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The Case Against Sugar
The Case Against Sugar | Gary Taubes
From the best-selling author of Why We Get Fat, a groundbreaking, eye-opening expos that makes the convincing case that sugar is the tobacco of the new millennium: backed by powerful lobbies, entrenched in our lives, and making us very sick. Among Americans, diabetes is more prevalent today than ever; obesity is at epidemic proportions; nearly 10% of children are thought to have nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. And sugar is at the root of these, and other, critical society-wide, health-related problems. With his signature command of both science and straight talk, Gary Taubes delves into Americans' history with sugar: its uses as a preservative, as an additive in cigarettes, the contemporary overuse of high-fructose corn syrup. He explains what research has shown about our addiction to sweets. He clarifies the arguments against sugar, corrects misconceptions about the relationship between sugar and weight loss; and provides the perspective necessary to make informed decisions about sugar as individuals and as a society. From the Hardcover edition.
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BC_Dittemore
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Pickpick

Reading this in conjunction with Michael Moss‘ Salt Sugar Fat was very insightful. Whereas Moss‘ book focuses more on the rise of the processed food industry, Taubes focuses more on the part sugar plays on our health. Of course both books cover some of the same topics, but it was interesting to see how two different authors approach them. Taubes is more clinical so it was easier for me to lose focus with his book, but still a good listen/read.

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katcalvin
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Pickpick

It feels like a betrayal to know that everyone has been lying to us about everything forever. This book was an eye opener and more confirmation that I have to relearn everything.

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Dolly
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Mehso-so

This was just what I expected it would be but I didn‘t feel fascinated as I‘d hoped. Taubes goes into addictive substances quite deeply. Studies done, who paid for them, how our body reacts to sugar, and how studies have failed us and much more. For a curious mind - not the average reader.

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bourne.shell
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Pickpick

Taking a break from fiction to read a really interesting book about sugar. Full of interesting things to think about. I wouldn't take it as gospel but the author makes a compelling case to at least make you think. Including a history of sugar advertising, the start of coca-cola, and some of the research going on behind western diets.

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KT1432
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A day late, but wanted to post my #BookReport! It was a really great reading week in terms of quality. Finished 3 books, may finish Salt Slow tonight, & started the tagged book for #NFNov. #TIL diabetes may have been mentioned as far back as the 6th century B.C. by Sushruta, a Hindu physician who described the characteristic sweet urine of those afflicted.
Finished:
Dear Haiti, Love Alaine - 5⭐️
Burnout Generation - 4⭐️
Nothing to See Here - 5⭐️

Cinfhen What a wonderful week!! I‘m intrigued by this one 👉🏽especially since you gave it 5 stars!!!! 5y
KT1432 @Cinfhen it was such a pleasant surprise for me! I fell in love with the MC and the very unique family Wilson created. 5y
Cinfhen And so it gets #Stacked 😉 5y
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Megabooks Totally agree re: Nothing to See Here! Read it @Cinfhen ! 5y
Cinfhen Thanks @Megabooks 👍🏻 5y
Clwojick 1 pt 5y
29 likes6 comments
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sophierayton
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Pickpick

A very comprehensive history of sugar. Made me think twice about what I choose to put into my body.

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lolaandrioo
Pickpick

5 of 5 Stars

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LWagoner
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Pickpick

This book was just what the title indicated- a case against sugar. The case is made citing lots of research and by providing the reader with a thorough history. Through these arguments the case is made that sugar is likely the cause, root, catalyst or at least a part of a majority of the health problems we have in the modern world today. Definitely continuing to personally work on cutting down my sugar consumption. Yikes!!

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SoniaC
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Panpan

So admittedly I found this book challenging. I expected it to cover research but not so much going in-depth about competition between research. News flash perhaps both sides are right and sugar and fats are both unhealthy! Anyways as a newly diagnosed diabetic I also felt really judged and put down by how he insistently keeps referring to diabetics as obese and making it sound like some death sentence.

