Insulin Scientist Reveals the Best Sweetener for Reducing Belly Fat - Dr. Bikman

Summary

In this discussion, Dr. Ben Bman explores the impact of artificial and natural sweeteners on insulin levels and weight loss. He highlights Allulose as a preferred sweetener due to its potential to increase insulin and promote satiety without spiking blood sugar. The conversation also touches on the varying effects of different sweeteners, such as sucralose and aspartame, and their influence on appetite and metabolic processes.

Takeaways

• 🥤 The speaker prefers diet sodas without sucrose due to its excessive sweetness and potential to cross the blood-brain barrier.
• 🔍 There's a debate on the impact of artificial sweeteners on insulin levels, even though they lack calories.
• 📚 The speaker recommends RX sugar, an allulose brand, for its health benefits and taste, and shares a discount code for listeners.
• 🍫 RX sugar offers a range of products like chocolate sticks and sweeteners that could satisfy sweet cravings without spiking blood sugar.
• 🧬 The discussion highlights the complexity of how different sweeteners affect insulin response, with some potentially causing an insulin spike and others not.
• 🏋️‍♂️ The speaker mentions personal experiences and observations on how sweeteners can influence appetite and food choices.
• 🧪 The script references scientific studies and expert opinions to discuss the metabolic effects of sweeteners, including allulose's impact on fat oxidation and insulin response.
• 🍰 The benefits of allulose are compared to other sweeteners, with a focus on its potential to increase mitochondrial uncoupling and reduce uric acid levels, aiding in fat loss.
• 🌟 Allulose is positioned as a standout sweetener due to its minimal metabolic impact and its ability to stimulate satiety through GLP-1 pathways.
• 🤔 The speaker acknowledges individual differences in how people react to sweeteners, suggesting that some may experience increased cravings after consuming them.

Q & A

Why does the speaker prefer diet sodas without sucrose?

The speaker prefers diet sodas without sucrose because sucrose is too sweet for their taste and they are cautious about the potential for sucrose to cross the blood-brain barrier.

What is the speaker's opinion on artificial sweeteners and insulin?

The speaker believes that while artificial sweeteners don't have calories, there is evidence suggesting they might impact insulin levels, which is not typically expected from non-nutritive substances.

What is RX sugar and why does the speaker endorse it?

RX sugar is a brand that uses allulose as a sweetener. The speaker endorses it because they are familiar with the owner and the company's team of medical advisers, and they believe in the quality of the product.

What is the 'caloric phase of insulin' mentioned in the script?

The 'caloric phase of insulin' refers to the body's anticipatory insulin response to sweetness, preparing for the glucose intake that naturally accompanies sweetness in foods, even when the sweetener itself does not cause a glucose spike.

How does the consumption of allulose, as mentioned in the script, potentially affect blood sugar levels?

Consuming allulose might not raise blood sugar levels and could even cause a slight decrease, especially when compared to sugar. It may also help stabilize blood sugar when consumed with other carbohydrates.

What is the role of GLP-1 in the context of sweeteners as discussed in the script?

GLP-1 (Glucagon-like peptide 1) is a hormone that stimulates insulin secretion and reduces glucagon secretion, which can affect satiety and fat oxidation. The script suggests that allulose may promote a greater sense of satiety through its GLP-1 effect.

Why does the speaker consider some sweeteners to have a 'self-limiting effect'?

The speaker refers to allulose as having a 'self-limiting effect' because it may increase feelings of fullness through its GLP-1 effect, which could reduce the desire to consume more sweet or carbohydrate-rich foods.

What is the significance of mitochondrial uncoupling in the context of the script?

Mitochondrial uncoupling is significant because it refers to a state where the mitochondria in cells become less efficient at converting energy, leading to increased energy expenditure and potentially aiding in weight loss and fat oxidation.

How does the speaker view the consumption of sweeteners in relation to appetite control?

The speaker believes that the impact of sweeteners on appetite control can vary by individual. For some, sweeteners might trigger a rebound craving for carbohydrates, while for others, they might help control appetite without causing subsequent overeating.

What is the speaker's stance on soluble corn fiber as a sweetener?

The speaker is generally an advocate for soluble fibers, including those that may have a sweet taste. They suggest that these fibers can be beneficial, especially for those who consume carbohydrates, as they can stimulate GLP-1 and aid in appetite control.

Outlines

00:00

🥤 Personal Preferences on Diet Sodas

The speaker begins by discussing their personal choice in diet sodas, favoring those without sucrose due to its excessive sweetness. They mention their preference for Diet Dr Pepper and express concerns over sucrose's ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. The paragraph also delves into the effects of artificial sweeteners on insulin levels, despite the lack of calories. The speaker shares a link to their favorite allulose brand, RX sugar, and discusses the brand's high-quality products, including chocolate sticks that could satisfy sweet cravings without spiking blood sugar. A discount code is provided for RX sugar products.

