Sugar Good Bad Artificial

Editor's Notes

• #3: I mentioned this in last month’s presentation, but when asked the average person feels that he/she makes roughly 15 food or beverage decisions a day. In fact, all of us are faced with over 200 food and beverage decisions a day. Many of those food decisions are made on mindless autopilot. But, some of them we actually give a lot of thought to and of some of the ones we give a lot of thought to, the more we think about it, talk to people about it, read about it, the more we realize we don’t have a clue what the right decision even is.
• #4: I think one such food decision, one that was brought up as a topic of interest from one of the viewers last month is the question sugar or substitute? Good vs. Bad?. I think this is an excellent question and it is absolutely one that can be very confusing. One problem is that the terminology is often open to interpretation. Some manufacturers call their sweetners “natural” even though they’re processed or refined, as is the case with stevia preparation. And some artificial sweeteners are made from naturally occurring substances- sucralose comes forom sugar, then there is the artificial ones, but those are just chemicals right? So cae sugar or honey is better. I mean it seems like even Pepsico can’t make up their mind. They have Pepsi with corn syrup, diet Pepsi but even with the diet they dropped the aspartame and went with sucralose. Now they released one in a green can sweetened with Stevia and the real kicker is now after 123 years of business the company has come full circle and is selling Pepsi Throw back which is supposedly better because it is made with gold old fashioned cane sugar, right? What’s the deal? I think it is essential to know the pros and cons of all this confusion in order to make an informed choice.
• #5: So first, lets talk a little bit about sugar. And the first distinction I want to make is the one between Added Sugars and Sugar found Naturally in food. There are only two forms of naturally occurring sugars and those are lactose (found in milk and other dairy) and fructose (those coming from fruits and some veggies). Added sugars are any sweetners used as ingredients in processed and prepared foods or any sweeteners that you may add to foods or drinks. Now, the sugars naturally found in foods are purely carbohydrates like the other ones, but from a nutritional standpoint, the food sources in which they are found have a lot more to offer calorically than table sugar. Important nutrients like protein, Vit D, calcium, Vit A, Vit C, and fiber- you’ll be hard pressed to find any of those nutrients in candy, cookies and soft drinks. As an additional bonus, fiber and protein take longer to digest, causing a less dramatic spike in blood sugar and they also make you feel fuller longer. So from here on out during the presentation when I am talking about sugar, please know that I am referring to the added sugars. You may be wondering ok well what about honey or agave or maple syrup those are better right? Honey has some antioxidant, antimicrobial and soothing effects; maple syrup may raise blood sugar more slowly. But at the end of the day, to chose one of these sweeteners over another thinking it is “healthy” is really just looking at one metric of many. Natural does not necessarily mean healthful. Regardless of the source, alternative natural sweeteners like honey, agave, maple and brown rice syrup are still added sugar.
• #6: Now that we know that all added sugar is the same. How much of it is recommended or better yet how much is recommended not to be exceeded? The World Health Organization recommends that women eat no more than 6 teaspoons a day and men limit their’s to 9 teapoons.
• #7: But data shows us that on average most men and women consume a whooping 23 teaspoons per day. The interesting thing is we can’t be too hard on ourselves for this, because the preference for specific flavors are determined by 4 things: innate factors, environmental influences, learning and interactions among these 3 things. And a sweet tooth is actually an innate preference for all living species (apart from cats) Innately as mammals we have a preference for sweet, primarily because sweetness is a sign of rich carbohydrates, an important food/energy source when food was scarce. Strange but true, all mammals have this preference except for cats. Cats hold no interest for sugar and spice and everything nice as they are lacking the gene that allows for them to taste sweets. As for the second, third and fourth factors that determine a preference: the environment, learning and the interactions between the 3, we are again at a disadvantage. Because sugar is quite literally in everything. In fact 75% (3/4) of all packaged or prepared foods contain sugar that is hidden in plain sight.
• #8: The problem we now know with all this added sugar is that it is making us sick from head to toe. Starting at the top with tooth decay, that seems to be the least of our concerns. Because excess sugar consumption is linked to some of the top ranked leading causes for death and disease, heart disease, diabetes, obesity and Met X.
• #9: So obviously we want and need to cut down on sugar. I think the 3 best ways to do it are listed here and then there is the fourth one, the question and decision to do so should you replace sugar with a sugar substitution. The first tip is the most obvious, if 75% of all packaged or processed ”foods” and I list foods in quotations here because if it comes from a plant I will call it food if it is made in a plant I will not. But, if 75% of packaged or processed “foods” contain added sugar, we will greatly reduce our environmental exposure to the sweet stuff by simply cutting down on those “foods”. But as in life most times the obvious solution is not always the easiest. So when you do choose processed or packaged foods, in order to cut down on added sugars you have to scrutinize food labels.
• #10: And just know up front that added sugar is hiding in foods that many of us consider healthy.
