Sugar - natural versus added

Who doesn’t love a little sweetness in our lives, but how do we know what we are putting in our bodies is good for us. The FDA allows so many food items to be approved as “healthy” yet most other countries will beg to differ. In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) differs on a lot of the approved food items that are stocked on our grocery shelves.

This conversation though is going to focus on one ingredient - sugar.

Let’s start with the types of sugars. Simple Sugars: Glucose, Fructose, and Sucrose

Whole foods naturally contain sugars that your body breaks down in order to access the sugar and turn it into glucose, your body’s preferred source of energy. Your body processes added sugars, called simple carbohydrates, differently.

There are two types of simple carbohydrates.

• Monosaccharides: Contain a single sugar unit, either glucose or fructose. Glucose, also known as blood sugar, is the more important of the two. Your body either uses it for immediate energy or stores it for later use. Insulin helps your body use glucose and is your body’s response to elevated glucose levels. In contrast, fructose metabolizes in the liver, synthesizes like fat, and does not stimulate insulin to help regulate excess levels. Essentially, fructose behaves more like a fat than a carbohydrate.

• Disaccharides: Made up of glucose and fructose linked together, plus the removal of a single water molecule, to create sucrose. You find sucrose naturally in fruits and vegetables. It is also common table sugar and is found in sugar cane and sugar beets. Your body breaks sucrose into its discrete parts – glucose and fructose – and processes both separately, as detailed above. The body uses glucose for energy and then pours the fructose into fat synthesis.

Identifying Added Sugars

Many processed foods are loaded with added sugars. This is no accident; food manufacturers know about sugar’s addictive properties. However, they often show up on food labels as something other than “sugar.” A good rule is to look on the ingredients list for items ending in “ose,” such as fructose, dextrose, maltose, and sucrose.

Common added sugars include:

• Cane juice or syrup

• High-fructose corn syrup (or other corn sweeteners)

• Honey

• Malt syrup

• Molasses

• Nectars or fruit juice concentrate

None of these items are any better for you than traditional table sugar.

Do not go solely by the nutrition facts label, as FDA rules allow manufacturers to list “Sugars: 0 g” even on foods that do contain some amount of sugar. Also, look at where sugar appears on the ingredients list, as the manufacturer orders this list according to what percentage of the food includes each ingredient. In other words, if sugar is high on the list, that food likely contains significant added sugars.

The Problem with Added Sugars

Nutritionists call added sugars empty calories for a reason: they have no nutritional value. Yes, your body needs sugar, but whole foods supply all the sugar your body needs.

In addition, you predominantly find added sugars in processed foods, which often contain solid fats that cause a variety of chronic health problems, such as high cholesterol.

The dangers of a diet high in sugar are numerous. The first is weight gain, as these foods add significant calories. They also often take the place of whole foods high in nutritional value, those with the vitamins, minerals, and nutrients you need for a healthy body.

People who follow a diet high in added sugars also typically have elevated triglyceride levels, leading to increased fatty tissue and even fat in the bloodstream. These patients have a higher risk of heart disease.

Finally, you can’t ignore dental health. A sugary diet damages teeth and increases the risk of cavities.

What Is an Acceptable Sugar Intake?

Numerous government organizations and medical professionals offer suggestions for daily sugar intake. Some groups label these in grams (the measurement used in packaging) and others as a percentage of total daily calories.

• Women: 25 grams (6 teaspoons) per day, or 5 percent of daily calorie consumption

• Men: 38 grams (9 teaspoons) per day, or 5 percent of daily calorie consumption

On average, however, the typical American diet includes 82 grams, or over 19 teaspoons, of sugar each day.

Source: clancymedicalgroup.com

If after reading this information you are concerned that you are consuming too much sugar and want to know how to make habit changes let’s talk. I can walk you through ways to make positive changes to your daily diet.