05:02

🍬 Impact of Sweeteners on Insulin and Appetite

This section explores the impact of non-nutritive sweeteners on insulin levels, even though they lack calories. The speaker discusses the varying effects of different sweeteners on insulin response, noting that most do not directly cause an insulin spike but can amplify the response when consumed with carbohydrates. The role of the microbiome in how sweeteners are processed is also mentioned. The speaker then shares their perspective on sweeteners, suggesting that they can be acceptable if they do not lead to increased carbohydrate consumption, and highlights allulose as a sweetener that may promote satiety and have beneficial effects on fat oxidation.

10:04

🏃‍♂️ Sweeteners and Their Effects on Different Individuals

The speaker differentiates between two types of sweetener consumers: those who consume diet sodas with fast food and those who use sweeteners to control their appetite. They discuss how some individuals may experience an increase in appetite after consuming sweeteners, while others do not. The paragraph emphasizes the importance of self-awareness when using sweeteners and the potential benefits of allulose for fat loss due to its effects on GLP-1 and fat oxidation.

15:05

🚗 Metaphorical Explanation of Mitochondrial Function and Uncoupling

Using the analogy of a manual transmission car, the speaker explains the concept of mitochondrial coupling and uncoupling. They discuss how insulin affects mitochondrial function in fat tissue and how ketones can lead to increased mitochondrial uncoupling, which may aid in weight loss. The paragraph also touches on the potential benefits of allulose for fat loss, including its effects on mitochondrial uncoupling and fat oxidation.

20:06

🍫 Benefits of Allulose for Fat Loss and Uric Acid Reduction

The speaker discusses unpublished observations suggesting that allulose consumption can significantly reduce uric acid levels, which may aid in fat loss. They compare allulose to fructose, highlighting how allulose occupies similar transporters without the negative metabolic effects. The paragraph also mentions the potential for allulose to help control appetite and its effects on blood sugar levels, citing personal anecdotes and experiences with the sweetener.

25:07

🍬 Ranking of Sweeteners and Their Metabolic Effects

In this section, the speaker ranks various sweeteners based on their metabolic effects, placing allulose at the top. They discuss the processing of sugar alcohols like xylitol and erythritol, which are mostly excreted in urine, and compare them to natural sweeteners like stevia and monk fruit extract. The speaker also addresses concerns over aspartame and sucralose, ultimately favoring allulose for its minimal metabolic impact and potential health benefits.

30:07

🌽 Perspectives on Soluble Fibers and Their Role in GLP-1 Stimulation

The speaker advocates for the consumption of fiber, particularly soluble fibers, which can stimulate the release of GLP-1, a hormone associated with weight loss and appetite control. They discuss the benefits of fibers like inulin and fructooligosaccharides, despite their initial bloating effects, and how they can be adapted to over time. The paragraph concludes with a mention of the speaker's background in GLP-1 research and their belief in leveraging this hormone through diet for health benefits.

Keywords

💡Sucrose

Sucrose, commonly known as table sugar, is a disaccharide sugar made of glucose and fructose. In the video, the speaker expresses a preference for diet sodas that do not contain sucrose, as it is too sweet for their taste. The script also mentions concerns about sucrose's ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, which could have implications for health, although this is noted as a point of speculation rather than established fact.

💡Artificial Sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are substances that provide a sweet taste without the calories of sugar. They are used in diet sodas and other low-calorie products. The script discusses the potential impact of artificial sweeteners on insulin levels, despite the lack of calories, which is a topic of ongoing debate and research in nutrition science.

💡Insulin

Insulin is a hormone that regulates blood sugar levels by promoting the absorption of glucose into cells. The video script explores the intriguing possibility that non-nutritive sweeteners might affect insulin levels, even in the absence of caloric intake, which challenges conventional understanding of insulin response.

💡Allulose

Allulose is a rare sugar that is similar to fructose but is less sweet and has fewer calories. It is highlighted in the script as a preferred sweetener due to its potential to lower blood sugar and promote satiety without spiking insulin levels. The speaker also mentions a personal connection with the brand RX sugar, which produces allulose-based products.

💡GLP-1

Glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) is a hormone that stimulates insulin release and reduces glucagon secretion, thereby helping to control blood sugar levels. The script discusses how certain sweeteners, including allulose, may stimulate GLP-1, which could contribute to feelings of fullness and potentially aid in weight management.

💡Sugar Alcohols

Sugar alcohols, such as xylitol, maltitol, and sorbitol, provide sweetness while containing fewer calories than sugar. They are used in low-calorie foods and drinks. The script differentiates between sugar alcohols, noting that some can cause digestive issues due to their osmotic effect in the gut, while others like erythritol are better tolerated.

💡Mitochondrial Uncoupling

Mitochondrial uncoupling refers to the process where the mitochondria, the cell's energy-producing structures, become less efficient at converting fuel into ATP, leading to increased heat production and potentially higher metabolic rates. The video script suggests that allulose may promote mitochondrial uncoupling in fat cells, which could enhance fat oxidation and support weight loss.

