Maybe It IS The New Trans-Fat
July 14, 2013 4:37 AM Subscribe
Princeton researchers find that high-fructose corn syrup prompts considerably more weight gain. A Princeton University research team has demonstrated that all sweeteners are not equal when it comes to weight gain: Rats with access to high-fructose corn syrup gained significantly more weight than those with access to table sugar, even when their overall caloric intake was the same. Maybe it is the new trans-fat after all...
This post was deleted for the following reason: Looks like this is sort of old news that we've discussed before. If there's something new to add, you can go ahead and rework this and post again tomorrow. -- taz
Wow, almost as dangerous as Omega 3 from fish oil!
Strange times.
posted by spitbull at 4:50 AM on July 14, 2013
Strange times.
posted by spitbull at 4:50 AM on July 14, 2013
All this food-industry propaganda about how HFCS is really the same thing as sugar because they're both just Glucose and Fructose, right? makes me sick. Yes, and a mixture of hydrogen and oxygen should be used to deal with fires because it's the same as water.
posted by BigLankyBastard at 4:51 AM on July 14, 2013
posted by BigLankyBastard at 4:51 AM on July 14, 2013
The Princeton article is from 2010 and has been discussed here before, and the Time article is from 2008. Is there something new that I should be aware of?
(How did I remember that I read that article? It was the picture. The weirdly fake pose of the professor and his "Charlie's Angels" research team is somehow burned into my brain.)
posted by sixohsix at 5:02 AM on July 14, 2013 [3 favorites]
(How did I remember that I read that article? It was the picture. The weirdly fake pose of the professor and his "Charlie's Angels" research team is somehow burned into my brain.)
posted by sixohsix at 5:02 AM on July 14, 2013 [3 favorites]
Jesus fucking Christ.
Not only does the Princton 'Press Release' fail to link to the research its discussing, the most basic of fucking expectations for any article on scientific research, but half of the two clues it almost accidentally sprinkles in are wrong. Here is a copy of the actual fucking article,
1Or the title and either the first author or journal.
posted by Blasdelb at 5:03 AM on July 14, 2013 [4 favorites]
Not only does the Princton 'Press Release' fail to link to the research its discussing, the most basic of fucking expectations for any article on scientific research, but half of the two clues it almost accidentally sprinkles in are wrong. Here is a copy of the actual fucking article,
High-fructose corn syrup causes characteristics of obesity in rats: Increased body weight, body fat and triglyceride levels [HTML], or if you prefer [PDF]As always if any of you would like any articles related to this academic discussion we are currently having but are not open access please feel free to memail me with a link to the abstract1, an email address I can send a PDF to, and a promise not to distribute that PDF further.
Miriam E. Bocarsly, Elyse S. Powell, Nicole M. Avena, Bartley G. Hoebel
High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) accounts for as much as 40% of caloric sweeteners used in the United States. Some studies have shown that short-term access to HFCS can cause increased body weight, but the findings are mixed. The current study examined both short- and long-term effects of HFCS on body weight, body fat, and circulating triglycerides. In Experiment 1, male Sprague–Dawley rats were maintained for short term (8 weeks) on (1) 12 h/day of 8% HFCS, (2) 12 h/day 10% sucrose, (3) 24 h/day HFCS, all with ad libitum rodent chow, or (4) ad libitum chow alone. Rats with 12-h access to HFCS gained significantly more body weight than animals given equal access to 10% sucrose, even though they consumed the same number of total calories, but fewer calories from HFCS than sucrose. In Experiment 2, the long-term effects of HFCS on body weight and obesogenic parameters, as well as gender differences, were explored. Over the course of 6 or 7 months, both male and female rats with access to HFCS gained significantly more body weight than control groups. This increase in body weight with HFCS was accompanied by an increase in adipose fat, notably in the abdominal region, and elevated circulating triglyceride levels. Translated to humans, these results suggest that excessive consumption of HFCS may contribute to the incidence of obesity.
1Or the title and either the first author or journal.
posted by Blasdelb at 5:03 AM on July 14, 2013 [4 favorites]
sixohsix: "(How did I remember that I read that article? It was the picture. The weirdly fake pose of the professor and his "Charlie's Angels" research team is somehow burned into my brain."
FYI, you're not the only one. I opened the article, saw the photo and said "Waaaaait a minute! I know this!"
posted by barnacles at 5:03 AM on July 14, 2013
FYI, you're not the only one. I opened the article, saw the photo and said "Waaaaait a minute! I know this!"
posted by barnacles at 5:03 AM on July 14, 2013
Having recently had my own lab and summer intern crew filmed and photographed by the university PR crew, I can report it is an exercise in hilarity. These are photographers/videographers who work for the school. They have seen hundreds of real labs. And yet they had us pose in the most absurd and stereotypical ways possible as "middle-aged male professor sharing wisdom with his attractive young students" and "handling dusty old archives."
