Transcript PPT
Are Added Sugars Bad For You? Jess Durnian What are Added Sugars? Added sugars are sugars and syrups added to foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared. This does not include naturally occurring sugars such as those in milk and fruits. vs. Types of Added Sugars Sucrose Commonly known as table sugar, cane sugar, or white sugar, it is a compound made of one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule bound together. It comes in powdered and granulated forms. It is a chief component of cane and beet sugar. High Fructose Corn Syrup High fructose corn syrup is a calorie-providing sweetener used to sweeten foods and beverages – particularly processed and store-bought foods. It Is made through an enzymatic process from glucose syrup that is derived from corn. It was originally made in Japan in the 1960’s and came to America in the 1970’s. It is a desired food ingredient for food manufacturers because it is equally as sweet as table sugar, and it helps foods maintain a longer shelf life for a less expensive price. No Essential Nutrients Added sugars contain a lot of calories and absolutely NO essential nutrients “empty” calories No proteins, essential fats, vitamins or minerals And to top it all off – it is terrible for your teeth! High Fructose There is no physiological need for fructose in our bodies – as compared to glucose, which is produced by our body if we do not get it from our diet Fructose can only be metabolized by the liver. This is not so much a problem if we eat a little bit, but if we consume too much, the fructose will overload the liver forcing it to turn the fructose into fat. The liver already has glycogen and cannot be overworked. Insulin Resistance When people consume too much sugar, it causes resistance to the hormone insulin, which contributes to many diseases. Insulin resistance is the leading driver of metabolic syndrome, obesity, cardiovascular disease and type II diabetes Given that sugar can cause insulin resistance, it is not surprising to see that people who drink sugar-sweetened drinks have up to a 83% higher risk of type 2 diabetes The Secret Names of Sugar Reading the Nutrition Facts on food labels will not always tell you everything that you need to know. Sugar is hidden in many different ingredient names: How Much Added Sugar Is Too Much? We all need a certain amount of calories each day to provide energy – but we should get these calories from low or no sugar foods. If you have extra calories left over (discretionary calories) that means there is room for some treats. The American Heart Association recommends that no more than half of your discretionary calories come from added sugars. Something You Should Know -4 grams of sugar equals 1 teaspoon of sugar -1 gram of sugar equals 4 calories Example: A food or beverage that contains 40 grams of sugar per serving is the same as 10 teaspoons of sugar and 160 calories Opposing Viewpoint Fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains contain simple sugars. When simple sugars are naturally found in whole food, they come with vitamins, minerals, protein, phytochemicals and fiber. The presence of fiber makes a significant difference because it slows down the absorption of sugar, which moderates its impact on blood sugar. Natural sugar in whole food is the only “good sugar”. It’s not realistic to never eat added sugar. But even too much natural sugar will still turn to fat. “No Sugar Added” Myth When a product says “no sugar added”, it doesn’t mean that it is carbohydrate-free. Simple carbohydrates – sugar – have many different names and are hidden (as we saw before) How much your sugar levels rise depends on the carbohydrate. Some carbs are easily converted by your body into sugar – but over 90 percent of simple carbs and some starches are in this category and therefore, can play havoc with blood sugar levels. Just Drink Water! Save your calories by choosing to drink water over anything else. Soda and juices ALWAYS have added sugars and pile up your calorie intake for that day. If you are trying to cut calories and limit your sugar intake – the very first step you should take is cutting out sugary beverages. Tips for Reducing Sugar in Your Diet: • Take sugar (white and brown), syrup, honey and molasses off the table — out of sight, out of mind! • Cut back on the amount of sugar added to things you eat or drink regularly like cereal, pancakes, coffee or tea. Try cutting the usual amount of sugar you add by half and wean down from there, or consider using an artificial sweetener. • Buy sugar-free or low-calorie beverages. • Buy fresh fruits or fruits canned in water or natural juice. Avoid fruit canned in syrup, especially heavy syrup. • Instead of adding sugar to cereal or oatmeal, add fresh fruit (try bananas, cherries or strawberries) or dried fruit (raisins, cranberries or apricots). Continued • When baking cookies, brownies or cakes, cut the sugar called for in your recipe by one-third to one-half. Often you won’t notice the difference. • Instead of adding sugar in recipes, use extracts such as almond, vanilla, orange or lemon. • Enhance foods with spices instead of sugar; try ginger, allspice, cinnamon or nutmeg. • Substitute unsweetened applesauce for sugar in recipes (use equal amounts). • Try non-nutritive sweeteners such as aspartame, sucralose or saccharin in moderation. The FDA has determined that nonnutritive sweeteners are safe. Peer Reviewed Articles • http://familydoctor.org/familydoctor/en/preventionwellness/food-nutrition/sugar-and-substitutes/addedsugar-what-you-need-to-know.html • http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/Nutrit ionCenter/HealthyDietGoals/Sugars-andCarbohydrates_UCM_303296_Article.jsp • http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohyd rates/added-sugar-in-the-diet/