How Well Do You Kinfotmnow Sugar

8/10/2019 How Well Do You Kinfotmnow Sugar

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How Well DoYouKnow Sugar?

T H E S U G A R A S S O C I A T I O N


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1300 L Street NW, Suite 1001 Washington, DC 20005 202.785.1122 www.sugar.org

Table of Contents

W hat is sugar? ............................................................... 1R aising C A N E ................................................................. 2

Its in the B EET ............................................................... 3H ow do w e get pure natural sugar? ................................ 4H ow does sugar get w hite? ............................................ 5Left over m aterials from sugar processing....................... 5W hy do w e need sugar?................................................. 6Types of sugar................................................................ 8D oes sugar spoil? ........................................................ 11N on-food uses of sugar............................................... 11O ther sw eeteners you m ay nd in the ingredient list..... 13Test your food label IQ ................................................. 16S ugar as part of a healthy diet..................................... 17W hat does the science say about sugar intake? ..........

17S ugar has just 15 calories per teaspoon ...................... 19A re arti cial sw eeteners the answ er? ........................... 20O h those m yths about sugar....................................... 21The im portance of being physically active .................... 24Energy balance challenge ........................................... 25


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H ow w ell do you know sugar? 1

What is sugar?

Sugar (sucrose) is a carbohydrate that occursnaturally in every fruit and vegetable. It is a m ajorproduct of photosynthesis, the process by w hich

plants transform the suns energy into food. S ucroseoccurs in greatest quantities in sugar cane and sugarbeets from w hich it is separated for our use. The sugarin your sugar bow l is exactly the sam e sugar that is in apeach or w aterm elon.


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2 H ow w ell do you know sugar?

Raising CANE

S ugar cane is a tropical grass that grow s 10-20feet high. Four U .S . states produce sugar cane:Florida, H aw aii, Louisiana and Texas. A stalk of thesugar cane plant contains 12-14% sucrose. Theprocess of separating sugar from the sugar cane plant isaccom plished in tw o steps, rst at sugar m ills and then atsugar re neries.


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Its in the BEET

S ugar beets ourish in tem perate clim ates w here the soilis rich and the grow ing season is about ve m onthslong. Farm s can be found in C alifornia, C olorado, Idaho,M ichigan, M innesota, M ontana, N ebraska, N orth D akota,O regon, and W yom ing. S ugar beets contain 16-18%sucrose and are processed at factories near the farm s.S ince sugar beets are grow n and harvested seasonally,factories generally operate for a cam paign(a period oftim e) of four to seven m onths. D uring these cam paigns,

facilities operate around the clock, seven days a w eek.


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How do we get pure natural sugar?

F or m any people, the term re nedhas lost its original m eaning topurifyand now carries negative connotations. To get pure, naturalsucrose, the natural sugar that is stored in the cane stalk or beet root isseparated from the rest of the plant m aterial.

For sugar cane, this is accom plished by: G rinding the cane to extract the juice; B oiling the juice until the syrup thickens and crystallizes;

S pinning the crystals in a centrifuge to produce raw sugar; S hipping the raw sugar to a re nery w here it is, W ashed and ltered to rem ove rem aining non-sugar ingredients and

color; and C rystallized, dried and packaged.

B eet sugar processing is sim ilar, but it is done in one continuousprocess w ithout the raw sugar stage. The sugar beets are w ashed, sliced

and soaked in hot w ater to separate the sugar-containing juice from thebeet ber. The sugar-laden juice is puri ed, ltered, concentrated anddried in a series of steps sim ilar to sugar cane processing.


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How does sugar get white?

T he thick m olasses syrup is sp un in acentrifuge like the one show n here.This process is sim ilar to your w ashingm achine spin cycle. The heavier m olassesis spun out leaving behind the naturallyw hite sugar crystals.

What happens to the materials left over fromsugar processing?

Many of the m aterials are recycled and reused. The sugar cane stalk

residue, called bagasse, often is used as a fuel to run the canefactory. M ost sugar cane m ills and re neries produce their ow n electricityand som e even sup ply pow er to nearby tow ns. The beet residue, or pulp,is generally used for anim al feed or further processed for use as ber orother products.

M olasses, used by d istillers, bakers, pharm aceutical com paniesand others, is recycled through the beet sugar and cane sugar re ningprocess an average of four tim es to extract the m axim um am ount ofsucrose. C arbon chips, used in ltration, are recharged (revivi ed) andreused, too. In addition, m uch of the w ater rem oved along the w aystill contains sucrose (called sw eetw ater) so it is pum ped back into thestations to be used again.

Little is w asted in sugar processing.

BLEACHING


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Why do we need sugar?Sugars Amazing Function in ourFood Supply

F or m ost of us, sugar and foodssw eetened w ith sugar conjure up lifeshappiest m om entsbirthday p arties andsp ecial holidays.

