Sugar shockers

[n2doc]

For the first time, the American Heart Association has set a sugar benchmark for daily intake.


10:47 a.m. CST, March 5, 2010



Sugar has been blamed for a laundry list of health problems, including obesity and diabetes. But how do you know when you've had too much?

For the first time, Americans now have a benchmark: No more than 25 grams of added sugar a day for women and 37.5 grams for men, according to new guidelines established by the American Heart Association.

It's easy to soar past those limits. Downing just one 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola will give you 39 grams of sugar, exceeding your daily ration. But a lesser-known problem with sugar is that it's hidden in everything from soup to nuts. It's lurking in your lunch meat. It enhances bread. And if a low-fat product or frozen dinner tastes good, you may have added sugar to thank.

As a result, we're regularly ingesting an average of 88.8 grams of added sugar a day, according to the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey — more than three times what the AHA recommends.

"When you really start paying attention to ingredients, you realize that sugar is everywhere," said New Jersey's Jen Maidenberg, 35, who has monitored her sugar intake for more than a decade to help treat allergies, asthma and irritable bowel syndrome. Among her pet peeves: "It kills me that Activia yogurt professes to boost your gut flora with probiotics, but then fills its yogurt with high amounts of sugar, defeating the purpose," she said.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/health/sc-health-0303-sugar-20100303,0,5876179.story

[derby378]

1. That ain't sugar in that 12-ounce can of Coca-Cola...

...that there is high-fructose corn syrup, which is a "sugar" in the same way that Ecstasy is just another form of methamphetamine.

[trotsky]

8. That is simply not true.

"High" fructose corn syrup is 55% fructose, 45% glucose.
Table sugar is 50% fructose, 50% glucose.

There is no difference between those molecules whether they are in HFCS or sugar.

[tabatha]

11. No true.

There is a different physiological reaction in humans.
I have heard a scientist say so.
But, I will have to find a link.

[grasswire]

2. activia only has 17 grams sugar IIRC

So I think there are better targets for criticism, Ms. Maidenberg.

I'm thrilled to see this RDA happen. And I hope there's a lot more research on the biochemical processes affected by sugar.

[Abq_Sarah]

6. 17 grams

is just a little over 4 teaspoons of sugar. Total digestible sugar is almost 5 teaspoons.

[Jennicut]

3. Tell me about it....I search every single label of food I buy and it is in everything.

As a diabetic, I just want less sugar in my food (or high fructose corn syrup). Is that too much to ask?

[blueworld]

4. Well, I have my own "beef" with Activia but is everything bad for us now?

I find Activia insulting. Yogurt by definition has the proper digestive bacteria, so are they loading theirs with more bacteria artificially? Or simply marketing the benefits of yogurt & charging 5 times more because of packaging & Jamie Lee Hypocrite's endorsements? Whatever.

Most of us realize that too much sugar is bad for health & hidden in many processed foods. However, I'm really getting weary of daily warnings about how all the food we eat is killing us. Just venting. Carry on.

[Mojambo]

5. I usually have one bottle of Eric's Famous Energy Brew a day

Sugar... 38 grams.

But at least it's real sugar.

[frazzled]

7. Sigh ... sugar doesn't cause diabetes

Otherwise, sure: we get too much sugar in processed food and soft drinks. It's not good for you. Try not to buy processed foods.

[Abq_Sarah]

10. Nor does obesity

Or eating fatty foods.

Its a metabolism defect.

Some of us, unfortunately have a defect that doesn't allow us to eat unlimited carbohydrates. I am thin and insulin resistant. I control it through diet. I would add that if I were to eat the amount of carbohydrates (sugar) found in the typical American diet, there is a very high chance I would eventually develop Type 2.

[tridim]

9. Started making my own bread twice a week for this reason

Bread tastes great with a small amount of sugar (for the yeast to feed on) and no HFCS.

I still don't understand why they bother putting HFCS in bread, but I'm guessing it's because Americans have been conditioned to only buy bread with soft, flavorless crust.