💡Fat Oxidation

Fat oxidation is the process by which fats are broken down into energy within the body. The script mentions that allulose might enhance fat oxidation, which could be beneficial for weight management and improving metabolic health.

💡Uric Acid

Uric acid is a waste product that can lead to health issues like gout if levels become too high. The video suggests that allulose consumption may help lower uric acid levels, which could be beneficial for individuals with hyperuricemia.

💡Soluble Fiber

Soluble fiber is a type of dietary fiber that dissolves in water and helps with digestion and blood sugar control. The script briefly touches on soluble fibers, particularly those that have a sweet taste, as potentially beneficial for both gut health and appetite regulation due to their ability to stimulate GLP-1.

Highlights

Preference for diet sodas without sucrose due to its excessive sweetness.

Concerns over sucrose's ability to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Discussion on the impact of artificial sweeteners on insulin levels.

Mention of a link to a favorite allulose brand, RX sugar.

Introduction of RX sugar's chocolate sticks as a candy bar alternative.

Personal anecdote on the potential of allulose to lower blood sugar.

Promotion of a 20% discount for RX sugar products.

Insight into the debate on artificial vs. natural sweeteners and their metabolic effects.

Explanation of the 'calic phase' of insulin response to sweet tastes.

The role of gut microbiome in determining insulin response to sweeteners.

Different reactions to sweeteners based on individual's tendency to crave more carbs.

Advocacy for allulose as a self-correcting sweetener due to its satiety-promoting effects.

Allulose's potential to influence fat oxidation and metabolic rate.

Unpublished observations on allulose's impact on reducing uric acid levels.

Comparison of allulose to fructose as a 'good twin' with less negative metabolic effects.

Recommendation of RX sugar's brownie mix as a convenient allulose product.

Discussion on the glycemic response to different sweeteners and their ranking.

Personal ranking of sweeteners with allulose at the top, followed by Stevia and monk fruit extract.

Defense of aspartame against common misconceptions regarding its safety.

Concerns over sucralose due to its potential to cross the blood-brain barrier.

Advocacy for soluble fibers and their role in stimulating glp1 for weight management.