B ut pleasure is only part of thestory. Fruits get their natural sw eetnessfrom sucrose and other sugars.Vegetables such as carrots taste bestw hen their sugar content is at its highest.

S ugar provides a balanced sw eet tastethat other sw eeteners attem pt to im itate.S ugar is not hidden in food. In fact, sugarhas alw ays provided m any necessaryfunctional properties in cooking andbaking.

N atural sugar:

A bsorbs w ater and inhibits our glutendevelopm ent providing proper texture

in baked goods (a little sugar densetexture like a roll; a lot of sugar uffytexture like a cake)

H elps prevent spoilage of fruit jelliesand preserves by stealing the w aterfrom bacterial cells, killing them andpreventing spoilage

Is hygroscopic and absorbs w ater fromthe atm osphere keeping baked goodsm oist and fresh

B alances sour, bitter and sp icycom ponents in foods like spaghetti andbarbeque sauce

P rovides nourishm ent for yeast to helpbread rise

H elps foods brow n, (called the M aillardR eaction) w hich is w hy the crust of yourbread or rolls are brow n

Adds avor and balances acidicelem ents in rubs, brines, dressings andcures

Changing lifestyles of thelast 50 years have broughtabout a major change in theway we use sugar. Todaysconsumer relies more on thefood industry and less on thehome kitchen for meals andsnacks.

In 1925, consumer use

accounted for abouttwo-thirds of total sugarconsumption, while one-third was used by industryin food manufacturing.Today, those proportions arereversed. The food industryuses about 66 percent

of total sugar deliveries,and direct household usehas declined to about 34percent.

How Times Have Changed


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S trengthens ber and cell texture in fruits and vegetables duringcooking

Incorporates air into shortening during cream ing A cts as a w hipping aid to stabilize egg foam s Enhances sm oothness, avor and m outh feel in dairy products

W hen it com es to hom e cooking, granulated sugar (sucrose) isthe sw eetener that consum ers know and trust. In the food industry, too,sugar is considered the gold standard.

S ugar m akes m any nutritious foods taste good enough to eat.S ugar and sugar-sw eetened foods are one of lifes pleasures and sugarw ill alw ays be an im portant food ingredient.


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Types of sugar

There are m any types of sugar.P ow dered sugar is just w hitesugar that is ground into pow der. A nd,depend ing on the am ount of m olassesleft on the sucrose crystal, there are m anytypes of brow n sugars that add special avors as w ell as im portant functionalpurposes. For instance, soft chew ycookies get their m oistness from brow nsugar.

What is raw sugar?R aw sugar is an interm ediate productin cane sugar production. P roducedat a sugar cane m ill, it is a tan, coarsegranulated product obtained from theevaporation of clari ed sugar cane juice.


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The raw sugar producer ships thisproduct to a re nery for nal processing.Today you w ill nd raw sugar for consum eruse. This sugar is sim ilar to turbinadosugar exp lained below .

What is turbinado sugar?Turbinado sugar is raw sugar that hasbeen re ned to a light tan color byw ashing in a centrifuge to rem ove surfacem olasses. M any health food stores andsuperm arkets carry turbinado sugar.

What is brown sugar?B row n sugar consists of sugar crystalscoated in a m olasses syrup w ith naturalavor and color. M any sugar re nersproduce brow n sugar by boiling a specialm olasses syrup until brow n sugar crystalsform . A centrifuge sp ins the crystals dry.S om e of the syrup rem ains giving thesugar its brow n color and m olasses avor.

O ther m anufacturers producebrow n sugar by blending a specialm olasses syrup w ith w hite sugar crystals.

What is demerara sugar?P opular in England, dem erara sugar is

a light brow n sugar w ith large goldencrystals, w hich are slightly sticky from theadhering m olasses. It is often used in tea,coffee, or on top of hot cereals.

What is muscovado or Barbadossugar?M uscovado sugar, a B ritish specialty

brow n sugar, is very dark brow n andhas a particularly strong m olasses avor.

Before modern centrifugetechnology was perfected,it was hard to separate allthe molasses from the sugarcrystal to get pure whitesugar. White sugar was veryexpensive and only therich could afford sugar inits pure form. The poorer

people used the darker rawand brown sugar. Today theopposite is true; it is c chetcachet to purchase the raw andturbinado sugars.

