These days sugar is everywhere. It is the preferred sweetener for foods and drinks. Although advances have been made in sugar substitutes it still remains a heavily used additive. It is common knowledge in this day and age that sugar in its refined form is generally bad for you and should be kept to a minimum but many people don't know why or know the mechanisms of how sugar behaves in the human body. Instances of diabetes has sky-rocketed and added sugar plays a big part in that rise. One way to help yourself and others is knowledge so you can know what to do to regulate your sugar intake properly.
Sources
The refined white sugar that most people are familiar with is produced from a few different sources including sugar cane, sugar beets and corn. This white form of sugar is called Sucrose. When sucrose is first harvested it is in different forms depending on what the source plant was. Sugar cane sugar will contain a large amount of molasses and that molasses has to be removed. Sugar from corn is probably the most processed and therefore the worst for you. Your body ultimately prefers sugar straight from a natural source rather than refined.
Two other common sources of sugar are corn and sugar beets. Sugar beets are grown commercially throughout the world and and similar to red beets or beetroot. Sugar beets are white and as the name suggests have a very high concentration of sugar. The sugar concentration can be as high as 21%.
In the case of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) the bonds holding the glucose to the fructose have already been broken and are held "in solution" which means the sugars are suspended in liquid. Your body will have to do the least amount of work in order to use HFCS as energy. This will cause a large spike in blood sugar levels which can be dangerous to diabetics.
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| Sugar cane field |
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| Source: http://www.cleveland.com |
All living things need the simplest sugar of all which is glucose. Glucose is used by plants to build its cells and animals for energy. In order for animals to use sugar for energy is must be broken down into glucose first no matter how complex it starts. Complex sugars such as starches and fruit sugars take time for the body to break down. This allows the body to use the sugar for energy at a slower rate. When eating refined sugar your body will break the bond holding the glucose to the fructose very quickly causing a rush of energy. Most of the time not all the energy can be used right away and will get stored as fat which is very compacted sugar molecules.
Opinions are split on whether high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is worse for you than refined sugar. On one hand studies suggest that the sweetness of refined sugar causes people to over-consume it. With HFCS studies say that it is too simple to be processed in time for the body to use it and most of the glucose will be stored as fat. What is common about both is that they are both refined to a certain degree which means overconsumption will not allow your body to use the available energy fast enough.
Common Foods and Drinks and Their Sugar Levels
According to the American Heart Association the following is accepted as a maximum safe amount of sugar per day to be consuming:
Men: 150 calories per day (37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons).
Women: 100 calories per day (25 grams or 6 teaspoons).
Chocolate Bars
Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar (43g) - 6 teaspoons of sugar
Twix bar (50.7g) - 6 teaspoons of sugar
Snickers bar (52.7g) - 6.75 teaspoons of sugar
3 Musketeers bar (60g) - 10 teaspoons of sugar
Carbonated Drinks
Red Bull (one can) - 6.9 teaspoons of sugar
Coca cola (one can) - 8.25 teaspoons of sugar
Pepsi cola (one can) - 8.75 teaspoons of sugar
Mountain Dew (one can) - 11.5 teaspoons of sugar
Breakfast Cereal
Shredded Wheat - 0.1 teaspoons of sugar
Cheerios - 1 teaspoon of sugar
Froot Loops - 10.5 teaspoons of sugar
Honey Smacks - 14 teaspoons of sugar
Fruit per 100g
Lemons - 0.6 teaspoons of sugar
Cranberries - 1 teaspoons of sugar
Mangos - 3.2 teaspoons of sugar
Bananas - 3 teaspoons of sugar
Grapes - 4 teaspoons of sugar
Cakes and Desserts
Carrot cake (1 medium slice) - 3 teaspoons of sugar
Donut (1 jam doughnut) - 3.5 teaspoons of sugar
Muffin (one chocolate chip muffin) - 4.75 teaspoons of sugar
Sponge cake (1 medium slice) - 5.5 teaspoons of sugar
*source http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/
Risk Factors of High Sugar Diet
There are four main health risks associated with having a diet high in sugar and although only four are listed each one is very serious and potentially deadly.
Obesity - Obviously if your body cant use the energy fast enough it will be stored as fat.
High Blood Pressure - High blood pressure is mostly seen in men and can lead to serious complications such as heart attacks or strokes.
Heart Disease - Heart disease although not as common as the others is the most serious.
Type 2 Diabetes - Diabetes if left untreated and closely monitored can lead to many other health problems, including loss of eye sight and restricted blood-flow to the extremities. This can result in fingers and toes having to be amputated.
Artificial Sweeteners
There are a wide range of artificial sweeteners currently being used and most have been added to food and drinks for decades. Opinions are split on whether they are harmful or not. Although studies show that they are no known adverse health effects some independent agencies such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest caution people that most could be cancer-causing over a prolonged period of time. More and more doctors are now recommending that people limit their consumption of artificial sweeteners such as Aspartame which is the most popular.
One big advantage to using artificial sweeteners is for diabetics since artificial sweeteners don't cause blood sugar levels to rise. Artificial sweeteners are not carbohydrates and therefore will not be broken down into sugars. They also have no nutritional value. Artificial sweeteners are generally considered safe for diabetics.
Natural Sugar Substitutes
For people looking to limit their calorie intake but don't like artificial sweeteners then you can try these alternatives.
Honey
For people that don't want added sugar in their diet but want something to add sweetness you are not out of luck. There are natural sweeteners out there that are healthy. One good choice is honey. Honey is sweet and is a source of some vitamins and minerals. Studies done on honey show that it doesn't cause blood sugar spikes so its safe for diabetics in reasonable amounts. Also, honey has an unlimited shelf-life even when exposed to air.
Molasses
Molasses comes in different grades, the most common being blackstrap. Molasses is mostly used in baking and can add an extra layer of flavour to a recipe. It can be used to replace some refined sugar in cakes and pies for example. One other positive for the use of molasses is that it is relatively cheap.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup may be the tastiest sugar substitute around. The syrup that people commonly use on pancakes is a fancy or extra fancy grade but it also comes in less refined and cheaper grades for baking and food preparation. Maple syrup can be very expensive so use it sparingly as it also adds a lot of flavour.
Stevia
Stevia comes in a granulated form and can be used just like sugar. It can be added to coffee and tea. The advantages of using Stevia are that it is much sweeter than sugar and has zero calories. It can be found in most grocery stores these days.
Final Words
Limiting the amount of refined sugar and sources of refined sugar have become very important issues and it takes vigilance on a persons part to do this. Looking at the nutritional information on a product is a good way of seeing the amounts of overall sugar that is contained in it. For the type of sugar or sweetener used you need to look at the ingredient list. This will tell you two things: the specific type and the amount as compared to the other ingredients listed. Remember, the higher up on the ingredient list the more there is of that ingredient compared to the others.
Putting a few teaspoons of sugar in your coffee everyday wont necessarily make a big difference in your overall health so there is no need to get paranoid. That being said, it is smart to be aware of how much sugar is going into your body everyday and adjust your diet accordingly.
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