All things Sugar and Sugar Substitutes

All things Sugar and Sugar substitutes

AS with everything I am providing information I have researched from the FDA, AMA and the CDC.  If you read something and want more information or disagree that is fine but I always expect every one to do their own research and make your decisions for you and your family.  I am just educating not suggesting or expecting. So Here we go.

Health Dangers of too much added sugar

Heart Disease, Liver Disease, HBP, Obesity, ADHD, Aging skin, Stroke, Cavities,

Mood, Joint health, Memory and focus

Naturally occurring sugars and added sugars

There are two types of sugars in American diets: naturally occurring sugars and added sugars.

1. Naturally occurring sugars are found naturally in foods such as fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose).

2. Added sugars include any sugars or caloric sweeteners that are added to foods or beverages during processing or preparation (such as putting sugar in your coffee or adding sugar to your cereal). Added sugars (or added sweeteners) can include natural sugars such as white sugar, brown sugar and honey as well as other caloric sweeteners that are chemically manufactured (such as high fructose corn syrup).

Natural Occurring vs Added 

Natural sugars are found in fruit as fructose and in dairy products, such as milk and cheese, as lactose. These foods contain essential nutrients that keep the body healthy and help prevent disease. Natural sources of sugar are digested slower and help you feel full for longer. It also helps keep your metabolism stable.

Refined sugar, or sucrose, comes from sugar cane or sugar beets, which are processed to extract the sugar. Food manufacturers then add the chemically produced sugar, typically high-fructose corn syrup, to many packaged foods. The body breaks down refined sugar rapidly, which causes insulin and blood sugar levels to skyrocket. Since it is digested quickly, you don’t feel full after you’re done eating, regardless of how much you ate. Increased consumption of refined sugar has been linked to the rise in obesity rates, which is associated with higher risks of cancer. 

Sources of added sugars

The major sources of added sugars in American diets are regular soft drinks,candy, cakes, cookies, pies and fruit drinks (fruitades and fruit punch); dairy desserts and milk products (ice cream, sweetened yogurt and sweetened milk); and other grains (cinnamon toast and honey-nut waffles).

Finding added sugars in food

Total sugars include both added sugars and natural sugars.

Added sugars are the ones you want to limit.

Naturally occurring sugars are found in milk (lactose) and fruit (fructose). Any product that contains milk (such as yogurt, milk or cream) or fruit (fresh, dried) contains some natural sugars. In 2016, the Food and Drug Administration revised the Nutrition Facts label to list both “Total Sugars” and “Added Sugars.” But some companies have until mid-2021 to make the switch to include added sugars.

Reading the ingredient list on a processed food’s label can tell you if the product contains added sugars, just not the exact amount if th