Transcripts

if I'm going to indulge in a diet soda

I'm going to I personally pick the one

that doesn't have the sucrose in it but

I confess it's partly just because I

don't like sucrose is a little too sweet

for me that if I'm going to have a diet

Dr Pepper which is my preferred diet

soda Indulgence I like the diet I don't

like the zero the zero kind of brand

because that usually has sucrose in it

and that's just a little too sweet and

again that little evidence of it having

the ability to cross the bloodb brain

barrier is just enough to give me a

little pause Dr Ben bman I want to talk

about the effect of artificial

sweeteners on insulin MH because these

things don't have calories non-nutritive

sweeteners but there's some evidence

that it can have an impact on insulin

which would normally only we would see a

protein or sugar or something what is

going on there I put a link down below

for my favorite allulose brand it's

called RX sugar they've been around for

a while I'm a good friend to the owner

Steve and he's a really cool guy that

put together a real serious Dream Team

when it came down to like medical

advisers and advisers in general so I'm

happy to be a part of what they're doing

but they're also some really good

tasting chocolate sticks these are

called their swy sticks now they put

these out on the market to sort of be an

alternative for people to be able to

have sort of a candy bar like thing the

best way that I can compare it and I

have to be careful saying this is kind

of like a Twix Spar I that's how they

are they're like a stick and then you

bite into them they kind of have a

little bit of a crunch and they have the

gooiness they've got a caramel flavor

they've got a chocolate flavor a vanilla

flavor a chocolate mint flavor my

personal favorite is the chocolate

caramel one but bottom line I put a 20%

off discount link so if you go to RX

sugar.com

discount td20 which that link is just

down below that's going to get you 20%

off whatever you want but I definitely

recommend you try the chocolate sticks

because if you're someone that craves

something sweet you could be literally

surprised that when you eat one of these

sticks your blood sugar might even go

down if you had it with some sugar so if

you were to eat one of these sticks

possibly with something that had some

sugar in it you might find that your

blood sugar stays stable not to mention

potentially some of the other stuff that

I'm talking about here with fatty acid

transport so really wild stuff so you

use the code td20 and I'm telling you

these things are the closest thing that

you're going to get to an actual candy

bar without all the chaos and metabolic

distress that comes with a real candy

bar but they also have good stuff too

they have their uh sweeteners that you

can use like a syrup for coffee they

have their regular stick packs that are

just straight up alos granulated alos so

all that is down below so that link Top

Line of the description underneath this

video please check out RX sugar and also

check out the Dream Team like Dr Dom de

austino and some of the others that are

on The Advisory board right yes so in

fact this is such a debated topic pardon

the Shameless plug here in my book why

we get sick all about insulin resistance

I actually devote a whole section to um

to this to the the topic of what is the

metabolic consequence to this artificial

or even a natural sweetener but

these are these molecules of course that

when they hit our mouth they taste sweet

they activate those same sensors or

receptors that that fructose would

because in nature generally the only

thing that is sweet is fructose so they

mimic this effect and yet as you noted

there's no subsequent glucose Spike um

or amino acid Spike certain amino acids

can be insulinogenic in certain

circumstances and so how do we reconcile

that um with that topic alone which was

the focus that I incorporated into that

section of my book I focused on this the

calic phase of of of insulin or the

calic insulin response so the calic

insulin response is this idea that when

you taste something sweet it's the

brain's

anticipation of the hypoglycemia that

should come from that should come with

that because again in nature there's

nothing sweet that's not coming with

some form of carbohydrate always it

would come with a carbohydrate and so

it's rational for the brain to signal to

the pancreas

hey get ready there's something coming

and so the pancreas could start to

trickle out some insulin almost as an

anticipation this kind of anticipatory

response or uh to what it what it's

expecting but we faked we've tricked the

body here and that's where the sweetener

comes in again whether it's artificial

um like aspartame or sucralose or

whether it's a natural sweetener like um

monk fruit or monk fruit extract or

Stevia or a different category

altogether a rare sugar like allulose

unfortunately it's not as simple as

saying all sweeteners or rare sugars

have been shown to elicit a calic phase

of insulin because not all do um and

moreover um some that don't elicit like

sucrose on its own a pure load of

sucrose will have generally no insulin

response now however to complicate even

that part of the answer there is rodent

studies to show part of what can

determine the calic phase of the insulin

response to a sweetener is the microb

iome and so it could be that someone's

inherent gut bacteria Alters the

digestion of that sweetener or the

response and some person may drink

sucrose and not have an insulin response

which would be more common whereas

someone might drink sucrose and actually

get a calic insulin response so you have

some sweeteners that won't have an

insulin response on their own which is

the majority of them most sweeteners

whether they're artificial natural or

the rare sugar allulose will not elicit

an insulin

response most of them won't um some

sucrose maybe a little bit some of the

sugar alcohols will like arth uh not

ariol um like manitol malol those ones

are generally more on the insulin

spiking side but even having said that

some of them can amplify if you take

them with the glucose load it will dial

it up so if you eat a glucose load and

you got it say let's say an insulin

response that was an eight now you take

it with this sweet sweener and it went

up to an 11 you know on a scale of let's

say 1 to 20 um which I'm just totally

making up so while some might not elicit

an insulin response on their own they

may amplify the insulin response to a

carbohydrate load but again it's not as

clearcut as saying that they all do that

on

average I have admittedly a bit of a

mixed view when it comes to sweeteners

um because in some people if the

sweetener drives a person to eat more

carbs then it's problematic um if a

person is able to enjoy that sweetener