Never ever assume one of those pr images bears any relation to reality. In fact, prof is probably off in his office desperately trying to understand the compliance paperwork for his federal grants while interns are jamming out and tossing rare archive materials around like a frisbee.
posted by spitbull at 5:13 AM on July 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Never ever assume one of those pr images bears any relation to reality. In fact, prof is probably off in his office desperately trying to understand the compliance paperwork for his federal grants while interns are jamming out and tossing rare archive materials around like a frisbee.
posted by spitbull at 5:13 AM on July 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
It is also generic for university press offices to issue press releases describing faculty research in the most exaggerated and sensationalistic ways possible, to the cringing embarrassment of the researchers. For this summer's puff piece on my projects I had to basically rewrite the article for them three times, and it is still cringeworthy.
posted by spitbull at 5:18 AM on July 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by spitbull at 5:18 AM on July 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
Also do note that despite the visual language of the photo and the implication of the article, the three "angels" in that photo are listed as the lead authors of the paper, with Herr Doktor listed last.
posted by spitbull at 5:22 AM on July 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by spitbull at 5:22 AM on July 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
An LA Times blogger isn't terribly convinced, but in picking at smaller things, it seems to be missing the point. This is a rat study, so it doesn't reflect human metabolism anyway. The point is the HFCS acts differently at all, and may do so in humans too.
However, the 12/24 hour difference makes me think that there's the possibility of interesting relationships between timing of feeding and weight gain, related to hormonal (insulin etc.) responses to food.
posted by Llama-Lime at 5:24 AM on July 14, 2013
However, the 12/24 hour difference makes me think that there's the possibility of interesting relationships between timing of feeding and weight gain, related to hormonal (insulin etc.) responses to food.
posted by Llama-Lime at 5:24 AM on July 14, 2013
"These are photographers/videographers who work for the school. They have seen hundreds of real labs. And yet they had us pose in the most absurd and stereotypical ways possible as "middle-aged male professor sharing wisdom with his attractive young students" and "handling dusty old archives.""
You mean the woman in the forground probably doesn't spend most of her time wearing gloves while staring absent mindedly at harmless falcon tubes of orange media that clearly aren't kept sterile? You don't say...
posted by Blasdelb at 5:26 AM on July 14, 2013
You mean the woman in the forground probably doesn't spend most of her time wearing gloves while staring absent mindedly at harmless falcon tubes of orange media that clearly aren't kept sterile? You don't say...
posted by Blasdelb at 5:26 AM on July 14, 2013
Also do note that despite the visual language of the photo and the implication of the article, the three "angels" in that photo are listed as the lead authors of the paper, with Herr Doktor listed last.
I'm in an 'we alphabetise, damn it' subject, so I don't know if that means we conclude his name is on the paper just because it was his lab or if it means it was his lab, so he gets bumped to the end.
posted by hoyland at 5:27 AM on July 14, 2013
I'm in an 'we alphabetise, damn it' subject, so I don't know if that means we conclude his name is on the paper just because it was his lab or if it means it was his lab, so he gets bumped to the end.
posted by hoyland at 5:27 AM on July 14, 2013
You mean the woman in the forground probably doesn't spend most of her time wearing gloves while staring absent mindedly at harmless falcon tubes of orange media that clearly aren't kept sterile? You don't say...Well, she was an undergrad at the time so let's not jump to conclusions.
posted by aw_yiss at 5:27 AM on July 14, 2013
Someone needs to make a tumblr of stupid lab pr photos, amirite? Better than weird violin holds!
posted by spitbull at 5:30 AM on July 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
posted by spitbull at 5:30 AM on July 14, 2013 [1 favorite]
"It was the picture. The weirdly fake pose of the professor and his "Charlie's Angels" research team is somehow burned into my brain."
When male professors in a position of power hire a "bevy of female subordinates, competent but less threatening than an equal number of bright young men," we call it the Harem effect after “Pickering's Harem”—an all female staff of a dozen or more to assist in his research program to gather and analyse stellar spectra. Erwin Smith's lab was also a classic example and Felix D'Herelle's old 'harem' still runs the Eliava Institute.
posted by Blasdelb at 5:34 AM on July 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
When male professors in a position of power hire a "bevy of female subordinates, competent but less threatening than an equal number of bright young men," we call it the Harem effect after “Pickering's Harem”—an all female staff of a dozen or more to assist in his research program to gather and analyse stellar spectra. Erwin Smith's lab was also a classic example and Felix D'Herelle's old 'harem' still runs the Eliava Institute.
posted by Blasdelb at 5:34 AM on July 14, 2013 [2 favorites]
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posted by graymouser at 4:44 AM on July 14, 2013