April 2, 2004

NUTRITION NEWS FOCUS

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Today's Topic: Sweet Villain?

With all the attention on low-carbohydrate diets, it is appropriate to ask how much evidence there is to indicate that sugar consumption makes us fat. In fact, there is circumstantial data but no direct proof.

The most recent reliable numbers available are from ten years ago and show that we ate between 160 and 480 Calories a day from added sugar.

About half the added sugar is from high-fructose corn syrup, the principal sweetener in soft drinks. Our total sugar consumption hovers around 130 pounds (59 kg) a year. That's 236,000 Calories you don't need.

HERE'S WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW: We are born to like sweet things, possibly because breast milk is sweet, maybe because sweet things are never poisonous. Just as it was crazy to tell people 20 years ago not to eat fat because eating too much fat gives us heart disease and obesity, today it is crazy to say that sugar is white poison.

Eating too much of it is the problem. How much is controversial. The World Health Organization says up to 10 percent of energy from sugar is okay, while the U.S. Institute of Medicine allows up to 25 percent.

About half the added sugar is from high-fructose corn syrup, the principal sweetener in soft drinks.


You'd be surprised how many things that stuff is in. Even in small doses it can be a problem for small people. It's a by product of the corn oil industry, so it's much more inexpensive than sugar, which is why it's so widely used. It's a very concentrated sugar, so your body has a hard time metabolizing it.
IT's not the same as other sugars like sugar, regular corn syrup, molasses, honey or even regular fructose. Since it's use has risen, so have diabetes and obesity. I've seen a couple of articles on it that show a correlation. I'm always skeptical of statisitics because they can be manipulated. ANd I'm not sure how reliable the sources were. But the articles had some pretty good reasons to eliminate it from your diet completely, espeically if you are over your idea weight like I am.
Nisha

I actually have started watching my "added" sugar content. It is surprising to find that just about every pre-prepared item from the grocery store has some sort of added sugars to it.

Since I have cut this from my diet I have noticed that my "sweet tooth" isn't all that it used to be. It has become easier to say no to cookies and such.

I still get sugars from sources that I want... meaning fruit and the occasional scoop of ice-cream... not my pasta, sauces, ect... Start reading lables... it is surprising how much is added!

This seems so sane to me. Eat sugar and sweets very moderately. I generally feel aweful if I overeat with fat free, sugar free stuff, but when I eat 3 or 4 glorious bites of the best quality chocolate cake or rhubard pie, I feel great and satisfied.

Thanks KD,

I was thinking about sugar this morning.

I still use it. 3 teaspoons a day. Plus what ever is in baked goods or salad dressing.

I was struck by reading in Dr. Peekes recommendation to eat a reasonable portion of "real" dessert (with sugar and fat) rather than going for larger portions of sugar free/fat free desserts.

I know that it works for me - but we only had desserts on weekends when I was a kid. It would feel odd to me to eat dessert every night. I know some people grew up with dessert every night and the meal feels incomplete with out it. Sugar/Fat free might be a better option for them.

Denise