and if they're being honest with

themselves it does not stimulate

subsequent um kind of Scavenging eating

behaviors to want to find something

sweet over the following 12 or so hours

then I would say that's a person who can

handle it fine and I don't know what the

difference is between some people but we

know that that happens there are some

people who when they consume a zeroc

calorie sweet taste that a few hours

later they have a much stronger CR

for carbohydrate it's almost like the

brain is now demanding saying hey you

tricked me you said you told me through

what I felt in our mouth that we were

going to get a carbohydrate load and it

never came now I am driving you to do

this some people just don't have that

and they can weather the storm well so

my view on sweeten ners is pretty benign

or indifferent and then when it comes to

a population of people who want to

maintain or improve their insulin

resistance then it becomes a matter of

in if what is the sub what is the is

there a rebound

demand for filling that carbohydrate Gap

that your brain perceives if there isn't

then it would be fine but as we I would

say it would be generally okay but if we

look across those

sweeteners one of the reasons I become

an Unapologetic in uh Advocate or

Adventurer studying allulose like

literally we just published a paper on

it we're doing a human study now on it

is because it actually appears to be the

most self-correcting of all of them that

of all the sweeteners

allulose tends to promote a greater

sense of satiety than any of the others

and that could be because of its gp1

effect everyone's familiar with gp1 now

of course I've had my finger on the

pulse of those drugs since their

Inception almost in the in the kind of

late 90s early 2000s but anytime glp1

goes up it will stimulate satiety very

powerfully that might be why alose

appears to be kind of gaining so much

ground as a as a sugar replacement as a

rare sugar it's not technically a

sweetener um but with all the others I'm

pretty diplomatic about it like if

someone says well I really like

aspartame I really like sucralose I'm I

I would just say to both of them that's

great what do you do after you eat that

or you drink it more often after you

drank that or what are you getting it

with like if someone if they're going

out and they would say well I'm going to

get a burger and a Coke or I'm going to

get a um but now I'm going to get a Diet

Coke and because I'm getting a Diet Coke

now I'm going to get an order of fries

you know so they end up that also

becomes a complication um if the if the

diet version or the rare sugar sweetener

version is a pure replacement and it's

not being it's not acting as a way to

incorporate other things like say a box

of fries on the side that they wouldn't

have otherwise gotten that I think is a

good step and if it doesn't stimulate

further consumption later consumption of

refined starches and sugars then I would

say the person's doing it well whether

they do it or not I don't have strong

feelings on but you know as you and I

mentioned in a side conversation if you

were to tell someone that they could

never have something sweet again um

because they want to be ketogenic let's

say then many people would just say well

then forget it I'm not going to do it

but if there is someone who's adhering

to a say a low carb diet to get off

their diabetes medications as a type 2

diabetic and they say one of the ways

that helps me do this is I drink this

diet soda or or this other pack of

electrolytes with this sweetener in it

or something I'd say well that's great

don't stop you know you're doing it well

I wouldn't want them to think that

that's a uniform evil um to be consuming

this you know rare sugar or

sweetener it's interesting because you

the way you describe this there's I've

noticed there's almost two categories of

people that consume artificial

sweeteners or even natural sweeteners

whatever um I'm sure it's more complex

than two categories of people but it's

what I noticed right there's the people

that go to fast food and hit their diet

coke with their because it's habit and

they're making a slightly better

decision than maybe having the Coke and

then there's people I guess I'd even put

like myself where like I I understand

the impact of sugar and I'm not going to

go have a Diet Coke with a burger um but

I might have something that has

artificial sweetener I might have a Diet

Coke throughout a period of time when

I'm not eating because I want to sip on

something sweet and no way is

influencing me to go eat more it's a way

that I'm saying like oh I'm going to

have an ariol sweetened beverage or I'm

going to have this because I feel like

having a treat and it's also going to

make it so that I don't want to go eat

like I'm having it instead of eating so

I think that's the big difference there

some people will have these diet drinks

and say okay well I'm having this with

my meal with practically no regard to

how it's influencing their appetite and

things like that and then there's people

that are actually doing it to control

their appetite and they're aware of it

so if I ever have a Diet Coke it's

because I walking around at a theme park

or something I'd rather sip on a diet

coke than be tempted to grab a funnel

cake yep no tot that's fact you just

describ the way I use this myself that

for me it is only ever just all right

this is a moment of

indulgence um and I think we're both

perhaps aware enough of our behavior

that we would be able to notice a trend

hey look anytime I drink this diet coke

I really start craving the funnel cake

after but if some people are being

honest with themselves that's exactly

how it works so those individuals I

think need to be much more cautious with

their use of sweeteners or anything

sweet in some people tasting something

sweet just unleashes the Beast

and then it becomes almost impossible to

cage it back up and those individuals

need to be careful but even then if if

they still say well forget about it I'm

going to have something then I would say

it is worth trying it's worth

experimenting with alos then which

really does tend to have this um sort of

self-limiting effect perhaps because of

the glp1 stimulus where it's you you

don't want to eat any more than you just

ate whereas you know for me um I could

drink 44 ounces of die do pepper and

want another one right after um because

the Aspartame is just so it's so easy

it's so smooth kind of going down

because alosis I think it's slightly

less sweet than sugar so you don't get

this like insane hit of it all right so

Ben when people talk about alose there's

a obviously a a common discussion on the

you know the gp1 effect on the uh

glucose modulation effect but there's

also an impact on fat oxidation as well

at least it seems I think you and I have