LA_Mead Awww that sounds awful. Sounds like that author is just misinformed 😪 7y
SoniaC @LA_Mead It‘s one I won‘t be revisiting. 7y
DivineDiana Sounds like a negative book. 👎🏻 7y
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SoniaC @DivineDiana It left me feeling discouraged. 7y
DivineDiana @SoniaC So sorry ❤️ (edited) 7y
Quasifesto I‘m also a newly diagnosed diabetic (6 months) and I appreciate your review from that point of view. 7y
SoniaC @Quasifesto Thank you. And good luck with the diagnosis. It‘s been challenging. 7y
quanners I hate you felt that way. I don‘t think that was his intent. I was given the diagnosis two years ago . I am Pediatrition & could not believe that with all of my medical knowledge I was now a statistic. Diabetes can be a death sentence but it‘s also reversible for type 2. I spend 4 days a week trying to advocate for kids at risk & the parents just don‘t take it seriously. I‘m no longer diabetic but everyday is a challenge. I wish you the best. 6y
SoniaC @quanners Thank you for the supportive comment! 6y
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Lindy
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Mehso-so

Lots of sugar history (too much) & lots of nutrition research history (not enough recent) & some repetition of material from his earlier books (& his old articles from Mother Jones magazine, which I used to read back in the 70s). Overall, skepticism is advised: Taubes‘ overly simplistic premise is that sugar is the root of all illness. I learned some new things (such as cigarette tobacco is sweetened) so it‘s not a pan.

Lindy Mike Chamberlain‘s serious voice in the #audiobook performance adds gravitas. My rating might very well have been lower if the narrator had tried to sensationalize the content. 7y
Rcoco Nice graphic. I read another book by him that I thought was pretty good. I know sugar is bad....but it is pretty irresistible! I recommend grain brain along the same lines and a very interesting perspective. The author is a neurologist 7y
Lindy @Rcoco Thanks! I had fun with the graphic. I‘ve read Grain Brain and found it interesting. 7y
UrsulaMonarch Felt similarly about the book - the tobacco angle WAS interesting! 7y
UrsulaMonarch @Rcoco ooo I'd not heard of grain brain, will have to check it out, thanks! 7y
53 likes5 comments
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Lindy
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Rats given sweetened water in experiments find it significantly more pleasurable than cocaine, even when they‘re addicted to the latter, and more than heroin as well.

Godmotherx5 😳 7y
Lindy @Godmotherx5 AA counsels the effectiveness of replacing alcohol with candy. 7y
Godmotherx5 I‘m intrigued. I need to read that book. 7y
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Suet624 When I quit drinking, I would have a snickers bar immediately upon arriving home after work. It helped a lot. Alcohol has so much sugar in it that you need that big sugar replacement. 7y
Suet624 Now, of course, with Lyme Disease, I can‘t eat any sugar. 7y
TommieMarie74 @Suet624 I‘m being tested for Lyme...no sugar??? 7y
Lindy @Godmotherx5 It‘s interesting, but clearly biased to the author‘s viewpoint, so keep that in mind if you decide to read it. 7y
Godmotherx5 Thanks for the advice. 7y
Suet624 @TommieMarie74 the spirochetes (lyme bacteria) feed and grow on sugar. I‘ve just gone thru 3 years of treatment. If you want more info, contact me at Suet624 (at) gmail. IgeneX is the most reliable testing site by the way. Insist on using them. 7y
TommieMarie74 @Suet624 Thank you so much!! 7y
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Beckys_Books
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Bailedbailed

I was about 9 hours into this 11 hour audiobook and then lost complete interest. My library loan expired and I didn't even care enough to finish it. Facts, references, and research ad nauseum.

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Beckys_Books
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The irony is not lost on me that I spent the afternoon baking a carrot cake from a Dorrie Greenspan cookbook while listening to all the reasons sugar is bad for my health.

britt_brooke 😆 7y
BarbaraTheBibliophage Yummmmmm. Hmmmmmmmm. 7y
Ms.Story 😍 7y
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BooksForEmpathy Hah!! I have only baked one thing from her new cookie book and I need more of her soon! 7y
batsy That cake looks amazing! 7y
Simona 😋😋😋'Tomorrow is another day' for smart food decisions 😉 7y
59 likes6 comments
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Beckys_Books
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Listening to this through an Overdrive checkout from my library.

Thinking "Those b@$÷@rd$" (meaning the sugar industry) the whole time!

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ArielLawhon
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A much needed read. It's time to curb my sugar addiction.

