THIS Is Why You Can't Lose Body FAT... (Not Calories) | The Glucose Expert Robert Lustig

Summary

The speaker passionately argues against the use of calories as a measure of food quality and health, stating that it's an outdated concept that doesn't account for the differences in how our bodies process various types of sugars. They explain that while a bomb calorimeter might show that glucose and fructose both yield the same amount of calories, the body's mitochondria process them very differently. Glucose is beneficial as it stimulates mitochondrial function and the production of ATP, the cell's energy currency. In contrast, fructose inhibits mitochondrial enzymes and can lead to health problems by reducing ATP production. The speaker criticizes the common practice of calorie counting for weight loss, noting that it often leads to a plateau and eventual weight regain due to increased insulin resistance. They advocate for reducing insulin levels by cutting out refined carbohydrates and sugars, which are the primary drivers of insulin spikes. The advice given is to eat 'real food'—food that comes directly from the ground or from animals that have eaten such food. The speaker also warns against trusting the food industry's claims of health benefits, as they often mislead consumers with deceptive advertising and mislabeling.

Takeaways

• 🔥 **Calories are not the best measure of energy**: The speaker argues that calories, while a measure of heat, do not accurately represent the energy available to the human body in the form of ATP.
• 💥 **Mitochondria efficiency is key**: Efficient mitochondrial function is crucial for converting energy into ATP, which powers cellular functions.
• 🍬 **Glucose is beneficial for mitochondria**: Glucose stimulates two enzymes necessary for mitochondrial function, promoting the creation of more mitochondria and aiding in energy production.
• 🚫 **Fructose inhibits mitochondrial function**: Unlike glucose, fructose inhibits enzymes in mitochondria, reducing the cell's ability to produce ATP and leading to health problems.
• 📉 **Calorie counting often leads to weight regain**: Many people who lose weight through calorie restriction experience a plateau and eventually regain the weight, often higher than before.
• 🔍 **Insulin resistance is a significant issue**: The speaker suggests that weight regain is more about insulin resistance and the body's response to high insulin levels rather than just caloric intake.
• 🍽️ **Eating 'real food' is recommended**: The advice given is to consume food that is as natural as possible, avoiding processed foods with added sugars and refined carbohydrates.
• 🚫 **Avoid refined carbs and sugar**: Cutting down on refined carbohydrates and sugars is the best way to reduce insulin levels and improve metabolic health.
• 🧠 **The food industry can be misleading**: The speaker warns against trusting the food industry's claims about the health benefits of their products, which often contain deceptive advertising.
• 🏛️ **Legal action against deceptive labeling**: There are ongoing lawsuits against the food industry for deceptive advertising and mislabeling, highlighting the need for consumer awareness.
• 👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 **Acknowledge the challenges of a busy lifestyle**: The speaker acknowledges the difficulty of making healthy food choices in a busy world and suggests that the food industry has made it more challenging.

Q & A

Why does the speaker believe that the concept of calories should be eliminated from our dialogue?

The speaker argues that calories, as a unit of measure, do not accurately represent the complex biological processes of energy conversion within our bodies, particularly within mitochondria. They suggest that focusing on calories can mislead people about the quality and type of energy sources, leading to health issues.

What is a bomb calorimeter and how does it relate to the concept of calories?

A bomb calorimeter is a device that measures the amount of heat (calories) released from the combustion of a substance. It is used to determine the caloric content of food. However, the speaker points out that humans are not bomb calorimeters, and the way our bodies process and utilize energy is more complex than simple heat measurement.

How does glucose affect mitochondrial function?

Glucose stimulates mitochondria to work more efficiently by activating two key enzymes: amyas, which increases mitochondrial production, and hydroxy ail coad dehydrogenase, which helps to oxidize carbon fragments for energy. This supports the cell's energy needs in the form of ATP.

What is the impact of fructose on mitochondrial function?

Fructose inhibits three enzymes in mitochondria, including AMP kinase, aadl asoco dehydrogenase, and cpt1 cartin pm transferase one, which are crucial for mitochondrial function. This inhibition can lead to a decrease in ATP production and contribute to systemic health problems.

Why does the speaker argue against the effectiveness of calorie counting for weight loss?

