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• Sugar is a carbohydrate, we crush it out of sugar-cane or boil it out of beets. There is also high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener made from corn starch.
What
is
sugar?
• Eating fruit and its sugar is usually no big deal. Drinking fruit juice is a different story. The fruit's sugar is concentrated when we drink it. For example, there are 4 oranges in 1 cup of OJ. Eat fruit, don't drink fruit.
Is fruit
sugar bad
for me?
• Sugar is a part of starch. Most foods that are starchy (potatoes, corn, peas, bread, pasta) are also high in sugar. That's why we try to eat less of them.
Are starch
and sugar
the same?
*One theory why people like starchy/sweet foods is that they are a very good source of calories. They were more likely to survive and pass on their genes by eating the starch.
Why does
sugar taste
so good?
Is brown
sugar better
than white?
• Brown sugar is often just white sugar with the addition of molasses for color. True raw brown sugar has negligible nutritional benefit vs white.
What is
High Fructose
Corn Syrup?
• High fructose corn syrup is made from the sugar in corn. It is processed to contain a high amount of fructose to make it very sweet. It's cheaper to use instead of sugar in cereals, sodas, and snacks.
Am I
addicted
to sugar?
• It is possible you are "addicted" to sugar. Dopamine is released when you eat high sugar foods & makes you want more. A little is never enough! Cocaine addicted rats preferred sugar over cocaine. That says it all.
How much
sugar do
we eat?
• In the 1800's, we would eat 7 pounds of sugar per year. In 2013, it is estimated we ate 140 pounds of sugar per year. Houston, we may have a problem..
How much
sugar should
I eat?
• The American Heart Association and now the American Academy of Pediatrics recommend eating less than 6 teaspoons (24g) of sugar per day for anyone under 18 years of age. And that's still a lot. In 1700, it took us 1 week to eat 35g of sugar.
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