OH! Magazine - Australian Version March 2014 (Australian Version) | Page 17

( Nutrition )

contribute to their health success. So the
point is there are many different versions
of a low fat diet – or a high carbohydrate
or high protein diet for that matter. It is
these dietary patterns that we must
consider.
But in the West we continue to make the
same mistakes. We have moved our focus
from fat, with many claiming we had it all
wrong. The real villain is sugar. The
hypothesis here is that sugar leads to
high blood glucose levels, is addictive
and so makes us eat more, leads to high
insulin levels, is converted to fat and
leads to all sorts of detrimental metabolic
effects in the body. The black and white
nature of the way many people like to
view nutrition, means that we have taken
the bad guy hat off saturated fat and put
it firmly on the head of what they consider
the worst sugar of all – fructose.
A short while ago I interviewed a Canadian
researcher Dr John Sievenpiper. He is
involved in a group who conduct big trials
and systematic reviews on many aspects
of diet, and one of their major interests is
sugar. He made some key points. Firstly
that there is a major difference between
animals and humans in the way they
metabolise fructose. Animals have a
fantastic
ability
to
convert
all
carbohydrates, including fructose, into
fat for storage. Humans do not share this
biochemical trait. We can do it, but only
where we absolutely have to – in other
words
when
there
are
excess
carbohydrates beyond what can be used
as immediate fuel or stored (as glycogen).
Once we convert glucose to fat, we can’t
convert it back, so it’s an energetically
unfavourable thing to do.
He also pointed out that the animal
studies showing fructose is converted to
increased fat in the liver and elsewhere in
the body, are using massive amounts of
fructose to show the effect. Humans do
not make this conversion so readily.
Furthermore the equivalent amount in a
human diet would be an enormous
fructose intake, way beyond what even
the highest fructose consumers (usually
adolescents) are consuming.
Yet people write to me scared to eat a
piece of fruit because they’ve been told

fructose is toxic. Dr Sievenpiper was
unequivocal on the topic of fruit, saying
that there was absolutely no question
that fruit is good for us and should be
part of a healthy diet. In fact he pointed
out that fructose can be beneficial in the
diet as it reduces blood glucose responses
when it replaces other sugars – fructose
must first go to the liver and so does not
have an immediate effect on blood
glucose. What Sievenpiper’s group have
shown is that it is excess energy from any
macronutrient, that results in these
metabolic effects and that fructose is no
different from any other carbohydrate.
Fructose as part of a diet that meets your
energy needs does not have these ill
effects. It is excess kilojoules, from any
source, that are the problem.

the fact is, all of us do best on a diet
based on real whole foods. A homemade
muesli bar with a little sugar in it is not
the same as a bag of lollies. The first has
stacks of nutrients, the latter none.
Similarly, a salad dressed with extra
virgin olive oil is not the same as a
handful of French fries, even if the fat
content is the same. A protein bar is not
the same as a piece of meat, regardless
of the protein content.
So let’s stop obsessing over fat, sugar or
any other nutrient. Instead let’s put our
focus firmly on consuming whole foods,
particularly lots of plant food that bring
us nutrients as well as beneficial plant
compounds (phytochemicals) including
antioxidants.
Let’s work on maintaining a healthy

Fructose as part of a diet that meets your energy
needs does not have these ill effects. It is excess
kilojoules, from any source, that are the problem.
But what is happening in response to the
sugar hysteria is that food companies are
producing low carb, high protein bars,
shakes and snack foods by the truckload.
People are eating a packet of protein
balls in favour of a banana. They are
downing protein shakes by the litre, but
heaven forbid they allow an apple to pass
their lips. Can we not see what we are
doing? It’s history repeating itself. And
we will continue to get fatter as a result.
We absolutely must stop this nonsense. It
is processed food and too much of it,
combined with sedentary lifestyles where
our world is more taxing on our brains
than our bodies, that is our problem.
Food is plentiful and relatively cheap.
There are not many minutes in the day
where we cannot eat, and so eat we do.
Portion sizes are bigger in restaurants
and even in cookbooks compared to past
decades. Let’s not forget this much
bigger picture.
So in answer to the question ‘is it fat or is
it sugar?’ the answer is: it is neither. It is
our dietary patterns that are our undoing.
Some people will suit a higher fat diet,
others a higher carbohydrate diet. But

relationship with food and listening to
our bodies for real hunger and appetite
cues. Cut back on foods that provide few
nutrients whether they are fatty, sugary,
or both. But enjoy nutritious foods where
a little extra sugar or fat makes that food
more palatable and enjoyable. Savour our
food and respect our bodies. Grab
opportunities to move and embrace an
active life. Manage your stress and do
things in your life that bring you joy. It is
only when we step back and take this
holistic view of health and weight control
that we will have true long
lasting results.

( OH! MAGAZINE ) I SSUE 8

17