The speaker claims that calorie counting often leads to a plateau in weight loss and eventual regain of weight, as it does not address the root causes of obesity, such as insulin resistance. They suggest that focusing on reducing insulin levels is a more effective approach to sustainable weight loss.

What is the role of insulin in weight gain and obesity?

Insulin is an energy storage hormone that facilitates the storage of excess energy as fat. High insulin levels can lead to increased fat storage, particularly in the liver, and contribute to obesity. Insulin resistance can also disrupt the body's ability to regulate weight through the hormone leptin.

How can one mitigate the negative effects of insulin on weight and health?

The speaker suggests reducing refined carbohydrates and sugars in the diet, as these are the primary drivers of insulin spikes. By lowering insulin levels, one can improve insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of obesity and related health issues.

What does the speaker mean by 'eat real food'?

The speaker is advocating for a diet consisting of whole, unprocessed foods that are either grown from the ground or derived from animals that have consumed such foods. This approach is intended to provide the body with metabolically healthy nutrients and avoid the detrimental effects of processed foods.

Why is the food industry criticized in the script?

The food industry is criticized for deceptive advertising, misbranding, and mislabeling of products. The speaker accuses the industry of using misleading terms like 'healthy' and 'no added sugar' on products that still contain sugar under different names, which can confuse consumers and contribute to poor dietary choices.

What is the issue with added sugars in the food industry, according to the speaker?

The issue is that added sugars make foods metabolically detrimental, even if they are fortified with vitamins and minerals. The speaker argues that the presence of added sugars can disrupt mitochondrial function and lead to health problems, regardless of other nutritional additives.

How does the speaker suggest people navigate the challenges of a busy lifestyle and the modern food environment?

The speaker acknowledges the difficulty of making healthy food choices in a busy lifestyle and a food environment filled with misleading products. They recommend focusing on 'real food' and being aware of the food industry's tactics to mislead consumers.

What is the importance of understanding mitochondrial function in the context of the speaker's argument?

Understanding mitochondrial function is crucial because it is central to the speaker's argument about the importance of the quality of energy sources. The efficiency of mitochondria in converting glucose into ATP is key to cellular energy production and overall health, which is why the speaker emphasizes the negative impact of fructose and the importance of glucose.

Outlines

00:00

🔥 The Folly of Calorie Counting

The speaker passionately argues against the use of calories as a measure of nutritional value, asserting that it is an outdated and misleading concept. They explain that while a bomb calorimeter can measure the heat energy of substances like glucose and fructose, the human body does not function like such a machine. Instead, the focus should be on how efficiently our mitochondria can convert nutrients into ATP, the cell's energy currency. Glucose is praised for its ability to enhance mitochondrial function, while fructose is criticized for inhibiting it, leading to health issues. The narrative suggests that calorie counting often leads to a plateau and eventual weight regain, proposing instead that understanding and improving mitochondrial health is the key to sustainable weight management.

05:01

🍽️ Rethinking Weight Loss: The Role of Insulin

This paragraph delves into the role of insulin in weight management, positing that high insulin levels can disrupt the body's ability to regulate weight by blocking the brain's reception of leptin, a hormone that signals satiety. The speaker recommends reducing insulin levels as a strategy for weight loss, emphasizing that insulin is a primary driver of obesity, diabetes, and metabolic syndrome. They suggest that cutting down on refined carbohydrates and sugars is the most effective way to lower insulin levels. The advice given is straightforward: consume 'real food'—food that is either grown from the ground or comes from animals that have eaten such food. The speaker acknowledges the challenges of modern living, where convenience often comes at the cost of metabolic health, and cautions against trusting the food industry's claims, which are often deceptive and misleading.

10:04

🚫 The Mislabeling of Food Products

The final paragraph addresses the issue of misbranding and mislabeling in the food industry, which can lead consumers to make unhealthy choices based on misleading information. The speaker provides examples of how companies use various names for sugar to deceive consumers, even when claiming 'no added sugar.' They mention specific cases where companies like Kellogg's and Post have faced legal action for their practices. The paragraph serves as a call to action for viewers to be discerning consumers and to demand transparency from the food industry. It also encourages viewers to subscribe to the channel to support its mission of providing valuable health information.

