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Tag: Sugar

  • Is sugar addictive?

    Is sugar addictive?

    The scientists and researchers do not consider sugar to be addictive, at least not in the same way as alcohol or nicotine or opiates, writes Frank Hu, the Chair of the Department of Nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in the Harvard Gazette. But, there’s no question that people have cravings for sugar and cannot resist eating it. Sugar has real effects on our bodies and minds and some addictive qualities.

    Sugar is in so many of the foods we know and love. Ultra-processed foods usually contain sugar as well as fats and salt. And all of these ingredients contribute to our wanting to eat even more. When we don’t, we can feel it.

    Many people have serious symptoms when they don’t eat. They get headaches or anxious or dizzy. It is challenging for a lot of people to give up these unhealthy foods.

    Of course, there are plenty of healthy foods, like fruits, that contain sugar. And, we should not even think of giving those up. That makes sugar very different from alcohol and cigarettes, which offer no health benefits.

    Eating reasonable amounts of sugar is a good thing and should not negatively affect your health or your mood. In fact, it can make you happy!

    How much added sugar do Americans eat a day? The data show that the typical person has 20 teaspoons of added sugar each day or 300 calories! This sugar comes from drinks, candies and snacks.

    The recommended amount of added sugar, according to the American Heart Association, is a maximum of nine teaspoons a day for men and six for women, still less for kids.

    What to do? Pay attention to how much extra sugar you are eating. Read food labels. Don’t give all the added sugar up immediately but, rather, slowly, eat fewer foods with added sugar.

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  • Stay healthy: Avoid foods that cause inflammation

    Stay healthy: Avoid foods that cause inflammation

    Inflammation in our bodies can heal infected areas through increased blood flow. But, constant inflammation can lead to digestive issues, stiff joints and muscle pain, among other serious health conditions. If you avoid four types of foods, you can minimize your risk of chronic inflammation, says Dr. Jacqueline Wolf, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, for CNBC.

    You want to ensure you have healthy bacteria in your gut that work to fight inflammation. The solution is to reduce your consumption of fatty meats, ultra-processed foods, drinks with added sugar and foods with coconut and palm oil. Put differently, eat more plant-based foods—fruits and vegetables—as well as fish and chicken, whole grains, extra virgin olive oil and flaxseed oil.

    Don’t eat:

    1. Fatty meats. Avoid beef, lamb and pork as much as possible. By so doing, you should improve your colon health.
    2. Ultra-processed foods. Avoid hot dogs, sausages, bacon, ham, deli meats, and pepperoni. Don’t eat snack foods like oreos and goldfish either. Their salt, extra sugar and lack of antioxidants are bad for your gut. Eating these foods can lead to colorectal cancer, diabetes, dementia, heart disease and other serious health conditions. Eating these foods can change your gut’s microbiome, causing chronic inflammation. In turn, your blood pressure can rise, along with your risk of death. (N.B. One large 2021 study performed in Britain concluded that for every additional 25 grams—about one ounce—of processed meat in a person’s daily diet, the risk of dementia increased by 44 percent, and that of Alzheimer’s disease increased by 52 percent.)
    3. Drinks with sugar. Avoid sodas, lemonade and sweetened iced tea. One study, published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that people who drank as few as two glasses (16 ounces) of soda a day, including diet soda, had a greater chance of dying from any cause than people who drank fewer than 12 glasses of soda a year. After 19 years of drinking sugar-sweetened sodas, including diluted syrups, both men and women had a greater risk of dying from digestive disorders than people who did not.
    4. Foods with coconut and palm oil. Avoid products with high levels of saturated fat. Coconut oil has been found to raise both LDL and HDL cholesterol levels relative to unsaturated fats.

    N.B. If you want to reduce your soft drink intake, consider doing so gradually rather than going cold turkey. You probably will have a greater likelihood of success. You might try substituting ice water for soft drinks. If you like carbonated drinks, you can substitute soda water for soft drinks. For extra flavor, you can add a small amount of juice to the soda water.

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  • How sweet is your diet?

    How sweet is your diet?

    Our brains are programmed to love sugar. And, sugar is in all foods with carbohydrates, including fruits, vegetables, grains, and dairy. Eating these whole foods is good for your health because your body digests them slowly, and they provide energy to your cells. But, foods with added sugars are another story and are best to avoid. How sweet is your diet?