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rachellayown
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Mehso-so

This audio book was a 'rebellion read' after a doctor told me sugar isn't inflammatory and I disagreed. I basically picked up this book to prove him wrong. This book can get a little dry (which could be it doesn't lend itself well to being read aloud) and rather repetitive. There is some good solid information here, but it's a long (sometimes boring) book to get through.

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Chelsie_shot
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Starting off #deweys24hourreadathon with an audiobook as I walk the pupper #readathon @DeweysReadathon

Reviewsbylola Enjoy! 8y
25 likes1 comment
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catiewithac
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Pickpick

Compelling evidence that sugar is the prime culprit behind Western civilization's chronic disease epidemic. 🚫🍭

Reviewsbylola I don't even want to read this. I'm obsessed with sugar. 8y
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Rachael_reads
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I did a book exchange with a co-worker/friend and I received these!! #bookexchange 📚

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Kris10
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I thought listening to this book would help me curb my sweet tooth, but it is so boring I just want to claw my eyes out... and then eat a candy bar.

LauraBeth 😂🍫 8y
Notafraidofwords lol staying away ! 8y
10 likes2 comments
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LizzyM
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Listening to this on audio, and I made some progress on it yesterday while, ironically, making a double layer chocolate cake. The narrator's voice is a bit monotonous but the argument is compelling (and depressing for this sugar addict). Scary stuff unfortunately.

Megabooks Confession: just ate 3 cookies! 😳 8y
LizzyM And I just had a slice of chocolate cake😜 @Ebooksandcooks 8y
SaraFair I have been off of sugar and doing low carbs since August. Too many diabetics in my family and heart disease. Let me just tell you it was ( still is) so hard for this sugar addict too. But I have lost 20 lbs and no more aches and pains! 8y
LizzyM @SaraFair I have been trying with moderate success to cut down too (chocolate cake aside). This book is certainly helping - given your story I think you would find it very informative. Great job and so glad you are feeling better! 8y
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Haweller
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Pickpick

Addictions come in all shapes and sizes but most of them come with some heavy social judgement. Sugar on the other hand is socially acceptable and if not encouraged certainly not called out. This book makes you want to go sugar free. I can only imagine that that path is not any easier then an illegal substance detox.

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jhm
Pickpick

Just read this book.

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jhm

[S]ugar "scares" him.... If the sugars we consume—sucrose and HFCS specifically—cause insulin resistance, then they are prime suspects for causing cancer as well, or at the least promoting its growth. ...[T]he association between obesity, diabetes, and cancer... suggests that whatever is causing insulin resistance is increasing the likelihood that we will get cancer.

[...]

...[S]ugar also increases the likelihood that dementia is in our future.

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LauraJ
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Bailedbailed

Avoid the audiobook and its dully droning narrator. This is basically a rehashed version of Taubes' Good Calories, Bad Calories. I've already read that book. It's a well-researched book. Why We Get Fat is a layman's version of Good Calories, Bad Calories. Choose the one that best fits your level of physiology knowledge and skip the other two. #nonfictionchallenge17

Megabooks Which do you recommend if you have good science knowledge? Good calories, bad calories? (edited) 8y
LauraJ @Ebooksandcooks For you, absolutely. Animals gets metabolic syndrome and diabetes exactly the same way as we do. 8y
30 likes2 comments
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jhm

[A]s the [Sugar Research Foundation] report correctly claimed, it was the "marriage of tobacco and sugar" that made possible both the astounding success of American cigarettes worldwide and the lung cancer epidemic that followed.

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steph_hashes_tags
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You know how you avoid a book because you know you don't want to stop doing that bad habit that you know you shouldn't be doing but you are doing anyway? This is that book for me. Here goes...

LauraBeth Yes, yes I do... 8y
EloisaJames I've thought about reading this a couple of times. Noooooooo 8y
30 likes2 stack adds2 comments
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ThatNeilGuy
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I keep reading reviews of this book and am trying to cut back on sugar as much as possible but I am only human.

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Graciouswarriorprincess
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I love that my library carries Book Page!

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JacqMac
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Today's #bookhaul All hardcovers were 30% off today. Woohoo!

Reviewsbylola I've got the Wally Lamb on its way to me! 😍 8y
ValerieAndBooks Nice haul! 8y
48 likes2 comments