C6H12O(6) NO!
Contrary to how much walking you do and how many times you go to the gym each day, sugar is slowly but surely killing Americans. Each and every day the average adult consumes more than three times the suggested amount of sugar intake, about 95 grams each day; which is equivalent to 77 pounds per year (EW)! When someone thinks of sugar, they know that they eat a lot of it and that they should stop. But, do you know just how much sugar you are eating? It is time to start noticing what is going into your body.
First, let’s talk about the science behind it! Processing sugar starts with the breakdown of sugar into glucose and fructose. Sugar is first separated into fructose and glucose in the small intestine. The fructose travels to the liver to go through a process called fructolysis. During fructolysis, fructose molecules are put through a series of chemical and structural changes which turn the molecules into one which resembles glucose. The new molecules and the glucose molecules are absorbed into the bloodstream and go through a process called cellular respiration. During cellular respiration the molecules are broken down to form ATP, a type of energy. When the body has a glucose level that is too high to process, the pancreas produces insulin to transport the glucose out of the blood and stores it for later. This stored glucose is used when the body’s blood levels drop back down. If this extra glucose is not used, then it turns into fat, something that nobody wants to have extra of.
Aside from gaining fat, an increased intake of sugar can lead to many health problems. This includes heart problems, as extreme as heart failure, which results from a weakening in the mechanism that pumps the heart. The liver can also endure damage because of overuse from breaking down fructose. When it comes to sugar related health problems, the most common problem is diabetes. Diabetes is not necessarily caused by an over intake of sugar; however, it does affect sugar intake once diagnosed. Someone with diabetes does not produce insulin properly, so the sugar that they consume does not get moved from the bloodstream into cells like it is supposed to. When diagnosed with diabetes, it is important to eat healthy by avoiding lots of sugars and exercise regularly. Watching sugar intake can decrease the likelihood of becoming diabetic.
Some foods that contain little to no sugar include:
Nuts
Veggies
Air popped popcorn
Plain dairy products(cheese, yogurt)
Complete protein foods(eggs, chicken, meat, fish and tofu)
One of the biggest health problems that our society is suffering from is childhood obesity: one in every five children is overweight. The stem of childhood obesity is sugar. Overconsumption of sugar, fructose specifically, leads to a build up of belly fat which is seen in children suffering from this serious health problem. Children should be consuming about 12 grams of sugar each day; however, many snacks being advertised to young children include more than the daily amount in just one serving. Processed foods have tons of added sugar. Who consumes most of these processed foods? Children. Children are targeted the most by food advertising companies and as a result, they consume the most processed foods.
Most processed foods have kid friendly advertizing. Why would they do this? Companies want to target a group of people who are easily intrigued and will continually purchase their products. To appeal to children, all a company has to do is come up with an entertaining commercial or funny slogan. Take Lucky CharmsTM for example, commercials have a leprechaun using all of the charms to make magic happen with children following the leprechaun excitedly and saying the slogan, “magically delicious.” The target of these commercials is clearly not middle aged adults. However, one serving of this cereal is nearly their daily allotment of sugar. The documentary ‘Fed Up’ compares the advertising for sugary foods to cigarette advertising. The two are similar because they are both positively advertising something that is really harmful for the body.
Getting rid of all of the sugar you consume is impossible, but there are some ways you can change your diet to reduce your intake. It is important to know what to avoid and what to eat or drink in moderation.
5 things to look out for:
*Avoid sugary drinks
*Read labels carefully
*Exercise (even if it’s just a little) - walk to class, try not to take the bus
*Avoid low fat foods - to supplement for low fat, they add sugar!!!
*Eat more fiber(ex. peas, raspberries, avocado, oatmeal)
When eating artificial sugar, it’s not only hurting your body, but it is also hurting the environment! Artificial sugar, like sucralose(Splenda), cannot be broken down by the bacteria in your body. Naturally, this compound leaves the body as human waste and enters the sewage systems. Since sucralose cannot be broken down by many water treatment systems, it ends up in oceans. The long term effect is still unknown but predicted to be very harmful to marine life.
Artificial sweeteners are mostly made through the fermentation process of corn and soy, two of the most genetically modified crops in the United States. So if you’re watching your GMO’s, it’s time to say C6H12O-NO!!!!
Some snacks and drinks you should think twice about enjoying:
Rice crispy treat ~8g/serving
Coke (1 can) ~42 g/serving
Naked juice Protein Smoothie ~28g/serving
Easy macaroni and cheese ~6g/serving
Orange juice ~23g/serving
Gatorade 591 ml Orange ~35 g/serving
Cereal - lucky charms ~11g/serving
Salad dressing ~5g/serving
Wheat Bread ~3g/slice
Hot cocoa ~7g/serving