Ironic But True


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Historically Speaking

B.C., referring to it as a reed that yielded honey without bees. Sugar canecultivation and rening spread east to China about 100 B.C. In Europe, sugarwas a scarce luxury until the 13th century when Venetian traders expandedits availability. Portuguese enterprise brought sugar to the west coast of Africaand then to Brazil. The Spaniards introduced sugar cultivation into theircolonies in the Canary Islands, from which Columbus brought cane to theCaribbean on his second voyage in 1493. England and France established

their own reneries in the 1600s to handle sugar from the West Indies.Europeans grew sugar beets for food and fodder, but in 1744 a Germanchemist discovered that the sugar from beets was the same as sugar fromcane. Napoleon encouraged the edgling beet sugar industry when hisstruggle with England resulted in the blockade of all sugar shipments fromthe Caribbean. In 1811he issued a decree supporting a vast increase in Frenchbeet sugar production. Within two years the French constructed 334 factoriesand produced 35,000 tons of sugar.

E


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Does sugar spoil?N o. G ranulated sugar w ill last inde nitely if stored in anairtight container in a cool, dry place. B eing 99.9+%pure carbohydrate, sugar is a very low m oisture food.B acteria and other m icroorganism s cannot grow in this dry

environm ent. In foods such as preserves and jam s, sugarrem oves the w ater required by bacteria for grow th.

Non-food uses of sugarThe physical and chem ical properties that m ake sugarsuch a versatile ingredient in food preparation alsom ake it an exceptionally functional substance for non-foodapplications. S om e of its applications and potential usesinclude:

P harm aceuticals W hen M ary P oppins announcedthat a spoonful of sugar m akes the m edicine go dow n,she w as undoubtedly referring to sugars sw eet taste.A ctually, it is sugars physical properties that m ake itextrem ely useful in the pharm aceutical industry. S ugar isvalued in liquid preparations for its solubility and bodying

effects. In tablets, sugar functions as a diluent to controlconcentration of active ingredients and as a binder to holdingredients together. S ugar coatings are used to protecttablets from chipping.

W ound-healing S cientists here and abroad havereported surprising success in the use of sugar totreat serious w ounds and burns that dont respond to

conventional therapy. A lthough the m echanism is notclear, it appears that w hen sugar lls an open w ound itdissolves in the tissue and produces an environm ent inw hich bacteria cannot grow . P hysicians also believe sugarsupplies nourishm ent that dam aged tissue need s forregrow th.

Over a 56-month period we treated 605 patients for wounds, burns, and ulcers with

granulated sugar and povidone-iodine. Rapid healing ensued, due to a reduction in bacterialcontamination, rapid debridement of eschar, probable nourishment of surface cells, llingof defects with granulation tissue, and covering of granulation tissue with epithelium. Therequirements for skin grafting and antibiotics were greatly reduced, as were hospital costs forwound, burn, and ulcer care.Knutson RA et al Use of Sugar and Povidone-Iodine to Enhance Wound Healing


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Ferm entation P roducts S ugar readily reacts w itha num ber of other substances to produce a variety ofproducts by ferm entation. O ne exam ple is ethanol. InB razil, sugar cane ethanol has m ade this country alm ostenergy independent from foreign oil sources.

S ucrochem istry This term is applied to scienti cefforts to produce useful com pounds by m anipulating thesucrose m olecule. For exam ple, sugar esters, particularlycom binations of sucrose w ith fatty acids, are w ell suitedfor use in surface coatings, detergents and paints. S ugarester detergents are reported to be excellent in cleaningdirt, agricultural chem icals and bacteria from fruits andvegetables.

Other non-food uses The glue industry uses sugar as an extender and as a

vehicle to slow the setting process. S ugar plays a role in leather tanning; in the

m anufacture of paper ink and dyes; in textile sizing and nishing.

S ugar is used to slow dow n the setting of cem ent.

You can prolong the life of cut ow ers by add ing ateaspoon of sugar to the w ater. For cut ow ers, sugarcan b e absorbed through the stem and transported tothe petals w here it is m etabolized.


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Other sweeteners you may ndin the ingredient list

F or centuries people sw eetened their foods w ith sugar,honey and natural syrups like m aple syrup. In fact,m ost countries still do. In the U .S ., this has changeddram atically in the last 30 years due to the invention of thestarch hydrolysis process. N ow m any ingredients usedas sw eeteners, llers and bulking agents are m ad e fromstarch. In the U .S ., corn is the prim ary source for starchhydrolysis sw eeteners.

These are som e of the m ore com m on productsyou w ill see in the ingredient statem ents of everyday foods.

What is dextrose?D extrose is the com m ercial nam e used for the crystallineglucose p roduced from starch. D extrose is 60 to 70% assw eet as sugar and has 4 calories per gram , the sam e assugar.

D extrose is used in m any baking products likecake m ixes and frostings, snack foods like cookies,crackers and pretzels, and desserts like custards andsherbets.

