Looking At Sugar and Nutrition
Posted on June 5th, 2007 by garyPosted in Nutrition
America is a Sugar Nation. The average person’s intake of sugar and other natural sweeteners has increased from 123 to 160 pounds a year over the last twenty five years. That is the equivalent of 20 teaspoons per person per day. Our sugar consumption has increased at a rate of nearly 2% a year.
The reason for this increase is in part due to our obsession with low fat foods. Processed food manufactures removed oils and sugar was added to make low-fat foods tastier. We have traded one addiction for another.
Sugar’s negative health impacts are not only limited to obesity. Researchers have linked sugar to inflammation. Inflammation is a major factor in a number of diseases including cancer, diabetes, atherosclerosis and digestive disorders.
Most dietary sugars are simple carbohydrates. They are made up of one or two sugar molecules stuck together and are easy to pull apart and digest. The more processed and refined the carbohydrate, the faster it brakes down in the digestive system, delivering a bigger sugar rush. The body is designed only to handle small amounts of sugar. For that reason refined flours, sugars and sugar syrups pose a problem for our systems.
Complex carbohydrates like those in whole grains, legumes and many vegetables are long chains of sugar molecules. They must be broken apart during digestion. The surge of energy they provide last longer. The presence of naturally occurring fiber, fat and protein in many whole foods further slows the sugar-release process.
Many of today’s sugary sweets are made with refined sugars which can overwhelm the body’s ability to balance blood sugar. Refined sugars are an unfamiliar ingredient to our bodies. When we drink a soda for example, simple carbohydrates are quickly broken down into simple sugar molecules (glucose) that pass directly into the bloodstream. Blood sugar rises. To bring levels back to normal the pancreas releases insulin, which lower blood sugar levels by removing glucose out of the blood stream and into cells. If energy needs are high at the time the sugar hits the bloodstream, the sugar is out to good use. But too much sugar pushes the pancreas into overdrive which causes it to release too much insulin.
An excessive release of insulin can lead to inflammation. Normally inflammation can help your body rebound from injury. But when the injury is deep inside your body, like in the blood vessels of the heart, hidden inflammation can trigger chronic disease. The type of carbohydrates you eat may be as important as the type of fat you eat in the development of heart disease. If you eat many refined carbohydrates, you may be supplying your body with more sugar than it can handle.
Experts suggest you avoid refined carbs that quickly turn to sugar in the body. Such sugar delivers excess calories which the body converts to triglycerides, a key indicator of heart disease. In addition, when your blood sugar is high, your body generates more free radicals. These can flow through the body causing damage to cells and stimulating the immune response which can inflame the lining of the blood vessels leading to the heart.
Studies also now reveal that sugar plays a bigger part in weight gain that suspected. Carrying excess body fat can further reduce your body’s ability to manage its sugars effectively.
A study was done as published in the March 2006 issue of Pediatrics to measure the effects of sugar on health and weight using soft drinks. Researchers at Children’s Hospital Boston enrolled 103 sugar-guzzling teenagers who they divided into two groups. For six months the intervention group got weekly home deliveries of non-caloric drinks such as bottled water, iced teas and diet sodas. The control group went about their normal drinking habits. In the end, the teens in the intervention group cut their intake of sugary drinks by 82% and lost weight.
The weight loss was modest but the study showed that reducing the sugar intake is a good way to improve one’s diet. Sugar is an important source of excess calories in the American diet which is a serious problem given the obesity rate.
The best way to reduce your sugar intake is to consume fewer processed foods and drinks and refined carbs. Eat a balance of proteins, healthy fats and whole-food carbs. As an alternative to sugars you add, switch to sweeteners that are higher in naturally occurring fructose which have a less dramatic effect on your blood sugar and insulin.
A small amount of refined sugar is okay, especially if you are at a healthy weight. Most of us however do not know what moderation is. The USDA recommends the average person eat no more than 10 teaspoons of sugar a day. This is the amount in a single can of soda or a quarter cup of pancake syrup. ]
Roughly 60% of the average American daily dose of sugar comes from corn sweeteners, such as high-fructose corn syrup. Table sugar accounts for the other 40%. But sugar is still sugar. Sugar appears in many foods under different names. Check food labels for sugars other personalities: sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, dextrose, glucose and maltose.
If you have an urge for something sweet, try a piece of fruit. Fructose satisfies the sweet tooth without causing a jump in blood-sugar levels since fruit is packed with fiber and other nutrients that slow digestion.
Try not to start your day on a sugar high. Sugary cereals are mostly starch and digest quickly. Proteins and oils slow digestion and leave you feeling fuller longer. Start your morning with whole grain toast with peanut butter or a fruit smoothie with a dash of protein power. If you must have cereal, choose one with a maximum of 8 grams of sugar a serving.
Stay clear of processed food. They all contain refined sugars and grains with flavor enhancers and trans-fats to make them taste different. Use your common sense. Load up on veggies, whole grains and lean meats at mealtime so you will crave snacks less. Make dessert an occasional treat.
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