both looked same paper and um it seems

kind of interesting that actually could

influence our rates of fat oxidation how

does that potentially happen right right

well in fact I actually think you

mentioned a leading candidate at least

so there were two two things probably

that explained this and just by way of

speaking with some Authority we just

published a rodent paper that we looked

at this we actually measured um we

measured at least mitochondrial function

so the the kind of most uh simplest

purest form of metabolic rate in tissues

multiple Tiss tissues and not only did

we find that the animals so these

animals had an option they had a western

diet which is high fat high carb very

much like the global diet um that

everyone eats from Singapore to the US

and everywhere in between so they had

this Western diet and it was sweetened

in they had water with stevia um or

water with allulose and the animals that

were eating the Western diet of course

got much fatter than the animals eating

the standard animal diet you know they

stay very lean um animals but the

animals that were eating alose were

significantly leaner than the animals

getting the stevia with their Western

diet um and they ate a lot less they

also had a much higher rate of a much

higher metabolic rate in their fat

tissue so what we found was a by

measuring some ATP markers ATP numbers

we determined that there was a greater

degree of mitochondrial uncoupling in

the atopos tissue of the animals that

were getting the allulose and how you

know where did so as a brief tangent

uncoupling is this I always invoke the

idea of a of an old stick shift car um

which you know i' I just replaced it but

when I was driving my old Subaru 1998

Outback I wouldn't even lock the doors

on campus Because a student couldn't

drive away with it because it was a

5-speed manual transmission and no one

can drive them these days but anyone who

knows the manual transmission knows that

there's three pedals you got that other

dreaded clutch on the far left side so

when we look at the engine I mean if

you're looking at the car the panel in

front of you you have these speedometer

and then you have the RPMs of the engine

normally uh normally if you are revving

the engine you are moving the car and so

we would say that the engine is very

coupled to the movement of the car and

so that that's very much the idea of how

the mitochondria work where the

mitochondria their main job is to create

ATP the main molecule of energy or the

molecule of a cell getting any kind of

work done ATP enables that work but to

get the ATP you have to get through some

energy you have to get through some fats

and some glucose products so that's the

electron transport part of it where you

are you're kind of generating the thrust

that is ultimately leveraged to create

the ATP that is very much analogous to

I'm revving the engine and I'm moving

the car the car movement would be

analogous to the production of ATP the

revving of the engine would be basically

breaking down the the the the calor the

caloric substrate the fats and the

glucose so um what affect through a

series of papers that my lab has

published previously um and other papers

that have existed from the early 1900s

we um we know that fat tissue can have a

varying level of mitochondrial coupling

so how efficient are the mitochondria

working this would be and when insulin

goes up the mitochondria and fat tissue

get very tightly coupled in other words

the fat cell is only burning what it

absolute must burn in order to create

however much ATP the fat cell needs

which is very little the fat cell has a

little a low metabolic rate but it's

being very miserly very careful very

efficient however when ketones are

elevated we we've published papers on

this from animal models to cell cultures

to human biopsy taking biopsies of human

fat tissue if a human is in ketosis

their metabolic rate of their fat tissue

is about three times higher than when

they're not in ketosis and that can add

up on a normal weight individual fat

tissues about 8% of their metabolic rate

so that can be meaning ful effect but

even still now basically back to the

analogy of the car whereas normal fat

tissue is you rev the engine and you're

moving the car it is very tightly

coupled the RPMs with the speedometer in

contrast when ketones are up and I'll

come back to the alos in just a second

now you're revving the engine but you

keep you're keeping a foot on the clutch

and so now you're not really moving that

much so the RPMs are going up but the

car is still just barely moving you know

when it had been coupled we would have

really been moving we would have been

hauling down the road revving the engine

getting those RPMs but now we're riding

the clutch a little bit um but so the

engine is revving we're burning fuel but

we're not really getting a lot of work

done for it that is I believe a great

way to understand mitochondrial

uncoupling and when ketones are high fat

cell mitochondria are more uncoupled

which is a very beneficial scenario to

lose weight now interestingly some

astute listener may be thinking well

what about other mitochondria we've

actually published papers on that too

and when ketones are high muscle cell

mitochondria are as efficiently coupled

as ever so the ketones are selectively

causing an uncoupling of the fat cell

mitochondria not something like muscle

cell mitochondria which is a benefit if

you want to go out and get a lot of

exercise done then ketones would be

problematic if they're making the muscle

less efficient and the muscle just

wasting energy but that appears to be a

pretty fat specific phenomenon now back

to the study allulose we found

significantly greater mitochondrial

uncoupling in these animals it could

have been a function of the higher

ketones because they were just eating

less they had much better insulin

control but also likely a direct effect

of glp1 so as much glp1 has multiple

effects throughout the body and this is

evidenced most especially with these

glp1 based weight loss drugs like you

know wovi and OIC and all these other

ones nowadays one of the reasons they do

cause substantial fat gain and I do not

mean for this to sound like an open

endorsement of them is that glp1 when

it's activated or that pathway is

activated in the case of these drugs it

does cause direct fatty acid oxidation

and and so it has a direct effect of

stimulating fat burning uh in fact this

is one of the reasons why let me let me

back that up it does help with beta

oxidation but it facilitates lipolysis

first so it has a direct effect on the

fat cell of stimulating lipolysis gp1

does and then it has a direct effect at

stimulating the burning or the o

oxidation of those fats as well um Dr

Mark fredman one of the leading

authorities in obesity research for

