sugar
Sugar consumption alone does not appear to cause hyperactivity in children, although it obviously is not good for kids’ teeth and has been tied to the risk of diabetes. In fact, 17% of calories in the American diet come from added sugars. The gratuitous inclusion of sugar in the USDA Dietary Guidelines may be due to corporate influence (see here, here, here, here, here). Sugar and high fructose corn syrup are about equal in terms of nutritional value (which is about zero). However, high fructose corn syrup may contain mercury so sugar may be a relatively safer option. There actually are two sweeteners that have some nutrition (see also here).
The sugar in dark chocolate means cocoa powder is a better choice to reduce bad cholesterol and boost good cholesterol. Similarly, commercial cranberry juice and Cheerios have added sugar which detracts from their value as health-promoting foods. The addition of cinnamon to meats may actually blunt the blood sugar spike caused by sugary foods.
Topic summary contributed by Denise.
To help out on the site, email volunteer@nutritionfacts.org
Watch videos about sugar
-
Dried Apples, Dates, Figs or Prunes for Cholesterol?A comparison of the cholesterol-lowering potential of four dried fruit—apples, dates, figs, and plums.
-
Clinical Studies on Acai BerriesAn independent review of the effects of açaí berries was recently published, including studies on immune function, arthritis, and metabolic parameters.
-
Titanium Dioxide & Inflammatory Bowel DiseasePeople eating conventional diets may ingest a trillion microparticles of the food whitening additive titanium dioxide every day. What implication might this have for inflammation in the gut?
-
Plant-Based Diets: Dental HealthThose eating more sour fruit may risk greater erosion of their tooth enamel (especially if teeth are brushed in a softened state), but there's a simple solution.
-
Apple Juice May Be Worse Than Sugar WaterWhy the spike in antioxidant levels in our bloodstream after drinking apple juice might not be a good thing.
-
Flesh and FructoseMeat and sugar increase uric acid levels, which are associated with increased risk of gout, hypertension (high blood pressure), obesity, prediabetes, diabetes, kidney disease and cardiovascular..
-
Unsweetening the DietAll sweeteners--natural and artificial, caloric and non-caloric—help maintain cravings for intensely sweet foods.
-
Neurobiology of Artificial SweetenersThe disconnect between sweetness sensations coming from our tongue and the lack of a caloric feedback loop in the gut may result in overeating.
