[esdott]

As a type 1 diabetic for 20+ years, I feel like two large but underrated issues in the overall sugar conversation are (1) the functional aspect of fiber and (2) the rate of consumption and its effect on the body (e.g. drinking a SSB all at once).

The body just has trouble dealing with a large amount of both insulin and sugar at the same time. When we reduce fiber intake the issue compounds.

Simply spreading out your normal daily sugar consumption throughout the day (you know, chew your food slowly ;) would have huge benefits in terms of your body's ability to convert glucose efficiently (what's at the heart of the type 2 diabetes epidemic). Add fiber back into the equation would also help this immensely.

I say all this to say that we shouldn't ignore the machine like qualities of the body in the discussion. Think about your intake rate along with the overall consumption.