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

    898 ratings


    More shows like Big Picture Science

    View all
    Science Friday by Science Friday and WNYC Studios

    Science Friday

    6,133 Listeners

    The Deadpod by J.Henrikson

    The Deadpod

    1,207 Listeners

    Scott Sigler Slices: SLAY 3 by Scott Sigler

    Scott Sigler Slices: SLAY 3

    1,079 Listeners

    Nature Podcast by Springer Nature Limited

    Nature Podcast

    756 Listeners

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

    Planetary Radio: Space Exploration, Astronomy and Science

    1,344 Listeners

    Science Magazine Podcast by Science Magazine

    Science Magazine Podcast

    811 Listeners

    Science Quickly by Scientific American

    Science Quickly

    612 Listeners

    Radio Detective Story Hour by Dennis Humphrey

    Radio Detective Story Hour

    393 Listeners

    Common Sense with Dan Carlin by Dan Carlin

    Common Sense with Dan Carlin

    11,326 Listeners

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History by Dan Carlin

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History

    63,507 Listeners

    Astronomy Cast by Fraser Cain and Dr. Pamela Gay

    Astronomy Cast

    2,866 Listeners

    Meditation Oasis by Mary and Richard Maddux

    Meditation Oasis

    3,922 Listeners

    Philosophy Bites by Edmonds and Warburton

    Philosophy Bites

    1,532 Listeners

    Universe Today Podcast by Fraser Cain

    Universe Today Podcast

    544 Listeners

    Ask a Spaceman! by Paul M. Sutter

    Ask a Spaceman!

    804 Listeners

    The Quanta Podcast by Quanta Magazine

    The Quanta Podcast

    499 Listeners

    SpaceTime: Your Guide to Space & Astronomy by Stuart Gary

    SpaceTime: Your Guide to Space & Astronomy

    320 Listeners

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Addendum by Dan Carlin

    Dan Carlin's Hardcore History: Addendum

    8,234 Listeners

    Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas by Sean Carroll | Wondery

    Sean Carroll's Mindscape: Science, Society, Philosophy, Culture, Arts, and Ideas

    4,142 Listeners

    Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe by iHeartPodcasts

    Daniel and Kelly’s Extraordinary Universe

    2,307 Listeners

    The Supermassive Podcast by The Royal Astronomical Society

    The Supermassive Podcast

    287 Listeners

    Why This Universe? by Dan Hooper, Shalma Wegsman

    Why This Universe?

    363 Listeners

    The Joy of Why by Steven Strogatz, Janna Levin and Quanta Magazine

    The Joy of Why

    502 Listeners