DE - I strongly recommend you watch a very famous Youtube video (over 10 million hits even 10 years ago) - check out the 'creds' of the author first; the guy knows what he is talking about.
Title: Sugar the bitter truth
It is a second or third year university level biochemical lecture delivered at a 9-10 grade understandability level.
Two MAJOR points from the vid.
1. Most Important: The 50's release of the 'Fat causes Heart Disease' mantra that the american heart association so vociferously pushed and continues to push - is, at best a FATALLY FLAWED study, at worst, is intentionally fraudulent.
2. The second is that 'sugar' is very similar (in many wau wrt to body chemistry) to alcohol - more precisely FRUCTOSE, not the other sugars, is the HUGE problem.
NOT 'high fructose', fructose by itself. Common table sugar 'contains' fructose
Grok: does sucrose contain fructose
Yes, sucrose contains fructose. Sucrose is a disaccharide composed of one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule bonded together. When digested, sucrose breaks down into equal parts glucose and fructose.
That is important to know.
The BASIC ENERGY 'molecule' for the human body is 'GLUCOSE' - so eliminating (or attempting to eliminate) 'sugar' from the food chain becomes just plain silly. Do so - you die. Plain and simple. CARBS are NOT 'sugar' - yes, they are broken down into 'sugars' when digested - but NOT INTO FRUCTOSE - into the basic life fueling GLUCOSE and a few other monosaccharides (maltose, dextrose, etc)
The REAL problem is how FRUCTOSE is 'digested' by the human body. Every cell of our bodies (heart, liver, muscles, brain) digest/metabolize GLUCOSE - only the liver handles SUCROSE.
Insulin does ONE THING - it makes body fat.
INSULIN has one main purpose: Control blood sugar level by converting excess blood glucose levels into BODY FAT.
Want to lose body fat - make the body produce less of the FAT PRODUCER - insulin. Of course that would be foolish - our blood sugar levels would be knocked completely out of kilter.
THAT IS WHAT SUCROSE DOES - It screws up our insulin levels by causing our insulin levels to SKYROCKET - well beyond the levels that higher blood glucose levels cause - resulting in nasty effects on our bodies.
Another effect of fructose is that it cause the LIVER to produce some pretty nasty fats (not caused by glucose) screwing up both 'good' and 'bad' cholesterol levels - and THIS is what the Youtube author proclaims is the REAL cause of higher heart disease rates; not the consumption of 'fats' as falsely claimed by the AHA.
I had very high 'bad cholestrol' levels 20 years ago - and was very lactose intolerant. I drastically SLASHED all sugar (not carbs) from my diet - no pancake syrup, no ketchup, no bbq sauce, no cookies, no carbonated beverages FOR YEARS - no processed foods with 'added sugars'. Went from around 220 bad levels to under 165 'bad levels' today, without 'statins', which caused the worst case of ketosis I have ever experienced - severe pain in every muscle in my body.
The disappearance of lactose intolerance (present since my early 20's) was an added side benefit. Not documented by any 'published' research - but repeatable result. Increase my current 'sugar' intake - it comes back within a week - decrease back - it goes away.
Well enough, meandering - maybe something posted here will be of benefit to you in your very noble quest.

Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good ...