Keywords

💡Calories

Calories are a unit of measure for the amount of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1°C. In the context of the video, the speaker argues that calories are an outdated and misleading measure in terms of health and nutrition, as they do not account for the body's complex metabolic processes.

💡Bomb Calorimeter

A bomb calorimeter is a device that measures the energy content of a substance by burning it in a sealed chamber and measuring the heat produced. It is mentioned in the script to illustrate the scientific measurement of calories, contrasting with the body's actual metabolic processes.

💡Mitochondria

Mitochondria are the organelles within cells responsible for producing energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) through a process called cellular respiration. The speaker emphasizes the importance of mitochondria in efficient energy utilization and how certain substances like glucose can enhance their function.

💡ATP (Adenosine Triphosphate)

ATP is the primary molecule used by cells as a source of chemical energy to power various cellular functions. The video discusses how efficient mitochondrial function leads to the production of ATP, which is crucial for cellular health and overall energy levels in the body.

💡Glucose

Glucose is a simple sugar that serves as a primary source of energy for cells. The script highlights that glucose is beneficial because it stimulates the production of mitochondria and aids in their function, which is essential for energy production within cells.

💡Fructose

Fructose is a sugar found in many fruits and added to various processed foods. The video contrasts fructose with glucose, stating that fructose inhibits mitochondrial function and thus hinders the production of ATP, leading to health problems related to energy metabolism.

💡Insulin Resistance

Insulin resistance is a condition where the body's cells do not respond properly to the hormone insulin, leading to higher levels of insulin in the blood. The speaker discusses how insulin resistance is a significant factor in weight gain and metabolic disorders, and how it can lead to a cycle of weight loss and regain.

💡Refined Carbohydrates

Refined carbohydrates are processed foods with added sugars and lack most of the nutrients found in whole foods. The video suggests that consuming refined carbohydrates can lead to increased insulin levels and contribute to insulin resistance and weight gain.

💡Sugar

Sugar, particularly in the context of the video, refers to added sugars in the diet, which are linked to a variety of health issues, including obesity and metabolic syndrome. The speaker advises reducing sugar intake to improve insulin sensitivity and overall health.

💡Real Food

The term 'real food' in the video refers to unprocessed, whole foods that are derived directly from nature, such as fruits, vegetables, and meats. The speaker recommends consuming real food as a simple and effective strategy for maintaining health and avoiding the pitfalls of processed foods.

💡Food Industry

The food industry is criticized in the video for deceptive advertising and mislabeling of products, often leading consumers to believe they are eating healthier than they actually are. The speaker calls for skepticism towards the health claims made by the food industry and advocates for more transparency.

Highlights

The speaker argues that the concept of calories should be abandoned as a unit of measure in medicine and diet discussions.

Calories are defined as the amount of heat required to raise 1 gram of water by 1° Centigrade.

Mitochondria are crucial for efficient energy conversion and cellular function, and glucose is beneficial for mitochondrial function.

Fructose, a sugar molecule, inhibits mitochondrial enzymes and thus hinders the cell's ability to produce ATP, the cell's energy currency.

The speaker criticizes the use of the term 'energy' when referring to substances like fructose that inhibit ATP production.

Counting calories often leads to weight loss plateaus and eventual regaining of weight, suggesting it's not a sustainable solution.

The speaker links weight regain after dieting to increased insulin levels and disrupted leptin signaling to the brain.

A better approach to weight management is to reduce insulin levels, which the speaker achieved by focusing on an insulin reduction clinic.

Cutting refined carbohydrates and sugars is the most effective way to reduce insulin levels and improve insulin resistance.

The advice given is to 'eat real food,' which is defined as food that comes directly from the ground or from animals that eat such food.

The food industry is criticized for making grocery shopping difficult and for deceptive advertising practices.

The speaker warns against trusting health claims made by the food industry and suggests taking them with skepticism.

Many products in the American grocery store are misbranded or mislabeled, with sugar content often hidden or misrepresented.

The speaker is involved in lawsuits against the food industry for deceptive practices, aiming to change these practices.

The importance of understanding the metabolic impact of food is emphasized over simply focusing on calorie content.