decades suggests that that actually

could be one of the important components

of the hunger controlling effects of

glp1 drugs that if you are stimulating

fat cells to release more fat the brain

senses even if the brain's not using it

the brain can monitor that energy and it

says oh boy the blood we are flushed

with energy right now we don't need to

eat as much and so that could be one of

the mechanisms whereby glp1 is

suppressing um appetite you know helping

the person lose more weight by eating

less so to bring a full circle I do

think You' mentioned even in the

question that one of the mechanisms

whereby alose May particularly be

helpful for fat loss is probably the

glp1 effect now that was the main one

actually when I first started this

answer I had a second idea in mind which

is that this is not published yet this

is unpublished anecdotal observations

but they are substantial so I'm

comfortable mentioning them

alilo consumption drastically reduces

uric acid uric acid levels you take

someone who is just

stubbornly in this kind of hyper uremia

or high uric acid levels I know people

multiple individuals who the only one

thing they do is they start consuming

more allulose and their uric acid levels

just plummet in a way that nothing has

helped with now there are Myriad

mechanisms that may explain that

including allulose changing the way the

body is metabolizing fructose because

fructose metabolism is the main source

ofc acid um and Dr Rick Johnson from the

University of Colorado is the authority

on this and indeed he's a collaborator

on some studies I'm doing with uric acid

and alose so the more alose is consumed

the further uric acid drops and the more

uric acid drops the more the body can

burn fat because uric acid disrupts that

process interesting and then you combine

that with well I mean I guess it's

combined but also it is in part of the

fact that I mean allulose essentially

occupies some of the same transporter as

that fructose like the glue does yep so

in

essence more than just what's happening

here more than what's just happening in

the periphery I mean literally in the GI

literally everything that's like from

Soup To Nuts it's like almost as though

the body I don't want to say it thinks

it's fructose but it's almost an

impostor of fructose yeah that's right

yeah so it is the kind of good twin as

opposed to the evil twin just a flipped

molecule it sure is in fact it is really

really close so me invoking the twin

analogy is pretty apt here but that it's

close it's so close that tastes like

fructose so it's sweet but it's just

different enough that it does not fit

all the enzymatic Pathways that fructose

does and so we do not metabolize it and

it does not give us you know caloric

energy but it fights with fructose you

know typical siblings there's a bit of a

compatitive relationship which ends up

playing in our favor in this case yeah

and I'll put a link down below for uh

you know our mutual friend Steve's R

sugar which is a really cool allulose

company and I don't want to make this

you know like a contrived pitch or

anything like that but I'll pop a link

down below cuz they've got some good

like almost candy bar like things they

got a brownie mix of stuff that really I

yeah I have no problem mentioning that I

I think that to me ARX sugar is the most

convenient way to get allulose the the

way they've processed these into cool

little products is makes it really

really enjoyable yeah have you tried the

brownie mix one oh I sure have no that

one's like legitimately and yeah I don't

know if you saw I had milk I had whole

milk on it to be frank love no it's like

you mix it it's like a couple

tablespoons mix it with water and then

it's like microwave I mean it's crazy

like 40 seconds got a little cup of

brownie not hungry for like 6 hours it

is what I that's a staple for me U Dom

di austino posted like his response like

pre-workout with it completely blunted

his uh his blood sugar Spike from the

workout too which is pretty wild anyway

yeah when I had Andrew cnck here it was

like we were talking about I don't want

to go on too much of a tangent but

essentially um you know his blood sugar

went to almost 400 with the workout that

we put him through He adjusted his

insulin monitored or his insulin pump to

be um High because he knew we were going

to go through a hard workout so it went

all the way up to 400 and that's just

give context of like what a hard workout

can do and Dom used allulose before his

workout and his glucose barely just you

know Tri it's pretty wild just the

effect it has there um I want to talk

just a couple other sweeteners kind of

in line also with alus like if you had

to sort of rank them I'm kind of writing

them down we've got okay we got

sucralose we've got aspartame we've got

yeah we have the sugar alcohols xylol

yeah so it's xylol malitol iol um

they're all in the same family but I

don't give them equal marks though so we

can still rank them so how I do want to

just double click on arrol for just a

second just um how is Athol processed

it's mostly urinated out right like is

that as far as I know yeah I I don't

know um so so not all of the sugar

alcohols have the same um like on the on

the kind of bad end of the sugar

alcohols not I can't it's either malitol

or manitol you actually do have a decent

amount of absorption and digestion and

even an insulin response and then you

have xylol which is substantially better

then you have rol which appears to have

no response whatsoever yeah but I think

on average not just the sugar alcohols

but even alose a lot of it um occupies

that urinary excretion pathway so that's

a main mechanism of exit for a lot of

them if it even gets absorbed at all one

of the problems with um like what's some

of the sugar alcohols is that they don't

even leave the gut and so they stay in

the gut while you taste it it stays in

the intes

and it creates what's called called an

osmotic gradient and pulling in a lot of

waterc yeah everyone you know if anyone

wants a few minutes of humor go on to

like Amazon and look up the reviews for

sugar-free gummy bears and it's just

people talking about these explosive

moments you know it's just the most

hilarious set of stories and and

analogies um we we were in Hawaii a

couple weeks ago with my um I'm just

going to say a family member cuz I and

he he has some he uh you know I've had

him he he's you know dro like 70 lbs

doing um you know low carbon anyway it's

like he but you know and to his credit

like he still likes his his sweet thing

so he does he makes good choices with

like you know a sugar-free chocolate

here and there and he found the

Hershey's sugar-free chocolate and he

showed him he was really excited to show

him he's like this is this is the one

that actually tastes like Hershey's it

