THE NOT-SO-SWEET TRUTH ABOUT A SWEET TOOTH
Excess sugar intake really takes it’s toll on the body. Did you know that 20 minutes after consuming sugar, it begins to dissolve tooth enamel? And sugar effects don’t stop in the mouth. The National Academy of Sciences have indicated, through research, that there is a definite link between sugar and several health problems. To name a few, sugar contributes to Colorectal Cancer, Lung Cancer, Hyperlipidemia and coronary plaque, bone loss, and it is a contributory factor in Type II Diabetes (high sugar diets have been linked with low fiber diets).
It is estimated that the average person in the United states consumes over 100lbs of sugar annually. In some cases, sugar represents more than 50% of total carbohydrate intake. The two primary sources of sugar intake are sucrose (table sugar) which represents 25% of the diet and high fructose corn syrup which represents about 19%. In case you were wondering, these numbers are way above the recommended daily allowances. The World Health Organization recommends that only 10% of you diet come from simple sugar. USDA recommendations are:
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24g / day (6tsp) for a 1600 calorie diet
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40g / day (10tsp) for a 2000 calorie diet
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56g / day (14tsp) for a 2400 calorie diet
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72g / day (18tsp) for a 2800 calorie diet
Simple sugar is easy to identify, just read labels. Added sugar is in almost every manufactured product we consume. You should make an effort to avoid foods with added sugar. Watch for ingredients such as:
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sucrose
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high-fructose corn syrup
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corn syrup
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dextrose
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glucose
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maltose
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honey
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molasses
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beet sugar
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brown sugar
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cane sugar
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confectioners sugar
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crystallized cane juice
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fructose
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evaporated cane juice
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invert sugar
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maltodextrin
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maple syrup
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raw sugar
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turbinado sugar
Once you have identified the sugar you can take steps to eliminate it from your diet. The following steps can help you do that.
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Eliminate (or cut back) on fruit drinks, soft drinks (pop), and anything that ends in “ade” or “cocktail”.
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Eliminate (or limit) consumption of candy, cookies, pastries, cake, pie, etc… Don’t be fooled by labels saying fat free or low fat. These products often contain more sugar to compensate for the lack of fat.
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Read your cereal box label. If it has more than 10 grams of sugar per serving… it’s trash.
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Eliminate (or limit) your intake of ice cream, frozen bars, milk shakes and smoothies.
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Don’t order dessert!!!
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Consume whole fruit products. Avoid juices and fruits in syrup.
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Read the labels of your favorite condiments such as ketchup, salsas, salad dressings, etc… these often contain added sugar.
Following these tips is a great way to reduce your sugar intake, and consequently your calorie intake. You will find that making better food choices will speed any attempt at weight loss and will increase your level of health greatly.
Material for this article obtained from the Summer 2006 issue of NCSF News.
This entry was posted on February 1, 2007 at 1:32 pm and is filed under Nutrition, Wellness. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.