The speaker calls for a shift away from processed foods and towards a diet of whole, unprocessed foods for better health.

The transcript highlights the complexity of navigating the modern food landscape and the need for consumer awareness.

Transcripts

the whole issue of calories has to go

down the tubes okay as far as I'm

concerned that's the problem and I am

here to # kill the calorie as a unit of

measure it has no place in our uh in in

our dialogue it has no place in medicine

calories

suck now why do I say

that if you

take a mole of glucose and you throw it

into a bum bom calorimeter you will get

four calories per gram that's true if

you take fructose and you throw it in a

bomb calorimeter you will get four

calories per gram that's true we are not

bomb

calorimeters

okay what's a bomb calorimeter it's a

contraption that

explodes the whatever you put in it and

measures the heat that's uh given off

from it so it measures the amount of

calories in something effectively using

some that's what calories are is the

amount of heat required to raise 1 gram

of water 1° Centigrade okay so it's a

measure of heat yeah is what it is

that's what calories are now we do our

burning in these little organel inside

each of our cells called

mitochondria this is all about

mitochondria and when your mitochondria

work efficiently and well you can burn

energy uh uh you know to completion and

you can capture that energy in the form

of chemical energy in your cell called

ATP a denzine triphosphate and that's

what your cell uses to power all of the

functions that the cell needs the little

molecular Motors and making stuff and

you know basically you know and and also

cleaning house you know and recycling

junk okay in order to keep your cells

Thrive thriving and Alive okay so

mitochondria are essential now

glucose stimulates mitochondria to work

better glucose is actually

good it it stimulates two enzymes

necessary for mitochondria to work it

stimulates an enzyme called

amyas which is a the enzyme that

actually makes more

mitochondria and it's the fuel gauge on

the liver cell so it tells the liver

make

more and it also stimulates an enzyme

called HH hydroxy ail coad dehydrogenase

which is NE NE to cleave two carbon

fragments and uh burn them oxidize them

for energy too so glucose we can call

good because it helps

mitochondria fructose on the other hand

this sweet molecule in sugar in

sucrose it inhibits three

enzymes in mitochondria it inhibits that

amp kinas it inhibits an enzyme called

aadl asoco dehydrogenase lung chain it

inhibits cpt1 cartin pm transferase one

that's the enzyme that uh regenerates

carnitine which is the shuttle by which

fatty acids can get into the

mitochondria to be burned so the net

effect of fructose is to inhibit

mitochondrial

function

so does

fructose constitute energy if fructose

is actually keeping you from making

chemical energy in your cell

this is the

conundrum what do you mean by energy if

we're talking heat then fructose is

energy if you're talking ATP fructose

inhibits

ATP and that's what we're talking about

because that's what leads to systemic

health problems not the heat so all of

these people as far as I'm concerned

anyone who ever uses the word calorie

fire them

because they don't get

it they are part of the problem not part

of the

solution many people will say that sort

of counting calories has helped them

with their weight loss goals you tell me

virtually everybody who counts calories

loses a little bit of weight and then

they

plateau and then they get um you know

tired of their diet and the weight comes

rushing back okay 90% of people who try

to diet through caloric restriction

regain and sometimes yoyo back even

higher so are there I don't accept that

are there studies that support this idea

that sort of the the yo-yo dieting is a

byproduct of calorific restriction not

because of Cal caloric restriction it's

a problem of insulin resistance it's a

problem of when you gain the weight back

did you gain it in the liver is liver

fat because now you've got higher

insulin and Insulin blocks this hormone

that goes to the brain called leptin

that is uh in charge of that set point

so the higher your insulin goes the less

well your brain can see leptin and so

the less well you can regulate and so

that's what drives your weight up even

higher so you don't regain the weight by

eating you know fish and vegetables you

regain the weight because you you know

went for the bread and the rice and the

pasta and the potatoes and the sugar

what's a better plan then if I'm trying

to cut a couple of pounds what's a a

better approach to take versus sort of

calorie counting or these kind of things

get the insulin down there is no weight

gain without insulin insulin is the

energy storage

hormone 20 years ago from doing the

research on kids with hypothalamic

tumors who released enormous amounts of

insulin insin we gave them a drug that

suppressed insulin release they lost

weight and they started exercising