actually tastes like Hershey's and he's

um I'm like oh cool and I like looked

looked at the back and I'm like oh mall

I'm like all and we were about to go on

a dinner cruise like on boat and he

didn't have a bunch of them but he had a

few of them and he went on there and I

remember him sitting there just being

like Oh you know yeah my stomach's a

little lit and you could like anticipate

the Pompeo about to erupt well he had

said to me you he asked if I wanted one

and that's someone looked at like no I'm

going to pass he's like oh they're

really good they're really good I'm like

I'm sure they are didn't want to like

rain on his parade but that's you know

you see that and you're like okay so

that's I mean what it is essentially and

you know if you've ever uh you

know gone all the way with maltatal to

the point where you've experienced the

exit

um yep oh no it's explosive it's it's

horrible yeah yeah so that I put those

ones I put those ones really really far

down even though metabolically because

it literally just passes right through

the body you could make the case that it

is the most inert yeah but that comes at

a hell of a socially expensive awkward

moment you know where you you can't go

out with friends and be in polite

Society if you've consumed that because

you don't know what's going to happen so

on that ranking I have no um I'm no

problem putting alos first and then I

actually am very comfortable Stevia um

and monk fruit extract I generally give

very good scores to as those natural

sweeteners um but then um most monk

fruit extract and even some Stevia is

actually mixed with arrol which I give

of all the sugar alcohols I consider rol

the best um and then I also have no

problem with aspartame to be frank as

much as people have a a very big fear of

it I think that fear is I think on

average the re Arch that show you know

aspartam causes cancer just as an

example yeah but that's when you give a

rodent model that is genetically

inclined to develop cancer the

equivalent of you know 28 cans of of a

caffeinated soda a day um and so as much

as people want to weaponize those few

studies against say something like

aspartame my counter always is well what

would have happened if you'd given the

animal that much sugar yeah um Not only

would they have gotten cancer but they

would have also become obese and

diabetic and everything else so

Aspartame is I don't think it has earned

or or or has is worthy of the um bad

press that it's received from most

people it is in a way among the most

simple because it just gets metabolized

into some amino acids that if a person

doesn't have a deficiency in the F

phenol alanine enzymatic pathway and the

vast majority of people do not there's

no problem in in my mind with Aspartame

is it literally just gets split into

amino acids and then used by the body

however it will so if I were to kind of

rank them all I'd put alul best I I I do

think monk fruit extract and Stevia are

perfectly benign and and thus acceptable

and then the rest kind of the sugar

alcohols get split up with Athol being

the best aspartame I consider it to be

no problem and then sucrose I actually

have more of a problem with sucrose

because of the little bit of evidence

showing its ability to cross the bloodb

brain barrier so that's one that I look

at with a little more caution although

that's a lot of speculative research no

real evidence in humans to confirm any

concerns um but it is one that gives me

a little pause so for me personally if

I'm going to indulge in a diet soda I'm

going to I personally pick the one that

doesn't have the sucrose in it but I

confess it's partly just because I don't

like sucrose is a little too sweet for

me that if I'm going to have a diet Dr

Pepper which is my preferred diet soda

Indulgence I like the diet like the zero

the zero kind of brand cuz that usually

has sucrose in it and that's just a

little too sweet and again that little

evidence of it having the ability to

cross the bloodb brain barrier is just

enough to give me a little pause what

about the weird uh the redheaded

stepchild that's the uh soluble corn

fiber yeah yeah I so um on average I'm

an advocate of soluble fibers um and

then if that soluble fiber is this a

sweet one yeah it's like the ones that

they're using like they use them in

certain gummies and things like that and

like a lot of like I don't know I don't

know enough about those but on average

I'm an advocate of fiber um uh if if

you're eating carbs I'm an advocate of

fiber if you don't eat any carbs and

you're on a carnivore diet then the

value of the fiber is diminished and

then I would just say it's up to

preference do you like your bowel

movements to be one particular way or

another that would really be the only

variable there for me but if you do eat

carbs focus on fiber that's a part of

that control carbs mantra for me so yeah

I mean if if if there are these kind of

Novel maybe kind of like inulin like

fibers that have a sweet taste as they

go down that to me would be a pretty

winning combination yeah you see like in

the uh yeah like fructooligosaccharides

and like all these different ones which

I mean they will definitely bloat you

but I've also noticed with those that

just like any fiber you build up you

know you get used to them like like it's

like if you if you haven't had like a

you know fruit oligosaccharide or you

know something type gummy and you have

two of them you're like oh my gosh I

could never eat those again I'm like

distended but you eat them for a and

like this is real you learned you kind

of metabolize it or digest it better

yeah but also just to bring it back to

the earlier topic these um soluble

fibers are really powerful stimulants

for glp1 exactly and so even coming back

to this most obsessed over hormone and

focus of these weight loss drugs I am an

advocate I mean the glp1 research has

been fascinating and as I mentioned I've

really kept my finger on the pulse of

them in part because my dissertation my

PhD lab was one of the first funded Labs

by Johnson and Johnson to study the

effect effects of these drugs and to

tease out the the pathway with these

hormones so I've been fascinated by them

and long appreciated

gp1 as something that it is in our best

interest to take advantage of to

leverage and can we manipulate our diet

in such a way that it's still very

edible and enjoyable but we get a little

more glp1 then I think that's going to

be something that works in our favor no

I'm totally with you on that um well Ben

where can everyone find you man yeah

yeah thanks again um so insulin IQ uh if

people remember insulin IQ whether it's

the website insulin iq.com that's where

I post a lot of my material including

some upcoming little mini lectures that

people can access and then my YouTube

channel at insulin IQ perfect thanks man