    If your diet is like the typical American’s, you’re eating way too much sugar every day. The food industry adds sugar to practically every processed food we eat, including ketchup, hot dogs and salad dressing. That helps explain why we eat so much sugar.

    It’s best to try to avoid eating and drinking foods with added sugar. You can get your carbohydrates elsewhere. We get most of our unhealthy sugar from sugary beverages, including sports drinks. Four grams of sugar is a teaspoon. One can of cola has 39 grams of sugar, 10 teaspoons!

    Even fruit juice has a lot of natural sugar and some fruit juice has added sugar. Fruit juice also contains vitamins and other nutrients, but those benefits are offset by all the sugar. Breakfast cereal and yogurt (except plain yogurt) also generally contain a lot of sugar.

    Our body needs sugar to survive. But our body can get all the sugar it needs from glucose. Our body makes glucose by breaking down carbohydrates, proteins and fats we eat. We do not need to eat foods with added sugar to feed our brains. Those foods can cause heart disease, fatty liver disease, diabetes; they can also raise blood pressure.

    How much added sugar is ok to eat each day? The Harvard School of Public Health says that you can have about 50 grams or 12 teaspoons of sugar a day or 200 calories from sugar, ten percent of a typical adult’s recommended calorie intake. The American Heart Association recommends even less: Women should have no more than six teaspoons of sugar a day and men nine teaspoons in order to reduce risk of heart disease and obesity.

    There are many types of sugars: Sucrose (table sugar), corn sweetener, high-fructose corn syrup, fruit-juice concentrates, nectars, raw sugar, malt syrup, maple syrup, fructose sweeteners, liquid fructose, honey, molasses, anhydrous dextrose are all types of sugar. In fact, you can pretty much assume that any word ending in “-ose,” the chemical suffix for sugars, is a type of sugar. If any sugar is listed on a food label, you should assume that the product has a lot of sugar. You can look at the nutrition facts label of most foods for the amount of “total carbohydrates.”

    To learn more about the risks of too much sugar, read this post on foods with added sugar. To get John Oliver’s ever smart take, watch this:

     

  • Avoid these five foods to keep your mind sharp

    Avoid these five foods to keep your mind sharp

    It’s that time of year when it seems that yummy sweets and other unhealthy eats are all around us. There’s good reason to avoid them all. Dr. Uma Naidoo, a psychiatrist and Harvard Medical School faculty member, makes the case on CNBC.com that you can keep your mind sharp and reduce your risk of dementia if you avoid eating five foods.

    Dr. Naidoo researches the ways bacteria in our guts can affect our memory. Some foods create bacteria that inflame our brain and hurt our memory.

    1. Foods with added sugars, including processed foods, can create too much sugar in our brains. This excess sugar, in turn, can compromise our memory. So avoid snack foods like Goldfish and Oreos and soft drinks like Coke and Mountain Dew. You should avoid eating more than 25 grams of added sugar a day.
    2. Fried foods, such as french fries, donuts, tempura and samosas. One study that looked at the effects of eating too much fried foods found that people who ate a lot of fried foods had poorer memories. Fried foods lead to inflammation and broken blood vessels that are needed to ensure an adequate supply of blood to the brain. Fried foods also increase your risk of developing depression.
    3. High glycemic-load carbohydrates, such as spaghetti and bread, don’t sit well in your gut. They behave like sugar. If you have the urge, eat high-fiber foods, ones with whole grains; they do not increase your risk of developing depression.
    4. Alcohol intake in moderation actually can be beneficial in reducing the likelihood of dementia, as compared to no alcohol intake whatsoever. But, more than two drinks a day (for men) or one drink a day (for women) put you at greater risk of dementia.
    5. Nitrates in deli meats also could be linked to depression. Eating deli meats made with buckwheat flour is preferable to those made with nitrates if you must eat deli meats.

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  • Live longer, avoid sugary and diet sodas

    Live longer, avoid sugary and diet sodas

    Live longer, avoid sugary and diet sodas! CNN reports that a 19-year study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that people who drank as few as two glasses (16 ounces) of soda a day, including diet soda, had a greater chance of dying from any cause than people who drank fewer than 12 glasses of soda a year.

