Sugar

If you’ve followed me for a while, you likely know how much I hate inaccurate nomenclatures. The word “sugar” is one of these words. It means a lot of different things, and all of those things can be true. Is glucose a sugar? Yes. Is fructose a sugar? Yes. Are they the same? No.

Sugar is often delineated by “natural” sugars (found in fruit and vegetables) and “artificial” sugars (such as high fructose corn syrup). But these categories are not the most useful way to think about sugar and its effects.

By the time any type of sugar leaves the stomach, it’s basically a series of monomers of glucose and fructose. Instead, I prefer to think of sugar consumption through the lens of three variables: density, volume, and velocity.

The following is a collection of past content which dives deeper into this topic, exploring the various forms of “sugar,” how they impact the body, and how to think about sugar consumption.

Longevity

AMA

Fasting, well-balanced diets, alcohol, exercise for busy people, wearables, emotional health, assessing cardiovascular health, and more

Ep. #336 (AMA #68)

Nutrition

Guest Episode

Rethinking nutrition science: the evolving landscape of obesity treatment, GLP-1 agonists, protein, and the need for higher research standards

Ep. #314 with David Allison, Ph.D.

Nutrition

Free Article

Does xylitol increase risk of cardiovascular disease?

Medications & supplements

Podcast Episode

Special episode: Peter on exercise, fasting, nutrition, stem cells, geroprotective drugs, and more — promising interventions or just noise?

Ep. #300

Nutrition

Premium Article

Sugar substitutes: deep dive into the pros, cons, available options, and impact on metabolic health

Nutrition

Free Article

More hype than substance: erythritol and cardiovascular risk

Risks

The five main tools for managing blood glucose numbers

Nutrition

Guest Episode

Sugar & Cancer: Does Fructose Cause Cancer?

with Sam Apple

Nutrition

Guest Episode

Is natural sugar from fruit just as ‘bad’ as added sugar?

with Rick Johnson, M.D.

Nutrition

AMA

Fruits & vegetables—everything you need to know

Ep. #211 (AMA #36)

Nutrition

Hydration for Athletes: Should you drink sports drinks with glucose?

Nutrition

Guest Episode

Why you should stop drinking sugar

with Rick Johnson, M.D.

Nutrition

Guest Episode

How fructose drives metabolic disease

Ep. #194 with Rick Johnson, M.D.

Risks

Guest Episode

The Warburg Effect—Otto Warburg’s cancer metabolism theory

Ep. #187 with Sam Apple

Nutrition

Free Article

A Game Plan for Healthy Enjoyment of the Holidays

Nutrition

Guest Episode

Bad science and challenging the conventional wisdom of obesity

Ep. #167 with Gary Taubes, M.S., M.J.

Nutrition

Free Article

What gives Rice Krispies their pop and my related experiment

Nutrition

AMA

Deep dive: sugar and sugar substitutes

Ep. #141 (AMA #18)

Risks

Guest Episode

A masterclass on insulin resistance—molecular mechanisms and clinical implications

Ep. #140 with Gerald Shulman M.D., Ph.D.

Nutrition

Free Article

Replacing sugar with allulose

Nutrition

Free Article

Breakfast: a legacy of cereal...and sin?

Risks

Guest Episode

Cancer metabolism, cancer therapies, and the discovery of PI3K

Ep. #110 with Lewis Cantley, Ph.D.

Nutrition

Free Article

Intermittent fasting

Nutrition

Guest Episode

Metabolic Effects of Fructose

Ep. #87 with Rick Johnson, M.D.