The case against sugar
by Gary Taubes · first published 2016
45% recommend45% neutral9% critical
Why HN recommends it
Traces the history of sugar and its role in modern diet and disease, taking a skeptical, scientific look at the evidence. Engaging and eye-opening for anyone curious about nutrition and health.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"From the best-selling author of Why We Get Fat, a groundbreaking, eye-opening expose 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 Am
Affiliate links. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Mentions per year
What Hacker News says
Related books
2017–2024The hacking of the American mind
Robert H. Lustig
Recommended by 9 · mentioned by 109 recommend · 10 mention9 recommend · 109 recommend
2014–2026The big fat surprise
Nina Teicholz
Recommended by 19 · mentioned by 3119 recommend · 31 mention19 recommend · 3119 recommend
2016–2026The obesity code
Jason Fung
Recommended by 45 · mentioned by 5945 recommend · 59 mention45 recommend · 5945 recommend
2008–2025Good calories, bad calories
Gary Taubes
Recommended by 91 · mentioned by 13291 recommend · 132 mention91 recommend · 13291 recommend
A good book that explains it all is The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes, which came out the same year as this article. Like many truths, it's actually well-known and frequently discussed in public, but hard to hear amongst all the noise of corporate messaging…
on “Sugar industry influenced researchers and blamed fat for CVD” ↗Articles like these are there to simply confuse the reader. Have a read of "The case against Sugar" by Gary Taubes. That will surely fill in the missing blanks for ya!
on “Was there ever really a “sugar conspiracy”?” ↗…is during cartoon programming of kids, "catch'em young"! They successfully shifted blame from sugar to fat as cause of modern lifestyle diseases for last two decades. Would highly recommend the book "Case against Sugar" by Gary Taubes discussed amply here[0] and here[1]. Also recommend the documentary "Super Size Me"[2] a revealing take on workings of fast food industry. [0]https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=12480733…
on “American toddlers are eating more sugar than the amount recommended for adults” ↗…is a mess. "Well, a little sugar doesn't kill you, and might even do good, so sugar is just fine, except for how it causes problems...." If it's a subject that interests you, I'd recommend reading The Case Against Sugar by Gary Taubes. https://g.co/kgs/13NUgb
on “Is Sugar Really Bad for You?” ↗I can highly recommend the books "Why do we get fat and what we can do about it" or "the case against sugar" by Gary Taubes which are related to this.
on “50 Years Ago, Sugar Industry Quietly Paid Scientists to Blame Fat (2016)” ↗I recommend Peter Attia's podcast, The Drive, for the best talks about sugar consumption and the body's response. For something to read, Gary Taubes' "The Case Against Sugar" was pretty good.
on “Why is it hard to control our appetites? Doctor’s struggles with giving up sugar” ↗He's not exactly new to the domain, now. One thing I appreciate with Taubes (having read his early books, not the more recent ones -- I really liked The case against sugar), is that he has an epistemologically correct approach to the problem. He looks at it through the eyes of a rigorous scientist, unlike most people in nutrition science. For the most part, he was very…
This book, and "The Case Against Sugar" have been, by far, the two most impactful books in my life in recent years. They've genuinely changed my life for the better.
on “Impact of a Night of Sleep Deprivation on Novice Developers’ Performance (2018)” ↗…health issues. So much sugar and other stuff in foods that are typically billed as healthy. I'll have to check out those books, they sound really interesting. You might want to check out the book "The Case Against Sugar", it tells the story of sugar and is really interesting.
on “Sugar industry withheld possible evidence of cancer link 50 years ago” ↗The books "The Case Against Sugar" and "Tripping over the Truth: How the Metabolic Theory of Cancer Is Overturning One of Medicine's Most Entrenched Paradigms" seems worth plugging. Sugar is not safe, even though it is ubiquitous. For…
on “Fructose in diet enhances tumor growth: research” ↗…corn syrup, as the primary cause of hypertension, obesity, heart disease, and a huge host of other diseases. This is a lengthy discussion between a health/fitness expert and Gary Taubes, author of “The Case Against Sugar”: https://bengreenfieldfitness.com/podcast/nutrition-podcasts/... After listening to that and reading some of the linked studies and articles, it seems obvious to me that sugar is orders of magnitude…
on “Effect of longer-term modest salt reduction on blood pressure (2013)” ↗…while." I asked the doc if there was any association between diet and pregnancy, and she said no. I facepalmed so hard. I wrote up notes on a book about sugar here: https://josh.works/notes-gary-taubes-case-against-sugar Might be worth skimming the notes to determine if it's worth reading the book. Oh, and for others trying to get pregnant, and curious to learn more about endocrine disruptors and the effects of diet…
on “Falling sperm counts, declining egg quality, and endocrine disruptors” ↗That's interesting: Does Honest Co. make Honest Tea? Because last time I was looking at Honest Tea (or however it may be spelled), every variety had added sugar. Which is not good: https://www.amazon.com/Case-Against-Sugar-Gary-Taubes/dp/030.... If their sweetened tea is any indication, they may be caught in the uncanny valley where normal people still drink soda and people who've gotten the news about sugar won't drink…
on “Jessica Alba's Honest Co. Slashes Its Valuation” ↗…physical shape. He's blind to alternatives. It is unbecoming of a man of science to be so tied to a possibly-incorrect view of such an important topic. Consider: https://josh.works/notes-gary-taubes-case-against-sugar
on “Falling sperm counts, declining egg quality, and endocrine disruptors” ↗Competitive pressure. Gary Taubes in his books "The Case Against Sugar" and "Good Calories, Bad Calories" mentioned the competition between Kellogg's, Post and other cereal brands. While it's hard to believe today, Kellogg's was founded by a health nut who was eager on…
on “'Our minds can be hijacked': tech insiders who fear a smartphone dystopia” ↗