If some of you are concerned about the amount of sugar you and your family consume, and associated weight and health problems, there has been a lot of press recently about the dangers of consuming too much.

First links are to two New York Times articles about sugar.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/17/ma...ar-t.html?_r=1


http://opinionator.blogs.nytimes.com...ines&emc=thab1

The second link is to Dr. Mercola's website (he is very anti processed food etc.). The article is a good overview of the issue and where Fructose is found in our food.

If you have the 90 minutes, the university presentation about Fructose (especially High Fructose Corn Syrup and the blood/brain barrier) is very worthwhile (and to my mind scary). It might help explain a bit more to those who have weight problems.

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/ar...gar-toxic.aspx

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Do or do not, there is no try(ing). Yoda

Eating too much sugar makes people fat?

It's hardly new news, is it?

Then expats in Switzerland have nothing to worry about if we're only talking about brown sugar..

I think firstly, the point of the articles is that there is too much hidden sugar in processed food (e.g. "low fat" foods often add sugar to give taste). Food labeling is often purposely vague.

Secondly, in addition to weight, there are more and more other health issues that trace their origin to sugar consumption.

Thirdly, the very direct impact of High Fructose Corn Syrup on the body, liver and weight.

Rebuttal (just to play devils advocate)

http://www.ama-assn.org/ama1/pub/upl...08-summary.pdf

*splutters mouthful of granulated sugar that I had just poured into my mouth* Whaaaa?

Actually not a very strong rebuttal given that the conclusion is "insufficient evidence". More a call for further research.

It's a bit more credible than 'OMG!, you're all going to DIE!!!!'

Depends whether you read the results or just the conclusion...

Both actually. And your quotes nicely support the conclusion.

The conclusion being that there's nothing to suggest that HFCS is any more or less dangerous than any other sugar in general. Thus neatly rebutting the OP.

I am providing information so people can review it for interest and importance with respect to themselves and their family. People can make up their own minds if there might be a requirement that they review their own sugar and HFCS consumption.

I am certainly not here for a pissing contest of "my experts vs. your experts". So the "rebutting" can be saved for another day.

As I said, just playing devil's advocate - agree that people can make up their own minds, I'm just presenting the other side of the coin.

Where can I buy non-toxic sugar in Switzerland?

*face slap* reformhuis duh!

Recently? For the past forty years at least, surely? Or isn't your dentist interested in preventative measures?

Just buy brown sugar and wash it.

Who needs to worry about getting fat from sugar, anyway? ..... nah, I'll just stick to my melted cheese, full fat butter and Gruyere cream.

Indeed.

Even HFCS has been in question since 1980, when Coca-Cola first started replacing the cane sugar in Coke with HFCS.

Anyone want to start an aspartame / acesulfame-K thread? They give you cancer, you know.

Everything is toxic, it's the dose that matters.

The challenge with sugar and HFCS is that 99% of people have NO IDEA of how much they are consuming per day.

A few examples that are often used to illustrate the amount of sugar that people consume:

Remember, a standard packet of sugar you get with your coffee is about 4 grams.

Can of Coke (12 oz - 355 ml) - 39 g
Red Bull (250 ml) - 27 g
Orange Juice (240 ml) - 24 g
Power Bar, choco-Peanut Butter (1 bar - 65 g) - 23 g
Starbucks Frappuccino - Tall - 32 g

HFCS is often found in baked goods and sweets.