    The 451,743 study participants from 10 European countries were in good health at the outset, without signs of cancer, diabetes, heart disease or stroke. But, after 19 years of drinking sugar-sweetened sodas, including diluted syrups, both men and women had a greater risk of dying from digestive disorders than people who did not. It goes without saying that consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks also leads to weight gain and obesity.

    Men and women who drank diet drinks over 19 years had a greater risk of dying from circulatory diseases such as cardiovascular disease. The long-term physiological and health consequences of drinking artificially-sweetened drinks is unknown.

    People who drank as little as 16 fluid ounces of soft drinks a day also had an increased risk of Parkinson’s disease. Of note, they did not have an increased risk of deaths from breast or prostate cancer. But, drinking one or more eight-ounce soft drinks a day–sugar-sweetened and artificially-sweetened–was associated with more colorectal cancer deaths than drinking fewer than one glass a month. That said, the researchers could not determine whether the sugary or artificially-sweetened drinks were factors in this association. N.B. A July 2019 study published in BMJ did show an 18 percent higher risk of overall cancer and a 22 percent higher risk of breast cancer from drinking as little as a third of a can of soda a day.

    The researchers also found that people who drank more than one glass of diet soda a month but fewer than two a day had a greater risk of disease than those who did not.

    The JAMA study was an observational study. It does not show that drinking soft drinks necessarily increases risk of death. Other studies in the US have shown associations between diet sodas and stroke, dementia and Type 2 diabetes.

    If you want to reduce your soft drink intake, consider doing so gradually rather than going cold turkey. You have a greater likelihood of success. You might try substituting ice water for soft drinks. And, if you like carbonated drinks, you can substitute soda water for soft drinks. For extra flavor, you can add a small amount of juice to the soda water.

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  • Are sugar substitutes bad for you?

    Are sugar substitutes bad for you?

    The data is clear that too much sugar is not good for your health. But, what about sugar substitutes, artificial sweeteners like Splenda, Sweet ‘N Low and Equal? A new meta-study  published in the BMJ finds that there is no evidence that sugar substitutes are bad for you. But, based on the quality of the evidence, the researchers could not rule out the harms of sugar substitutes.

    Researchers looked at 56 controlled and non-controlled clinical trials as well as observational studies to see whether sugar substitutes affected health outcomes for otherwise healthy or overweight adults and children. In total, 13,941 people were studied. They found that sugar substitutes had no meaningful health benefits.

    The researchers did not find evidence that sugar substitutes affected people’s eating behaviors. Sugar substitutes also did not appear to cause cancer or heart disease or kidney disease. And, sugar substitutes did not seem to affect people’s moods or memory.

    The researchers looked at a variety of sugar substitutes. They saw no clear differences among sugar substitutes, including aspartame, stevia, or some combination of sweeteners.

    This all said, the researchers reported that most studies did not have enough participants, did not report type and dose of sweetener, or did not cover a long enough period of time, to allow for reliable findings as to the harms of sugar substitutes.

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  • Are you eating too much junk food?

    Are you eating too much junk food?

    Julia Belluz reports for Vox that it might be time for the government to step in, tax junk food, and help address the obesity epidemic in the United States. A tax on unhealthy and high-calorie food might deter people from eating too much junk food and encourage them instead to eat a healthy balanced diet. Some experts even recommend avoiding nutritional supplements like Ensure and Boost, because of their high sugar, low-protein content, and eating Greek yogurt and other protein and calorie-rich foods instead.

    The value of a tax on sugary drinks and other junk food seems pretty clear. The tax increases the cost of junk food, which not only keeps people from buying junk food, it raises money for health promotion. And, it may sway companies to manufacture less junk food and more healthy food. Finally, the tax helps educate people more about the health risks of junk food.

    A federal tax on junk food would be similar to a federal tax on cigarettes or alcoholic drinks. And, the US already has both federal and state taxes on cigarettes to deter Americans from smoking. Since 2009, the federal tax alone is $1.01 a pack. While there is no federal tax on alcoholic drinks, most states impose a tax on beer, wine and spirits. In addition, in the last several years eight cities in the US have imposed a tax on soft drinks.

    Berkeley, California’s one cent tax per ounce on soda, energy drinks, sports drinks and sweetened ice teas was shown to decrease soda consumption by 26 percent. A separate study showed that, after the tax was imposed, sales of sugary drinks declined and sales of healthier drinks increased with no overall increase in grocery bills.

