The Sugar Hypothesis

Landing page for The Sugar Hypothesis.

=Definition= The Sugar Hypothesis states that a set of common co-occurring diseases which have increased in prevalence in the decades since WW2 are caused by dietary changes over that period, but that the emphasis hitherto has inappropriately focused on the role of fat and salt which have a modest, mediating role compared the arch-culprit sugar and other foods with a net pro-inflammatory effect.

The diseases:
 * Obesity
 * Dyslipidaemia, NAFLD
 * T2D, Insulin resistance
 * Hypertension
 * Cardiovascular disease (IHD, Cerebrovascular Dx, PVD)
 * CKD, Gout
 * Alzheimer's disease
 * Cancer
 * Autoimmune disease

The dietary culprits whose role has been underestimated:
 * Increase in consumption of sugar/"simple carbs"/refined carbohydrates/high GI foods/high insulin-index foods
 * Foods with a high Omega6 fats content (processed snacks, fast foods, cakes, fatty meats, and cured meats)

The dietary culprits whose role has been overestimated:
 * Cholesterol -- rather cholesterol/lipids are mishandled by the body due to metabolic disease
 * Salt -- rather a failure of salt homeostasis (salt retention, and therefore raised BP) occurs due to metabolic disease
 * Raised BMI -- rather Obesity occurs due to metabolic disease

= Peripheral concepts and claims =
 * Leaky gut hypothesis
 * Role of fibre
 * Non-Caucasian race hypothesis

= Counterarguments =

= Academic articles in favour =

2013

 * Johnson RJ -- Sugar, Uric Acid, and the Etiology of Diabetes and Obesity -- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3781481/

2018

 * Saklayen MG -- The Global Epidemic of the Metabolic Syndrome -- https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5866840/

= Books in favour =
 * Why We Eat (Too Much) -- Andrew Jenkinson --
 * Always hungry -- David Ludwig -- https://www.drdavidludwig.com/always-hungry-2/

= Articles in favour =
 * https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/apr/07/the-sugar-conspiracy-robert-lustig-john-yudkin