spontaneously because we got their

insulin down we showed that the lower we

got the insulin the more weight they

lost and the better they felt insulin is

the bad guy in this story so numerous

investigators you know the world over

have now demonstrated that insulin is a

primary driver of both obesity and

diabetes and metabolic syndrome you got

to get the insulin down okay how do you

get insulin down best way don't let it

go up what makes it go up refine

carbohydrate and sugar all the stuff you

have over there in that corner just to

be

clear he's not pointing at my lunch no

we have a pile of different sugar

products that we brought for the

interview over in the cor Corner

including various things that you find

on a shelf everything from apple juice

to some popular snacks to um some like

some some other things just don't forget

the peanut butter cups The Peanut Butter

Cups yeah and even this this is just

sort of su um it looks like water but

it's flavored water where they've added

sugar to it right um so yeah all of that

stuff over there all that stuff so so

get the insulin down all right so cut

the refined carbohydrate cut the sugar

the dietary sugar that is the single

best way to mitigate this process by

improving insulin resistance by getting

the insulin down and we have done this

time and time again basically I turned

my obesity Clinic into an insulin

reduction clinic for this reason what so

what advice do we give that is simple

and actionable for Jennifer or Judith or

Dave who's listening to this now they

are you know 40 years old potentially

they have a N9 to five job they're very

busy maybe they have some kids to feed

at the same time they they don't have

time to be like you know

looking at doing a fine sort of tooth

comb over every single thing that

they're putting into their body they're

not a scientist agreed it's a it's a

problem because the food industry has

made the grocery store a Minefield and

it's really easy to set off an explosion

if you walk in you're basically lost

that's how bad it

is understood so the the simple rule is

eat real food

so what's Real Food

well food that came out of the ground or

animals that ate food that came out of

the ground the problem is we all lead

busy lives and we're looking for labor

saving devices because people don't even

have time to cook most people 33% of

Americans don't even know how to cook

anymore so like what are they going to

do so we understand this I mean it's a

problem

agreed we need

food that is metabolically healthy for

us not metabolically detrimental and the

problem is that as soon as you put the

added sugar in the food you have made it

metabolically detrimental now the food

industry will say well there are all

these other good things in there like

vitamins and minerals we fortify it Etc

so I'm here to tell you toxin a plus

antidote B still equals

Death okay just because they put some

vitamins in there or you take a dietary

supplement if it's not solving your

mitochondrial

dysfunction what's the

point so you can't believe what the food

industry is telling you okay if they say

something is healthy it's usually the

opposite whatever it says on the package

believe the opposite because they have

an incentive to put wrong stuff on the

package and I'll be honest with you I'm

part of you know uh numerous lawsuits

suing the food industry for deceptive

advertising misbranding mislabeling 70%

of all of the items in the American

Grocery Store are misbranded or

mislabeled in what way they say things

that are not true give me some examples

well first of all any time they use the

word

healthy okay um they say no added

sugar okay but in fact they put in apple

puree or raspberry puree or evaporated

cane juice you know they they there are

262 names for sugar and the food

industry uses all of

them and so they will say that

something's no added sugar but that in

fact is actually not the case okay

there's there's a whole you know whole

host of this Kelloggs has been sued for

Raisin Bran okay everyone thinks raisin

BR well it's just raisins and bran what

color are the raisins in raisin

brand I've never seen it

well I mean raisins are purple yeah you

know purple brown yeah yeah yeah yeah

normally well the the raisins and raisin

brand are

white

why if you take the raisins and raisin

brand that's supposed to be 11 gram of

sugar but on the side of the package it

says that one serving is 18 grams of

sugar where' the other seven come from

it's the

white because they've all been dipped in

a sugar solution to make them

sweeter as an

example okay so post has been sued

General Mills theirs theirs was uh

dismissed um uh Mand a whole host of uh

uh of companies are actually under the

gun now to change their

practices if you love the dver CEO brand

and you watch this Channel please do me

a huge favor become part of the 15% of

the viewers on this channel that have

hit the Subscribe button it helps us

tremendously and the bigger the channel

gets the bigger the guests