Health News
Our biology is hard wired to perceive sweet tastes as pleasant and preferred. Before there were supermarkets, we foraged for food, and our taste buds helped us stay safe. Bitter foods told us to stay away; ripe fruits (nature?s sugar) tasted good and are full of nutrients. These foods also stimulate the same sweet taste buds. This does not mean we have a physical addiction to ADDED sugars because of a biological preference. It only means we enjoy a sweet taste and are drawn to that for positive nutrient intake for good health ? inborn protection.
- Australian Filmmaker Gained 22 Pounds Eating Foods That Most Parents Think Are Healthy; Visited Ky. To See 'mountain Dew Mouth'
An Australian filmmaker, while maintaining his normal caloric intake and eating standard grocery store items, ate the equivalent of 40 teaspoons of sugar a day for two months and gained 22 pounds, expanded his weight size and developed pre-diabetes, reports...
- Kids Are Still Eating Too Much Sugar, Regardless Of Parents' Income, And They're Getting Most Of It At Home
By Tara Kaprowy Kentucky Health News American children's sugar consumption is down, but kids are still eating too much sugar, and they are getting most of it at home. So says a new study from the National Center for Health Statistics, which also...
- Just Say No To Liquid Calories
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Why do we always hear so much about ?cutting liquid calories? for a healthier diet? It?s because most of these sources contain loads of calories without any nutritional benefit. Liquid calories are a hidden source of sugars (and...
- The Truth About Fruit
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Fruit is one of nature?s perfect carbohydrates ? filled with fiber, water, and nutrients. With naturally-occurring fruit sugar (fructose), it?s also referred to as ?nature?s candy,? perfect for taming a sweet-tooth. Nowadays,...
- Nutrition Rich Cookies?
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Have you heard about the new ?nutrition-rich? cookies called WhoNu?, as in ?who knew delicious could be so nutritious?? Each 3-cookie serving contains 3 grams of fiber, as much calcium and vitamin D as a glass of milk, and as...
Health News
The Verdict on Sugar
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom
Americans have a complex relationship with sugar. The USDA estimates that the average intake per person is 70-100 pounds of added sugars each year. Added sugars are those not naturally present in food. That means you may be eating almost two of those big four-pound bags of sugar every month!
Our biology is hard wired to perceive sweet tastes as pleasant and preferred. Before there were supermarkets, we foraged for food, and our taste buds helped us stay safe. Bitter foods told us to stay away; ripe fruits (nature?s sugar) tasted good and are full of nutrients. These foods also stimulate the same sweet taste buds. This does not mean we have a physical addiction to ADDED sugars because of a biological preference. It only means we enjoy a sweet taste and are drawn to that for positive nutrient intake for good health ? inborn protection. The added sugars we consume are a huge problem ? either alone (sodas, sweetened drinks, candy) or combined with fat (ice cream, cakes, cookies, chocolate). While an apple has about 100 calories, a piece of apple pie (added sugars and fat) has close to 400 calories. And another scary fact: carbonated beverages (soda) provide nearly 22% of total added sugars to our diet!
And all sugars contain the same calories: about 15 calories per teaspoon. Our bodies see all sugars the same ? even high fructose corn syrup. So there?s no health benefit to brown sugar, sugar in the raw, honey, molasses, agave, or others. It?s all converted to glucose (the simplest of sugars) as fuel.
Limit added sugars for better health, dental hygiene, and weight control. A taste test is not sufficient as added sugars can be hidden as ?tasting good? and not especially sweet. Read labels on packaged foods, and aim for less than 10 grams of sugar per serving ? that?s about two teaspoons. Any of the low-calorie sweeteners can be a good option, used in moderation with a dose of common sense. But remember that a high calorie meal is not balanced out with a diet soda!
- Australian Filmmaker Gained 22 Pounds Eating Foods That Most Parents Think Are Healthy; Visited Ky. To See 'mountain Dew Mouth'
An Australian filmmaker, while maintaining his normal caloric intake and eating standard grocery store items, ate the equivalent of 40 teaspoons of sugar a day for two months and gained 22 pounds, expanded his weight size and developed pre-diabetes, reports...
- Kids Are Still Eating Too Much Sugar, Regardless Of Parents' Income, And They're Getting Most Of It At Home
By Tara Kaprowy Kentucky Health News American children's sugar consumption is down, but kids are still eating too much sugar, and they are getting most of it at home. So says a new study from the National Center for Health Statistics, which also...
- Just Say No To Liquid Calories
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Why do we always hear so much about ?cutting liquid calories? for a healthier diet? It?s because most of these sources contain loads of calories without any nutritional benefit. Liquid calories are a hidden source of sugars (and...
- The Truth About Fruit
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Fruit is one of nature?s perfect carbohydrates ? filled with fiber, water, and nutrients. With naturally-occurring fruit sugar (fructose), it?s also referred to as ?nature?s candy,? perfect for taming a sweet-tooth. Nowadays,...
- Nutrition Rich Cookies?
By Dr. Madelyn Fernstrom Have you heard about the new ?nutrition-rich? cookies called WhoNu?, as in ?who knew delicious could be so nutritious?? Each 3-cookie serving contains 3 grams of fiber, as much calcium and vitamin D as a glass of milk, and as...