Big Picture Science

Skeptic Check: Not So Sweet


Listen Later

Obesity, diabetes, heart disease … maybe even Alzheimer’s. Could these modern scourges have a common denominator? Some people believe they do: sugar.

But is this accusation warranted? We talk with a journalist who has spent two decades reporting on nutrition science, and while he says there’s still not definitive proof that sugar makes us sick, he can make a strong case for it.

Also, how a half-century ago the sugar industry secretly paid Harvard scientists to shift the culprit for heart disease from their product to dietary fat. We hear how the companies borrowed from the playbook of Big Tobacco.

So is your sweet tooth a threat to your health?

Guests:

  • Gary Taubes– Investigative reporter and the author of The Case Against Sugar.
  • Cristin Kearns– Postdoctoral fellow at the University of California, San Francisco.
  • Naomi Oreskes– Professor of the History of Science and Affiliated Professor of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Harvard University, and the co-author of Merchants of Doubt.

    Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

    ...more
    View all episodesView all episodes
    Download on the App Store

    Big Picture ScienceBy Big Picture Science

    • 4.5
    • 4.5
    • 4.5
    • 4.5
    • 4.5

    4.5

    912 ratings


    More shows like Big Picture Science

    View all
    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History by Dan Carlin

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

    63,792 Listeners

    Common Sense with Dan Carlin by Dan Carlin

    Common Sense with Dan Carlin

    11,529 Listeners

    Scott Sigler Slices: MIX TAPE VOL. 1 by Scott Sigler

    Scott Sigler Slices: MIX TAPE VOL. 1

    1,077 Listeners

    The Deadpod by J.Henrikson

    The Deadpod

    1,225 Listeners

    Nature Podcast by Springer Nature Limited

    Nature Podcast

    762 Listeners

    Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science by The Planetary Society

    Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

    1,357 Listeners

    SpaceTime with Stuart Gary by Stuart Gary

    SpaceTime with Stuart Gary

    323 Listeners

    Ask a Spaceman! by Paul M. Sutter

    Ask a Spaceman!

    832 Listeners

    Meditation Oasis by Mary and Richard Maddux

    Meditation Oasis

    3,860 Listeners

    Astronomy Cast by Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay

    Astronomy Cast

    2,864 Listeners

    Universe Today Podcast by Fraser Cain

    Universe Today Podcast

    560 Listeners

    The Quanta Podcast by Quanta Magazine

    The Quanta Podcast

    534 Listeners

    Science Magazine Podcast by Science Magazine

    Science Magazine Podcast

    826 Listeners

    Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

    Science Friday

    6,407 Listeners

    Philosophy Bites by Edmonds and Warburton

    Philosophy Bites

    1,548 Listeners

    Science In Action by BBC World Service

    Science In Action

    337 Listeners

    Unexpected Elements by BBC World Service

    Unexpected Elements

    351 Listeners

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Addendum by Dan Carlin

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Addendum

    8,486 Listeners

    Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe by iHeartPodcasts

    Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

    2,343 Listeners

    Radio Detective Story Hour by Dennis Humphrey

    Radio Detective Story Hour

    404 Listeners

    The Supermassive Podcast by The Royal Astronomical Society

    The Supermassive Podcast

    331 Listeners

    Why This Universe? by Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman

    Why This Universe?

    392 Listeners

    Unexplainable by Vox

    Unexplainable

    2,307 Listeners