What is corn syrup?A com m ercial corn syrup m ay contain betw een 20%and 98% dextrose (glucose). C orn syrup m ay also becalled glucose syrupin an ingredient list. C orn syrupsare a little less sw eet than dextrose and have 4 caloriesper gram .

C orn syrups are used in m any of todays saladdressings, tom ato sauces, pow dered drink m ixes, fruitdrinks and juices, and frozen desserts like pudding andice m ilk.

What is high fructose corn syrup?H igh fructose corn syrup is m anufactured from cornstarch. The corn starch is rst converted to a dextrose-rich syrup. U sing a process called isom erization thesedextrose-rich corn syrups are further processed to create


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fructose. The fructose is then blended w ith dextrosesyrup to produce the com m ercial corn syrup containing42% , 55% or 95% fructose. The sw eetness dependson the am ount of fructose in the syrup. Fructose is130 180% sw eeter than sugar. These syrup s have4 calories per gram .

The vast m ajority of the high fructose corn syrupcontaining 55% fructose is used to sw eeten carbonatedsoft drinks and other avored beverages. The genericterm high fructose corn syrupor its acronym H FC S is used in food and beverage ingred ient statem entsregardless of fructose content.

What is crystalline fructose?C rystalline fructose is produced by allow ing the fructoseto crystallize from a fructose-enriched corn syrup. Theterm crystalline fructoseis listed in the ingredientstatem ents of foods and beverages using this cornsw eetener. It is im portant to understand that thecrystalline fructoselisted as an ingredient com es fromcornstarch, not fruit. C rystalline fructose is alm ost purefructose and sw eeter than sugar.

C rystalline fructose can be used in the sam efoods as high fructose corn syrups.

What is maltodextrin? Todays com m ercial m altodextrin products are p roducedfrom corn, potatoes or rice. U nlike the other starch basedsugar replacers, the particular starch does not need tobe identi ed on the ingredient list. M altodextrins are notsw eet and have 4 calories per gram .

M altodextrins are used in a w ide array of foods,from canned fruits to snacks. They are prim arily bulkingagents that ad d bulk and texture to foods w hen fator sugars are rem oved. M altodextrins m ay also be an

ingredient in the single-serve, table-top packet of som earti cial sw eeteners.


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What are juice concentrates?Juice concentrates are m ade by rst heating fruit juices torem ove w ater, and then treating w ith enzym es and lteringto strip all characteristic color and natural avor from theoriginal juice. B ecause of their bland initial color and avor,grapes and pears are the prim ary sources of the juiceconcentrates used as sugar replacers. Juice concentrateprovide no nutritional or caloric bene t over sugar.

They are particularly prom inent in baked goods,jam s and jellies, and frozen confections.

Sugar Alcohols/ Polyol Sweeteners

A sugar alcohol (also know n generically as a polyol) is ahydrogenated form of carbohydrate. They are com m onlyfound in sugar-free or reduced sugarfoods. The m ajority of sugar alcohols arem ade from starch. A s a group, sugaralcohols are not as sw eet as sugar, andaverage about 2.5 calories per gram .

S ugar alcohols are incom pletelyabsorbed in the sm all intestine, w hichresults in a sm aller rise in blood glucosethan other sugars. Incom plete digestionof polyol sw eeteners m eans that they m aycause, lets just say, stom ach distressifthey are over-consum ed. W ith som e sugaralcohols a m anufacturer is required toput a w arning statem ent on the packageExcessive consum ption m ay causegastrointestinal problem s.

W hat the A m erican D iabetes A ssociation says about theuse of polyols for diabetics.

W hile polyol sw eeteners p roduce a low er post-prandialglucose response [low er glycem ic index] than sucrose or

glucose and have low er available energy values, there isno evidence that the am ounts likely to be consum ed ina m eal or day result in signi cant reduction in total dailyenergy intake [caloric intake] or im provem ent of long-termglycem ia [blood glucose].

Sugar Alcohols/ PolyolsApproved in the U.S. Sorbitol Mannitol Xylitol Erythritol D-Tagatose Isomalt (Palatinat) Lactitol Maltitol Polydextrose Hydrogenated Starch

Hydrolysis


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Test Your food label IQ1: What does sugars mean in the Nutrition Facts panel?S ugarsrefers to the fam ily of sim ple carbohydrates that are foundnaturally in fruits, vegetables, grains and dairy products and that aread ded to foods as sw eeteners. N aturally occurring and ad ded sugarsare identical. W hether you eat a banana or a banana nut m uf n, yourbody cannot tell w hich sugars w ere present in the fruit and w hich w ereadded by the baker.

2: Can I tell how much sugar or other sweetener has beenadded to a food?N ot precisely. The N utrition Facts panel show s total sugars. Theingredient statem ent w ill list sugar and other sw eeteners by nam e in orderof the am ount in the p roduct.

