by Amy Cates,
Associate Editor
Average American
consumes 145 pounds of sugar per year in 1996!
| What
is Sugar? |
| - |
Sugar
can mean naturally occurring sugar (ex. fruits and vegetables)
or added sugar (ex. table sugar). |
| - |
During
digestion, all sugars are used the same way by the body.
There are no nutritional differences - for example,
honey is not healthier than table sugar. |
| - |
All
sugars provide 4 calories per gram, (same as a gram
of protein), while fat provides 9 calories per gram.
But, since sugar provides no other nutrients, it is
called ‘empty calories’. |
|
| Is
Sugar Safe? |
| - |
Absolutely! |
| - |
Sugar
can be part of a healthy diet when it is consumed as
part of nutritious foods like cereals, yogurt, fruit
or vegetables. |
| - |
A
healthy diet can include all of these sugar-containing
food. You just want to limit foods that are primarily
sugar without any other nutrients (sweetened beverages,
candy, baked goods). |
|
| Sugar
Intake by Children |
| - |
Research
has shown that sugar does not cause or worsen hyperactivity
in most children, however, in rare cases, children are
sensitive to sugar and become hyperactive. |
| - |
Usually
it is the parents’ expectations and excitement of the
event that makes children hyperactive at parties, Halloween,
etc… |
| - |
Other
than the contribution to dental caries and tooth decay,
there is no conclusive evidence that sugar is a hazard
to the general public. But, as with everything,
too much sugar will lead to weight gain which poses
numerous health risks. |
|
Finding
Sugar on Food Labels
Look for the
following names for sugar:
| -Barley
Malt |
-Brown
Sugar |
-Corn
Syrup |
-Corn
Sweetener |
-Fruit
Juice Concentrate |
| -Evaporated/Crystallized
Cane Juice |
-Dextrose
or Glucose |
-Fructose |
-High-Fructose
Corn Syrup |
-Honey |
| -Invert
Sugar |
-Lactose
(milk sugar) |
-Maltose
(malt sugar) |
-Molasses |
-Raw
sugar or Turbinado sugar |
| -Sucrose
(table sugar) |
-Syrups
(ex. maple, sorghum) |
-Sugar
alcohols (ex. mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol) |
|
|
