I avoid HFCS myself, it just seems like a good idea. I avoid honey for the same reason, although it's nice in my winter tea once in a blue moon. I still prefer to ingest fructose as itself in fruits and some vegetables, the fiber helping digestion.

HFCS isn't a problem in most healthy people. It's just one of those highly processed foods that doesn't help the waistline and might, over a long period of time, lead to worsening of any genetically determined heart disease, liver disease, or stroke.

[progressoid]

2. I checked it out from the library once

Never had time to watch it though. Maybe this winter when I have more time.

A client recommended it. Said it changed his life (physically).