The sugars content of a food is not a reliable m easure of itsnutritional value. C heck the D aily Value for inform ation on w hether a foodis high or low in im portant nutrients like ber or calcium .

3: The Nutrition Facts panel gives a % Daily Value (DV) fortotal carbohydrate. Why is there no % Daily Value for sugars?

% D aily Value show s w hether a food is high or low in a nutrient such ascarbohydrates. The D V is a guideline to show how a food ts into youroverall daily diet. A % D V is not given for sugars because there is norecom m ended m axim um or m inim um for sugars intake.

This NutritionFacts Panel (NFP)is for 2%Non-Flavored MilkN O TE: it has 12gram s of sugars,yet, no sugars areadded. The sugarsin m ilk com e fromlactose or m ilk sugar.S o rem em ber, w hen

you check the sugarscategory on the N FP,the gram am ount alsoincludes the sugar inm ilk or fruit or grain.

Nutrition FactsServing Size 1 Cup (236ml)

Amount Per Serving

Calories 130 Caloriesfromfat45

% Daily Value*

Total Fat 5g 8%

Saturated Fat 3g 15%

Cholesterol 20mg 7%

Sodium 135mg 6%

Total Carbohydrate 13g 4%

Dietary Fiber 0g 0%

Sugars 12g

Protein 8gVitamin A 10% Vitamin C 2%Calcium 30% Iron 0%


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Helpful Tip:CheckCaloriesNot all reducedor sugar-freeproducts havefewer calories

Sugar as part of a healthy diet

M aking sure that fruits, vegetables,w hole grains and other ber-richfoods, and calcium -rich dairy products arethe centerpieces of your diet is im portantdietary advice. S ugar m akes m any ofthese healthy foods palatable. A bow l ofnutrient and ber-rich hom em ade oatm ealtastes great w ith a couple of teaspoons ofbrow n sugar.

S w eet foods and beverages thatdont contribute nutrients should bethought of as treats. B ut, just becausea food contains sugar does not m ake itunhealthy.

What does the science sayabout sugar intake?

It seem s like every w eek a new stud y com es out that grabs theheadlines. A single study on any subject is not conclusive and needsfurther investigation, therefore should not be a strong basis to changebehavior.

S ugar has b een an im portant ingredient in peoples d iets forcenturies and the subject of countless studies. W hen the full body ofscience is evaluated during a m ajor review of scienti c literature, expertscontinue to conclude that sugars intake is not a causative factor in anydisease, including obesity.


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In 1986 , the Food and D rug A dm inistrations (FD A )S ugars Task Force review ed 1000 scienti c papers.They concluded that w ith the exception of dental caries,the scienti c evidence clears sugars of links w ith otherdiseases including diabetes, hypertension, behavior andobesity.

In 1989 , the N ational A cadem y of S ciences R eport onD iet and H ealth stated, S ugar consum ption (by thosew ith an adequate diet) has not been established as a riskfactor for any chronic disease other than dental caries inhum ans.

In 1997 , a joint Food and A griculture O rganization/W orldH ealth O rganization expert consultation concurred thatthere is no evidence of direct involvem ent of sucrose,other sugars and starch in the etiology [cause] of lifestylediseases.

In 2003 , after a 3-year N ational A cadem y of S ciencescom prehensive review of the scienti c literature, the

com m ittee of scientists concluded that,

Based on the data available on dental caries,behavior, cancer, risk of obesity, and risk ofhyperlipidemia [excess blood fat liketriglycerides or cholesterol], there isinsuf cient evidence to set a UL(upper level) for total or addedsugars.

The Academy report statesunequivocally,There is no c lear andco nsistent assoc iationbetw een increased intakesof added sugars and BM I[bod y m ass ind ex].


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Sugar has just15 calories per teaspoon

A w ell-know n polling organizationrecently conducted a survey ofattributes about sugar in cities acrossA m erica. O ne of the biggest surprisesw as the w ide range of guesses peoplem ade about how m any calories are ina teaspoon of sugar. M ost respond entsthought it w as 50 or 60 calories; onerespondent said 1000!

S ugar is all natural and only has15 calories per teaspoon. S ugar and allcarbohydrates are 4 calories per gram ,protein is also 4 calories p er gram , w hereas, fats have 9 calories per gram .

A s you can see, sugar is notuniquely fattening.

What would you do toburn 15 calories?Over the course of a day,your heart, lungs andbasic body movementsconstantly burn calories.While these are no

substitute for seriousexercise, here are someways you can burn up thecalories in a teaspoon ofnatural sugar. 7 minutes of styling

your hair 15 minutes of socializing 8 minutes of pumping gas 8 minutes taking a shower 8 minutes of playing an

accordion 13 minutes of sleeping

Source: caloriesperhour.com

Based on activitiesperformed by a 34-year-oldfemale.