    The United States could benefit from a federal excise tax on unhealthy drinks and snacks with no nutritional value. Both the United Kingdom and Mexico have enacted a soft drink tax. The data suggests that the tax is working in those countries to reduce purchases of sugary drinks.

    Jennifer Pomeranz and others report in the American Journal for Public Health that making junk food more costly would promote public health. The US could tax chocolate and other processed snack foods that are “non-essential.” They propose imposing an excise tax on the companies that manufacture non-essential foods, driving up the price of those foods.

    According to the Centers for Disease Control, more than one in three children between the ages of two and 19 in America eat junk food each day. Adults eat less junk food than children; about 10 percent of their caloric intake. But, hospitals and nursing homes often feed older people sugary drinks, nutritional supplements, which arguably should be avoided.

    Dr. Dave Lieberman writes in the New York Times that sugary nutritional supplements should not be what the doctor orders, even for older people who need to increase their calorie intake. He says that Boost and Ensure, two of the biggest selling nutritional supplements, have water and corn syrup as their two primary ingredients and very little protein content. These ingredients can promote diabetes, heart disease and fatty liver disease. He recommends full fat Greek yogurt, which is high in calories and high in protein and is also a probiotic. Almond and soy-based drinks are also recommended.

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  • Many Americans eat dessert for breakfast

    Many Americans eat dessert for breakfast

    If you’re like me, once in a while there is nothing you enjoy more than breakfast for dinner. And, that might be because I eat dessert for breakfast. Many Americans unknowingly eat loads of sugar in the morning, in their waffles, pancakes and muffins. Since too much sugar should be avoided, you might want to reconsider your breakfast menu.

    USDA guidelines recommend that less than 10 percent of your daily calorie intake–less than 200 calories out of an average 2000 calories–come from food and drinks with added sugars. That’s about 13 teaspoons of sugar at most. Sugar contributes to obesity, tooth decay and chronic conditions, such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Natural sugars from fruit are generally good for you.

    Julia Belluz and Javier Zarracina report for Vox that many of the breakfast foods you may enjoy eating have amounts of sugar similar to cupcakes, cookies and ice cream. Muffins contain 37 grams of sugar, the equivalent of nine teaspoons. A serving of Chobani yogurt has 130 calories, just 10 fewer than a half cup of Breuer’s vanilla yogurt.

    Even eating granola, much like snack bars, is generally the equivalent of eating candy. Granola, which many assume to be a healthy breakfast food, tends to contain a lot of sugar. The Center for Science in the Public Interest reports that small servings of granola often have 200 calories.

    Because granola is so tasty, many people eat far more than the typical half-cup serving. It’s totally understandable. But, smart? That depends on whether you’re looking to stay healthy.

    What should you eat for breakfast if you want to eat healthy? The National Institute on Aging recommends eating fresh fruits, shredded wheat, whole wheat bread, eggs, and creamy oatmeal for breakfast. The National Institutes of Health also recommends whole grains, fat-free or 1% milk and other foods rich in  healthful nutrients—including potassium, calcium, vitamin D, and fiber. And, if you really want the pancakes or waffles, try to limit the maple syrup and other sugary toppings!

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  • Foods with added sugar are not so sweet for your health

    Foods with added sugar are not so sweet for your health

    Americans consume a lot of sugar.  Natural sugars from fruit are generally good for you.  But anything you consume with added sugar is not so sweet for your health.  These added sugars contain calories but no other nutrients.

    Researchers have found that sugar added to products during manufacturing—e.g. cereal, soda, candy—contributes not only to obesity and tooth decay but to a range of chronic conditions such as diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. The best diet is a balanced diet, one in which you eat a range of foods and keep to unprocessed foods without added sugar.  While our bodies need sugar–it’s good for the brain–our bodies make glucose, a type of sugar, when they break down proteins, fats and carbohydrates.

    According to a just-released report from the Centers for Disease Control, between 2011 and 2014, adults drank about 145 calories worth of sugar every day, to their detriment. The CDC found that more than 111 million adults in the U.S. (49.3 percent) drink at least one sugary drink a day. (Curiously, the CDC research also found that Asian-Americans drink about half the calories from sugary drinks as Whites, Blacks and Hispanic Americans.) The CDC recommends people drink water rather than sugary drinks.

