Dr. Mercola: The Different Denominations Of Today’s Sugar



Avoiding sugar has long been the goals of many diets but somehow has been struck by false promises or some processed foods that claim to have names other than the word sugar. Ya right sugar may be hidden under various names in the ingredients behind our daily use. Sugar gives a reward and satisfies the urges bringing back more customers and hence sales and usage.

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) limits the amount of added sugar to 10 percent of the total daily calories.

For example for a 2000 calorie diet this amounts to approximately 10 to 12 teaspoons a 12 ounce coke can. This may affect health in way that we do not understand on a daily basis. Its easy to believe that sodas, candies, cakes and other sweetened things are loaded with sugar but we fail to even consider that salads, other sodas and processed foods may contain a huge load of sugar we possibly tend to ignore. For example two table spoons of barbecue sauce have about 10 grams of sugar or roughly 5 teaspoons of sugar. Enough to make us startled.

If we are using canned foods which have the ingredients written n the label, we may notice that the words sugar, fructose or glucose and daily recognizable but the words  Dextran, Ethyl Maltol and Panela that actually mean sugars too, are completely alien. Very few of us may actually notice the real amount for sugar if we ever happen to visit the label on the backside.

The claims may be regarding ‘no added refined sugar’ or healthier sugars but the truth is that sugar is in there and it is detrimental to health.

With greater media attention and consumer demand, some companies are beginning to make changes. For instance, Yoplait recently reduced their sugar content in their popular strawberry yogurt from 26 grams to 18 grams.

The different names of sugars that have been added and which the consumers fail to recognize are blackstrap molasses, Buttered syrup, Treacle, Turbinado, castor, Sucanat, Golden syrup, Sorghum syrup, Carob syrup, etc. The list goes on. Fruit juices may have added sugars and also they have the disadvantage of fiber being removed from them rendering them harmful.

A study relating the consumption of liquid sugar concluded that it harms the body by increasing body fat and decreasing the insulin resistance.

One must also give attention to the fact that cancer cells do thrive in sugar. Increased risk of cancer is always there when one eats a free amount of sugar.

Checking on a healthier lifestyle and giving up on processed foods and liquids is the main say in this regard. Water should be the choice for a refreshing drink. Exercising and using Emotional Freedom techniques may help in curbing the urge for sugar.

References:

Mercola.com

National Cancer Institute, Usual Intake of Added Sugars

Calorie Count, Bar-b-que sauce Original

 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2015-2020

 


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