Sugar is not the cause ofoverweight & obesityConsuming more food (calories) thanneeded to maintain ENERGY BALANCEcauses overweight & obesity.

Calories In =Eating

Calories Out =Exercise


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Are articial sweetenersthe answer?

S ugar and sugar-sw eetened foods are one of lifes pleasures, and it isunrealistic to think that people w ill com pletely forego this sim ple formof enjoym ent. The question rem ains, Is ingredient substitution the bestsolution for solving todays health and w eight problem s or w ill it sim plycreate a new set of problem s?

Is there any evidence that the use of arti cial sw eeteners w ill helpcontrol w eight? A ccording to the A m erican D ietetic A ssociation (A D A )2004 position paper on the use of nutritive and nonnutritive sw eeteners,N onnutritive sw eeteners (arti cial) added to the diet have b een show n toprom ote a mo de s t loss of w eight.Yet A D A also stated the undeniable,The prevalence of obesity has increased substantially at the sam e tim eas the consum ption of nonnutritive sw eeteners (arti cial) has increased.

Did you know? the Food and D rug A dm inistration establishesA cceptable D aily Intake levels for arti cial sw eeteners based onm illigram s per kilogram of body w eight per day (m g/kg bw /day).(S ee A D I tab le below )

S accharin ,sold as Sw eet NLow

A spartam e ,sold as Equal or

N utra sw eet A cesulfam e-K ,

sold as S unett

S ucralose ,sold as S plenda

N eotam e

S w eetener Tim es S w eeter A cceptable than S ugar D aily Intake

S accharin 200-700 5m g/kg bw /day

Aspartam e 60-220 50m g/kg bw /day A cesulfam e-K 200 15m g/kg bw /day

S ucralose 600 5m g/kg bw /day

N eotam e 7,000-13,000 18m g/day

Articial Sweeteners Approved in the US


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Oh those myths about sugarW hy are there so m any m yths about sugar and w hyare they so easy to believe? C ould it be becausesugar tastes good so its easy to believe it m ust be badfor you? S cienti c research over decades has debunkedm any of the com m on m yths about sugar. B elow arescience-based answ ers to a few of the m ore com m onm yths ab out sugar:

Sugar is not addictive.A ddiction is com pulsive behavior w ith m edically

identi able physiological (physical) sym ptom s. Eatingsugar or any other carbohydrate (or protein or fat) doesnot prod uce these sym ptom s.

The reality is people like tasty foods. B utthere are distinct differences b etw een a psychologicaldependency that is often an em otional response to foodand actual physical dependence. Food does not generatew ithdraw al, the m edically distinct sym ptom s characteristicof authentic addiction.

N o m atter how m uch a person likes the tasteof sw eet foods, it is highly unlikely that a person w ouldrush to the kitchen for a teaspoon of sugar and not m anysw eethearts w ould nd a heart-shape box lled w ith justgranulated sugar appealing.

Sugar is not a high glycemicfood.You m ay have seen televisiondiet advertisem ents or populardiet books that tout the bene tof eating according to theglycem ic index. They w ouldlike you to believe that only lowglycem ic ind ex foods are goodand high are bad .

The popular belief thatsugar should be avoided

What are glycemic index & glycemicload?The body m ust convert the starches andsugars in foods into blood glucose tom eet basic energy needs. The glycem icindex (G I) is a m easure of how fast thebod y breaks dow n starches and sugarsinto blood glucose after a food orbeverage is consum ed. The glycem icload is d eterm ined by m ultiplying a foodsglycem ic index by the am ount ofcarbohydrate it contains.


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because it has a highglycem ic index is w rong.S ugar has a m od erateglycem ic index, sim ilar tothose of w heat bread andbrow n rice.

Furtherm ore, theglycem ic index of a foodcan be changed by addingfat or protein. For exam ple,putting butter on yourbaked potato low ers itsglycem ic index.

A s the tab le show s,at a G I of 58 sugar is am oderate glycem ic food.

Sugar does not cause asugar high.The prem ise that sugar causes a rapid rise in blood glucose or glycem icresponse w hich then triggers an abnorm al production of insulin follow edby an atypical drop in blood glucose is not a physiological or scienti creality. S ugar does not uniquely raise blood glucose levels as you can seefrom the glycem ic index tab le above.

Sugar does not cause diabetes.A person w ith diab etes either doesnot produce enough insulin or cannotproperly use the insulin the pancreas d oesprod uce.

A ccording to the A m ericanD iabetes A ssociation and every otherm ajor scienti c body, sugar does notcause diabetes.