• #11: For example, I think this days worth of meals is fairly typical and could probably be one that someone who is actively trying to eat “healthy” may choose. This person may have had the thought that skipping breakfast is not the healthiest decision but they also don’t have a lot of time in the morning so they chose some quaker instant oatmeaI and they have recently heard that almond milk is better than regular milk so they added a cup of that and then had a piece of whole grain bread with some peanut butter. At lunch again watching what they were eating forgo the sandwich or burger and chose some tomato basil soup. Knowing they wouldn’t be eating dinner to later grabbed one of those wholesome looking granola bars as an afternoon snack and then went home and had a home cooked meal of BBQ chicken and a green salad with light salad dressing. And at the end of the day probably felt good about their choices and were proud that they didn’t cheat or add any extra calories to their day by not having dessert or a cookie midday. But, what if I said doing all of this, this person exceeding their sugar recommendation by 200 to 300 percent? They blew their sugar budget and they didn’t even have a cookie or mocha latte after lunch. I don’t know about you, but for 19.5 teaspoons of sugar, hell I would rather have had that cookie. I can't imagine life without the occassional sweet treat, and honestly I don’t think anyone should have to. But according to the statistics most people do need to cut back. In my experience, for many people trying to go cold turkey only makes you want it more. So start with small step . And I think the best place to start is by finding the hidden culprits in overly processed and packaged foods and eliminating or reducing it.
• #12: How you find those hidden culprits is by scrutinizing food labels. The first thing you have to know is that there are 60+ different forms of sugar that food manufacturers use to sweeten their products with the hopes that you will not notice by not always calling it sugar. Here are some of the sixty that you need to be on the look out for. A couple hints if it ends in –ose (mannose, sucrose, dextrose) any word with ose at the end means sugar. Also anything with the word syrup also should sound that alarm bell.
• #13: Another tip to scrutinize food labels is to look at the nutrition facts label. This one can be a little tricky though. The FDA is in the proposal process of changing the nutrition facts label so it will clearly state and list Added Sugars. But for now, we have a label that lists all sugars even those naturally found in foods which as I mentioned are not the ones we have to watch. But, if the nutrition facts label lists all sugars how do you know how many are added in products that also contain milk and or fruit. For example Greek Yogurt? You can pick up a container or plain Greek yogurt and see that it has 12 grams of sugar. But, if it is plain greek yogurt all of those sugars are the naturally occurring ones. So no harm no foul. But, the Greek yogurt with blueberries on the top. Well that does have dairy and fruit, but it also probably has added sugars too. I recommend if you are in the grocery store compare the two and the majority of the difference is probably added sugars. Another good trick is to know that 4g of sugar equals 1 teaspoon of sugar. So you can start to keep a daily running total trying to not exceed 6 or 9.
• #14: A couple other tricks of the trade. Last month we went over the label reading and talked about the 5 & 20 rule. Another one to keep in mind is the carb to sugar ratio. A good rule of thumb, especially when choosing cereals, granola bars or other snack type items is to compare the amount of carbs coming from sugar. Ideally a 4:1 ratio. Also, don’t forget that companies can use more than one type of sweetener like these nutrition labels show. And all of this adds up to one sometimes big grand total.
• #15: Another way to cut down on added sugar is to DIY. Such things like instead of fruit on the bottom yogurt – yogurt and add fresh fruit Instead of instant oatmeal – steel cut or old fashioned oats again with fresh fruit if you need sweet. But I also wanted to include some baking and cooking with less sugar tips. <<<< Read tips from Slide>>>>Cooking with less sugar is quite a bit easier than baking with less of the white stuff. Sugar provides sweetness and flavor, but it also aids in the browning of baked goods. Plus Sugar is integral in the creaming process, which incorporates air into the batter and makes the texture of the baked good lighter and more tender. I am a firm believer that right off the bat you can almost always decrease the sugar by a quarter or even a half without changing the baked good (other than it tasting less sweet) but you will get used to that and that is a good thing! But, sugar makes and keeps pastries moist and tender. If you are baking with less, you may want to add moisture in other ways—either a bit more fat (oil/butter/egg yolks/cream) or additional fruit or ground nuts to compensate for the drier texture that will likely result. Also since sugar makes pastries stay fresher longer, many items made with less sugar should be consumed within a day or so for best enjoyment. An immediate result of baking with less sugar is that the flavors of everything else come out so much more. A chocolate custard becomes intensely chocolatey. A blueberry muffin tastes of tart ripe fruit. A walnut date shortbread is nutty and fruity and buttery. To accentuate all of these flavors, if you reduce sugar also increase any flavorings that are in the recipe. Salt, vanilla, almond extract, spices, every flavor will have a larger platform on which to shine. If you are making a cake or cookie or tart, reducing sugar will change the appearance of the final product. Sugar helps these pastries to brown so be prepared for paler (but still delicious) desserts. Also a great small step is using brown sugar or honey, both of which are naturally sweeter than granulated sugar, so you can get the same sweetness with less. 1 cup white sugar = ¾ cup honey or 1/3 cup brown sugar. The most important thing to remember when baking with less sugar is to know and embrace that it is a trial and error process. So have fun with it, but also know that it may not be perfect on the first go.