    In case you wondered, 300 calories, 15 percent of daily calorie consumption, is the equivalent of 22 teaspoons of sugar.  And, the data show that if you consume 2000 calories daily, drinking a 20 ounce soda such as Mountain Dew, you increase the likelihood of hurting your health. In fact, the researchers have found that if a third or more of your daily calorie intake is from added sugar, about 670 calories, then you quadruple your risk of cardiovascular disease.

    USDA guidelines recommend no more than 10 percent of a person’s daily calorie intake come from food and drinks with added sugars. But, drinks alone represent 6.5 percent of a person’s caloric intake. So, if possible, avoid soda, energy drinks and sports drinks. They tend to contain a lot of sugar. And, if you’re wondering about the amount of sugar in what you’re eating or drinking, check the nutrition label. The amount of sugar will be listed under “carbohydrates.”

    The United States does not provide a dietary limit for added sugar, as it does for salt and transfats, even though added sugar can be dangerous to your health. In fact, sugar is on the US Food and Drug Administration’s “generally regarded as safe” list. As a result, manufacturers can add as much sugar as they please to their processed foods. But, researchers are showing that the risk of cardiovascular disease increases when added sugar represents more than 15 percent of your caloric intake.

    Some cities are using financial incentives–taxes on drinks with added sugar–to dissuade people from buying them. Time will tell whether the people in San Francisco, Oakland, Boulder, Philadelphia and Chicago fare better than others in cities and towns without this tax. According to Stat News, at least one research paper shows a 20 percent reduction in consumption of sugary drinks for every penny per ounce tax.

    To learn more about sugar and the antics of the $5 billion sugar industry, watch this John Oliver video.

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  • Help yourself: Think outside the box with diet and exercise

    Help yourself: Think outside the box with diet and exercise

    People are often pushed away by the thought of “diet and exercise” as a cure-all. The problem is the mental approach many of us take at the onset. We can focus on the challenges of incorporating physical activity and new nutrition habits into our daily lives. Or, we can help ourselves and think outside the box with diet and exercise. Thinking outside the box has its benefits!

    Physical Activity

    At any age, being active on a regular basis is beneficial to physical and mental health — this is not news. However, one of the most common mistakes we make is with our synonymous use of exercise and physical activity. Though both burn calories, exercise is structured aerobic activity that develops muscle, while physical activity is any instance of movement that increases blood flow. In other words, it doesn’t have to be intense. You might be surprised to realize how often you are being physically active — it includes things like walking your dog, taking the stairs or gardening.

    For older adults, being physically active can increase their ability to complete regular tasks on their own and maintain independence in general. It helps promote a strong and healthy heart. And, a strong and healthy heart also increases immunity to infectious diseases and viruses, and it reduces the risk of dangerous complications that can lead to hospitalization.

    The National Institute on Aging proposes some simple ways to incorporate more physical activity into your daily life:

    • Walk every aisle of the grocery store when you go shopping
    • Walk around the block when you go out to get the mail
    • Get off the bus one stop earlier or park your car further away from your destination and walk the extra distance
    • Lift the milk carton or a one pound can a few times before putting it away
    • Walk up and down the steps a few extra times

    The National Institute on Aging also recommends having an “exercise buddy,” a health care buddy, be it a neighbor, friend or family member, who takes walks or yoga classes with you.  If you don’t already have an exercise buddy, there are easy ways to find one. There may be a walking club at your local mall or an exercise class at a nearby senior center.

    Nutrition

    Junk food and added sugar are harmful to health at any age, but can be particularly detrimental to adults with chronic conditions like diabetes or heart disease. While going on a strict diet is likely to be disruptive to your digestive system and mood, try approaching your meals with nutrition in mind. Think — Am I getting enough protein or calcium in this meal? How can I increase the amount of vitamins and minerals by eating different foods?

    By approaching nutrition as an added element to your comprehensive diet, you can improve your mental and physical well-being without the stress of cutting out entire food groups.

    Studies show that even a small amount of physical activity and attention to nutrition can have a variety of health benefits. Approaching these recommendations with a positive attitude not only helps you take the first step toward incorporating them into your life, but also helps you stick with them long term. While it may seem intimidating, you don’t have to navigate your health needs alone — talking to a doctor or family nurse practitioner can help define which specific activities and nutritional elements are right for you.

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