You can access inform ation on popular m yths about diabetes onthe internet at: http://w w w .diabetes.org/diabetes-m yths.jsp

N ot only does sugar not cause diabetes but individuals w ithdiabetes do not have to strictly avoid eating sugar according to the

Comparison of glycemic indexand glycemic load of certain foods

Food Glycemic index Glycemic load

A pple 40 6B aked potato 85 26B row n rice 50 16C arrots 92 5C orn akes 92 24O range juice 50 13P lain bagel 72 25P otato chips 54 11W heat bread 53 11Table sugar 58 6 (sucrose)

Ranges for glycemic index (GI)

and glycemic load (GL) GI GLH igh 70 or m ore 20 or m oreM edium 56 to 69 11 to 19Low 55 or less 10 or lessK F P ow ell et al, International table of glycem ic index andglycem ic load values: 2002, A m J C lin N utr 200 2; 76 :5-56

Myth: Eating too m uch sugarcauses diab etes. N o. D iabetesis caused by a com bination ofgenetic and lifestyle factors.H ow ever, being overw eightdoes increase your risk fordeveloping type 2 diabetes. Ifyou have a history of diabetesin your fam ily, eating a healthym eal plan and regular exerciseare recom m ended to m anageyour w eight.


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A m erican D iab etes A ssociation:

The available evidence from clinical studies d em onstrates thatdietary sucrose does not increase glycem ia m ore than isocaloricam ounts of starch. Thus, intake of sucrose and sucrosecontaining foods by people w ith diabetes does not need to be

restricted because of concern about aggravating hyperglycem ia.S ucrose should be substituted for other carbohydrate sources inthe food/m eal plan or, if added to the food/m eal plan, adequatelycovered w ith insulin or other glucose-low ering m edication.

Sugar does not make you hyper.Folklore linking certain foods, such as sucrose or table sugar, w ith veryactive behavior in children began in the early 1970s, w hen D r. B enjam inFeingold proposed the theory that diet m ay adversely affect childrensbehavior. S ince that tim e, considerable research has been devoted tothe subject. In over 20 studies, including those supported by the Foodand D rug A dm inistration, science has been unab le to support claim s thatsugar affects childrens behavior.

In carefully controlled studies, m eals w ere provided for tw o w eeksto children w hose parents believed their children w ere affected by sugar.

P arents and teachers m onitored their behavior after the m eals, unaw areof w hether the children had consum ed sugar or arti cial sw eeteners. N oadverse effects w ere found from either.

A 1995 m eta-analysis [a system atic review of the scienti cliterature] published in the Journal of the American M edical Association con rm ed clearly that sugar does not cause hyperactivity or behaviorproblem s. This c onc lusion rema ins s ettled s c ienc e.

Sugar contributes more than just empty calories.S ugar is pure carbohydrate, the nutrient w e use to fuel our bodies andbrain. N ot all foods that contain sugar are a poor source for nutrients.S ugar can im prove the palatability of foods and beverages that otherw isem ight not be consum ed therefore contribute to the intake of im portantm icronutrients, such as calcium .

The statem ent that sugar supplies calories but few or no nutrientsis m isleading because people dont consum e sugar in isolation butconsum e foods and beverages that contain sugar or have sugar asnecessary functional ingredients.


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C learly, the im portant consideration for healthy eating is not thesugar content of a food but having a healthy overall diet that does notexceed ones caloric needs.

A gain w e em phasize, m aking sure that fruits, vegetables, w holegrains and other ber-rich foods, and calcium -rich dairy products arethe centerpieces of your diet is im portant advice. S ugar m akes m any ofthese healthy foods tasty enough to eat.

S w eet foods and beverages that dont contribute nutrients shouldbe thought of as treats.

The Importance of BeingPhysically Active

E ating right is only half of the equation for beinghealthy. P hysical A ctivity and good nutrition areessential elem ents to prevent diseases and obesity.

The D ietary G uidelines for A m ericans 2005 providethe follow ing helpful advice: Find your balance betw een food and physical

activity. B ecom ing a healthier you isnt just about eating healthyits also

about physical activity. R egular physical activity is im portant foryour overall health and tness. It also helps you control body w eightby balancing the calories you take in as food w ith the calories youexpend each day.

B e physically active for at least 30 m inutes m ost days of the w eek. Increasing the intensity or the am ount of tim e that you are physically

active can have even greater health bene ts and m ay be neededto control body w eight. A bout 60 m inutes a d ay m ay be need ed toprevent w eight gain.

C hildren and teenagers should be p hysically active for 60 m inutesevery day, or m ost every day.

CONSIDER THIS:If you eat 100 m ore food calories a day than you burn, youll gain about1 pound in a m onth. Thats about 10 pounds in a year. The bottom line isthat to lose w eight, its im portant to reduce calories and increase physicalactivity.