• #16: And finally another way to cut down on sugar is to decide if you should go artificial. And again, it is a personal choice but one that I think should be made well informed.
• #17: So, first and foremost is it safe?
• #18: A sugar substitute or high intensity sweetener is regulated like a food additive. It must undergo premarket review and approval for safety by the FDA before it can be used in the food supply. Six high-intensity sweeteners are FDA-approved as food additives, the first six listed. Not quite the same but, derivatives of Stevia and Monk Fruit are what the FDA regards as GRAS (generally recognized as safe).  GRAS is used for products in which qualified experts evaluated its safety under the intended conditions of use.  It does not mean that it went through vigorous premarket controlled testing.  However, the FDA has not issued an objection letter disputing its status of GRAS and has deemed reasonable certainty of no harm within normally accepted intakes.   There is no indication that it would cause problems with long term use, but since both of these have only been around in the past 10 years or less, obviously no long term usage studies are available.  Again it doesn’t make the less safe in the eyes of the FDA, all though calling them Generally Recognized As Safe doesn’t make me feel super confident, but I just again think it is important to know the facts and both sides of the story in order for you to make your own decision. Weight loss: Stevia is considered a Non Nutritive Sweetener (NNS).  It is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar. So it is  produced and used in significantly smaller amounts, resulting in little energy intake.  There for, the substitution of energy from added sugars with Stevia results in lower caloric intake. NNS may assist in weight control when used in place of full-calorie products...if it is not compensated for otherwise.  NNS have been investigated for causing compensatory energy (more calories) immediately or later in the day.  The following causes have been offered as explanations: -they don't affect hunger and appetite the same way as nutritive sweeteners -they don't affect sensations of satiety -they increase palatability, resulting in greater overall intake -the perception of low calorie results in eating more -the higher level of sweetness perpetuates the need for sweetness At this time, there is just not enough definitive research to say that the use of Stevia to reduce added sugar or carbohydrate intake benefits appetite, energy balance or weight loss.
• #19: The other question to ask about artificial sweetener is, Is it effective in terms of weight loss and metabolic changes for the better? Point blank the health benefits of artificial sweeteners are inconclusive, with research showing mixed findings. Long-term studies show that regular consumption of artificially sweetened beverages reduces the intake of calories and promotes weight loss or maintenance, but other research shows no effect, and some studies even show weight gain. Artificial sweeteners have been on market shelves for decades being used to decrease the calorie content of a lot of popular foods and well quite bluntly we certainly haven’t noticed a decline in obesity rates since then. So, it does make one think that maybe something is going on. And researchers are able to show some possible explanations for this.
• #20: One concern about artificial sweeteners is that they affect the body’s ability to gauge how many calories are being consumed. The human brain responds to sweetness with signals to eat more. By providing a sweet taste without any calories, however, artificial sweeteners may cause us to crave more food or calories. Some studies show that sugar and artificial sweeteners affect the brain in different ways. We know that sugar activates regions of the brain that are associated with food reward. But, artificial sugars don’t and there for may not fully satisfy a desire for natural caloric sweetness, leaving us again looking for and ultimately finding more. Another possible downfall or consequence is that artificial sweeteners are thousands of times sweeter than real sugar. So overstimulation of sugar receptors from frequent use of these hyper-intense sweeteners may limit tolerance for more complex flavors. A distorted sense of sweet if you will. So, when real sugar is consumed more and more of it is necessary to scratch that same sweet itch. All of these reasons kind point to the psychology or physiology of artificial sweeteners which may cause some people to overeat, but none of this research shows that artificial sweeteners when ingested cause weight gain or adverse metabolic effects.
• #21: But really recent research is starting to show that maybe the artificial sweeteners themselves are contributing to weight gain and adverse metabolic changes. And that they are doing so by their impact on our gut bacteria or microbiome. The ability to digest and extract energy aka calories from foods is deteremined by one our genes and two by the trillions of active bacteria that live in our digestive tract. These initial studies are showing that artificial sweeteners may enhance the bacteria that are more efficient at pulling energy from our food and turning that energy into fat. Additionally, the researches noticed that these same strains of bacteria may also have an impact on the balance of hormones like insulin that may cause glucose intolerance which is directly linked to diseases like diabetes and heart disease. So, weight gain, diabetes and heart disease. Three things that we talked about in the beginning that made sugar so dangerous. Full disclosure this research is in it’s early stages and by no means can definitively point to a cause and effect. But, I find it pretty interesting and I think it has promise and should be at least mentioned when trying to decide between sugar or substitute.
• #22: Bottom line: When we are asking the question- sugar vs substitute. We are in essence saying which is worse. But shouldn’t we really be asking ourselves. What is good for us? And that answer is clear. Both sugar and artificial sweeteners are the least nutritious foods and debated as possibly the most dangerous foods we consume. Most likely either can be consumed in small amounts without problems. I usually recommend and encourage people to stick with a small amount of the real stuff, preferably unrefined like honey or pure maple syrup. But, which ever one you chose less is more!