Recently, more and more guides have been warning to stay away from multitudes of added sugars in our foods, but the question remains that if it is advised that we strictly limit our intake, does this mean that these added sugars are harmful to ingest? To better understand this controversy, first we must know exactly what these added sugars are. Carbohydrates are identified as strands of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen, no matter whether these strands only form singular sugar units known as simple carbohydrates, or long strands of sugar units that form starch or fiber called complex carbohydrates, or polysaccharides.
Fiber is a special type of polysaccharide that cannot be broken down by human digestive enzymes. Most fibers pass through the human body without providing any energy for use, although some bacteria that reside in the large intestine are able to anaerobically break down miniscule parts of the fiber passing through. Fiber is but one aspect of the carbohydrates we ingest but is one of the most important, for it helps regulate the amount consumed without giving hardly any energy to the body.
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) reflects the average daily amount of nutrients considered adequate to meet the needs of most healthy people. The RDA states that the recommended allowance of carbohydrates per day is around 130 grams with it being slightly higher for pregnant women, and lower for small children. Recent years have seen a dramatic increase in the amount of added sugars consumed, and according to the USDA Economic Research Service, each person on average in the United States currently uses almost three quarters of a cup of added sugars in their foods and beverages per day. Sugary foods and beverages have been made co...
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...the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners have shown that increasing the viscosity of a soluble fiber in the diet is clinically shown to help lower cholesterol significantly, leading to better cardiovascular health. Once again, Cholesterol is a contributing factor, but when kept in check by a healthy amount of fiber (between 25 and 38 grams per day) it is not the malicious factor that causes obesity that researchers are looking for.
Fructose is another likely candidate to be looked at for the cause of obesity, for while glucose and fructose are both monosaccharaides, glucose along with insulin satiates ones hunger while fructose does virtually nothing to satisfy. Fructose is a major component in today’s soft drinks and makes up about half of all sweet sugars regularly digested by the American people, with younger Americans consuming up to 140 grams of it per day.
According to the article, Too Much Can Make Us Sick (http://www.sugarscience.org/too-much-can-make-us-sick/), “Heart disease. Diabetes. These chronic conditions are among the leading causes of death worldwide. Increasingly, scientists are focusing on a common set of underlying metabolic issues that raise people's risk for chronic disease. It turns out that the long-term overconsumption of added sugars is linked to many of these dysfunctions.” This means that people living today, have a lot more trouble with diseases because of our unhealthy sugar intake compared to the
The use of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) contributes drastically to obesity. In the normal process of glucose consumption the pancreas responds by producing insulin to transport sugar to the body cells to use as energy. It then stimulates the production of the hormone leptin, which regulates appetite and fat storage, and suppresses production of the hormone ghrelin. When properly functioning, these hormones serve to regulate food intake and cause hunger to dissipate. However, fructose (the most commodious substance in HFCS)
In order to understand the dangers of sugary drinks and foods, an explanation of their contents is necessary. These drinks and foods are composed of high carbohydrate-content, which is responsible for energy pr...
In conclusion it is not so simple to assume that a higher consumption of carbohydrates increases the risk of diabetes, but it is more important to make recommendations for the prevention of diabetes based on the quality and the not quantity of the carbohydrate (Hu et al, 2001). Based on the current research, diets that limit sugar sweetened beverages, are low in high GI and high GL foods and refined carbohydrates, and are high in fibre are optimal for reducing the risk of type 2 diabetes.
The average American eats 156 pounds of added sugar each year. Sugar is delicious and once we have it, our body constantly wants more. Added sugar has become an American epidemic. “Eighty percent, or 480,000 of the 600,000 food products sold within the U.S. have added sugar, which, according to researchers and medical doctors, is why we have the world 's highest obesity rate is at 31 percent,” (Fed Up). The addictive quality of added sugar makes our brains want more of it constantly; however, our bodies are being negatively affected by its consumption in many ways.
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, babies should be exclusively breastfed for about the first 6 months of life, meaning no additional foods or fluids unless medically indicated. Babies should then continue to breastfeed for a year, or however long the mother or baby desire. Most people do not understand the importance of breastfeeding mainly because they are unaware of the benefits of breast milk. Research shows a significant correlation between breastfeeding and intelligence, such as a higher IQ. Researchers are not sure whether breastfeeding causes a higher intelligence or if it is just an association.