REMEMBER , just because a food contains sugar does not m ake it unhealthy.Evaluate a foo d b ased on its overall nutrient cont ent.


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Energy balance challenge

D o you know if you are m aintaining energy balance? H ere is a funw ay to nd out w here you stack up. In the 7 day diary provided inthis book w rite dow n everything you eat and drink. P urchase a pam phletat your local grocery store that provides calorie inform ation and w ritedow n the calories for each food and beverage item . P ay particular atten-tion to serving sizes.


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26 How well do you know sugar?

Below are websites that will help you nd out how many caloriesyou should be consuming based on age, height, weight and activity level.

And, how many calories you burn during different activities.

Keep track in the 7 day diary and see how close you are to main-taining energy balance. Of course if you want to lose weight you will needto cut calories or increase your activity level, or both.

Websites that provide the calories in your favorite foods:

http://www. twatch.com/caloriecounter.html

http://www.howmanycaloriesin.com

Websites that help you calculate how many calories you shouldconsume to maintain energy balance:

http://www.consumer.gov/weightloss/bmi.htm http://www.ahealthyme.com/topic/calburncalc

http://walking.about.com/cs/calories/l/blcalcalc.htm

http://www.bcm.edu/cnrc/caloriesneed.htm

http://www.stevenscreek.com/goodies/calories.shtml

http://pediatrics.about.com/library/bl_calorie_calc.htm

Activity calorie counter websites:

http://www.cancer.org/docroot/PED/content/PED_6_1x_Exercise_Counts.asp?sitearea=&level=

http://www.ftnessmagazine.com/ftness/multimedia.jsp?multimediaId=/ templatedata/ftness/multimedia/data/1205330354901.xml&ordersrc=google2burningcalories_tool&cobrandId=ww5&s_kwcid=ContentNetwork|1145752132

Take this challenge. It will help you put your caloric intake and activity level into

perspective. Remember pay close attention to serving sizes. Good Luck


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Food & B everage C alories A ctivity C alories Expended

C alories N eed P er D ay

C alories C onsum ed

C alories ExpendedEnergy B alance*

Day One Energy Balance

*C alories consum ed m inus calories expended


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Day Two Energy Balance



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Day Three Energy Balance



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Day Four Energy Balance



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Day Five Energy Balance



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Day Six Energy Balance



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Day Seven Energy Balance



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B eranbaum , R .L. S ugar in baking and cooking . The ResearchReport . International A ssoc. of C ooking P rofessionals. O ct.1985

B roeg , C .B . N on-food uses for sucrose. In Sucrose: A UsersGuide to Sugar , ed ited by N .L. P ennignton & C .W . B aker.N ew York: Van N ostrand R einhold, 1990

P osition of the A m erican D ietetic A ssociation: U se of N utritiveand N onnutritive S w eeteners. J A m D iet A ssoc Vol 104 2p.255-275 Feb 2004.

G linsm ann, W .H ., et. al. Evaluation of health asp ects of sugarscontained in carbohyd rate sw eeteners.J. N utr ll6(llS ):S l-S 216, l986.

N ational R esearch C ouncil. D iet and H ealth: Im plications ofR educing C hronic D isease.N ational A cadem y P ress, 1989.

W orld H ealth O rganization and Food and A gricultureO rganization of the U nited N ations. C arbohydrates inhum an nutrition.R eport of a Joint FA O /W H O consultation.FAO Food and N utrition P aper 66 , R om e, 1998 .

N ational A cadem y of S ciences, Institute o f M edicine, Foodand N utrition B oard. D ietary R eference Intakes for Energy,C arbohydrate, Fiber, Fat, Fatty A cids, C holesterol, P rotein,and A m ino A cids. N ational A cad em y P ress, 2002. pg. 6-42.

A m erican D iabetes A ssociation. Evidence-B ased N utritionP rinciples and R ecom m endations for the Treatm ent andP revention of D iab etes and R elated C om plications.D iabetes C are 25(S up plem ent 1): S 50-S 60, 2002.

K F P ow ell et al, International table of glycem ic index andglycem ic load values: 2002, A m J C lin N utr 2002; 76:5-56.

P osition of the A m erican D ietetic A ssociation: U se of N utritiveand N onnutritive S w eeteners. J A m D iet A ssoc Vol 104 2p.255-275 Feb 2004.

W olraich, M ark L. et al The Effect of S ugar on B ehavior orC ognition in C hildren.JA M A , N ov 22/29 1995

U .S . D epartm ent of H ealth and H um an S ervices and U .S .D epartm ent of A griculture. D ietary G uidelines for A m ericans,2005. 6th Edition, W ashing ton, D C : U .S . G overnm entP rinting O f ce, January 2005.

References


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How Well Do You Kinfotmnow Sugar

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