Sugar Facts - Do You Know Yours?

by Bethany Sanders (Subscribe to Bethany Sanders's posts)
Apr 28th 2009 9:00AM

As Jonny reminded us a couple of weeks ago, despite its "all-natural" status, we still need to keep sugar at arm's length. Held up to its competitor, high fructose corn syrup, it might look like the lesser of two evils. But just because it's a "better" choice, doesn't make it a good choice. Sugar is still empty calories no matter how you look at it.

Sometimes, though, the food that sugar is wrapped in is not. For instance, Oreo cookies are a clear-cut food to avoid and eat only in moderation. But apples have sugar and are rich in fiber, vitamin and minerals too.

That's not the only surprising thing about sugar. Think you know everything there is to know about the sweet stuff? Take this sugar facts quiz from AOL Health and you might be surprised by what you learn about sugar, sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners.

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Comments (2)

Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)

anne winters 4-28-2009 @ 9:53AM

The right grains for breakfast may have an important contribution to the blood sugar regulation after meals because certain grain products may have indigestible carbohydrates and a low glycemic index. I read at http://www.projectweightloss.com about the link between the blood sugar levels and mental acuity. People who usually have low GI breakfast concentrate easier during the rest of the morning, and may decrease their risk to suffer from obesity, cardiovascular diseases, or late onset diabetes.

Kim Mueller, MS, RD 4-29-2009 @ 5:16PM

As a registered dietitian, I, too, urge my clients to practice portion control, especially those products loaded with added sugars and containing no further nutritional value (aka, 'empty calories'). However, it is important to clarify that there are no nutritional differences between high fructose corn syrup and table sugar or honey.

All three sweeteners contain an equivalent amount of calories per gram and also carry similar concentrations of fructose and glucose. Most importantly, scientists continue to confirm that HFCS in no more likely than other sugars to precipitate obesity and related diseases. In fact, no single food or ingredient is to blame. It is a mere result of a positive energy balance caused by over consumption of food in comparison to physical activity levels. That being said, our messages need to switch focus from 'blame game' to portion control and increased physical activity.

Healthy regards,

Kim Mueller, MS, RD