Probably some of the most pleasurable and enjoyable memories of a person has to do with sweets. When thinking back to birthdays, there is always the memory of the wonderful cake that mother beautifully made and decorated with frosting and glazes. A typical night out with dad can be transformed into a magical evening with a trip to the ice cream parlor. The end of a fantastic Thanksgiving dinner turns heavenly when a hot apple pie is brought to the table and topped with delicious, melting vanilla ice cream. A good wedding is never complete without the cutting of the splendid multi-level wedding cake, when the happy new couple gets to playfully shove and smear cake and white frosting into each other’s smiling faces. Everyone knows that as a child, the only good part about going to the dentist is getting the candy bar at the end of the visit. Why do some people get sick after eating too much suger? Some people do not even know that the abuse of sugar can lead to negative effects on your body. There is something strangely enjoyable and resplendent about the consumption of sugar. Why is it that sugar is so deliciously enjoyable and at the same time a food product that has many negative affects on people’s health?
The late Nineteenth Century saw increased industrial growth in the United States. One of the major developments that led to the increased industrial growth was the expansion of the railroad. The railroad provided infrastructure that made it cheap to transport goods from one place to another. Investors could now build industries in different parts of the country and transport products fast and to a wide network of consumers. Another resource that fostered industrial growth was the influx of immigrants into the United States. During this time, many foreigners were able to come into the country and provide cheap labor for building industries thus reducing the cost of industrialization. In addition, the country was in need of vigorous development to cater for the needs of the growing population at that time.
She states “that when it comes to sugar the average adult consumes 23 teaspoons a day”. She explains that the excessive sugar intake can lead to obesity and other health issues (Mansfield Sugar Surprise). This can pose as a major health concern in adults and children. In the Sugar Overload: Corporate Profits vs. Public Health, Serge Ahmed, a researcher in Southern France, states “that a child consumes an average of 100 grams per day of sugar”. He also concludes that children are at risk 60% more than the average adult and sugar has been a direct link to obesity. (Ahmed Sugar
Chamberlain, Jacob. "Fructose, Corn Syrup Cause Excess Hunger, Obesity: Study."CommonDreams.org. Common Dreams, 2 Jan. 2013. Web. 11 Jan. 2014.
The first step is to understand the effects of sugary drinks on the human body. Daines states that, “Many factors contribute to obesity, but there’s one pernicious one: added sugar” (632). Consumption of sugary drinks alone has held an increasing placement in our daily eating routine. As stated in A Tax That Invests in Our Health, “We consume about 300 calories more a day than we did 30 years ago, and most of those calories come from sugar-sweetened sodas, energy drinks or fruit-flavored drinks” (632).
The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) has always informed the public about the dietary guidelines they should follow in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle. But all the information that they receive are completely misunderstood. “The American Heart Association and the U.S. 2010 Dietary Guidelines provide recommendations for added sugar intake, as it is theorized that added sugars in the diet, particularly sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB), have contributed to the rise in obesity prevalence due to research suggesting that they contribute to excessive energy intake [23-25]” as mentioned by (Hedrick, 2012). Although, these sugars are recommended if children and adults consume massive amounts of these sugars then consumption of the massive amounts of these sugars can become harmful to the body. (Hedrick, 2012) also mentions “Additionally, the U.S. 2010 Dietary Guidelines suggest one half of grains consumed should be whole grains [29], due to associations with heart health [30,31]”. You can stroll through some city neighborhoods in America and see why the results
The current average count of intake is at 30 teaspoons of sugar per day; that’s more than three times the recommended amount. To better put this into perspective, here’s an example using sugar, soda and math. An average 12-ounce can of soda contains about 40g of added sugar, that’s about 8 percent of a pound, thirteen cans of soda translate to about a pound of added sugar. Many people drink a can of soda daily, and combine that with the rest of the food that we eat which also contains added sugars, and you start to see where the 150-170 pounds come
In the article “U.S. health advocates seek safe sugar limits for drinks” By Lisa Baertlein reports “Americans, on average, consume 18 to 23 teaspoons of added sugars each day, according to data from National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey and the U.S. Department of Agriculture.” (Baertlein par. 8) It’s no surprise our country has a sweet tooth, you can tell because everything we consume has some sort of sugar in it or an artificial sweetener, which in most cases is worse. The typical American is consuming dangerous amounts of sugar at a costly price. Many deal with diseases such as diabetes, which has a direct correlation to sugar and the trouble, your body has breaking down the carbs with
Proper nutrition is one of the most essential elements to being healthy and living a long life. People deal with food every day, and food has been a part of life since the beginning of civilization. What we eat becomes our diet, and our diet plays a major role in deciding how healthy we are and how well our body functions. Without proper diet, our body cannot carry out the functions it needs to perform. Most people have some common knowledge on what is good and what is bad for the human body to consume. Fruits, vegetables, nuts, and grains are some common items people think of when they think of healthy foods. However, it is not enough just to know what foods are good for your body, it is also important to understand why certain foods are good for you and what they do to help the body function.