Sweet Surprise

 

Most of us realize that added sugar is not good for us. Besides providing lots of nutrition-free calories, it supports the cellular inflammation that is at the root of many serious health problems like diabetes, cardiovascular disease and cancers. But avoiding it is anything but simple. Until recently, the amount of sugar added to our food did not even have to be disclosed to us on food labels.

First, we must distinguish between sugar that occurs naturally in food and sugar that is added to it.  Fruits and dairy contain fructose and lactose, natural sugars that are digested much slower than added sugar and keep your metabolism stable over time. Natural sugars are processed more slowly, meaning your blood glucose level stays elevated for a longer period.

Added sugars are typically sucrose or highly processed and concentrated fructose. You body processes them quickly, either immediately used for energy or sent directly to the liver for fat storage. Your blood glucose level drops quickly after eating added sugars, known as a sugar crash, that leaves you hungry, irritable, and usually craving another pickup. When this happens, you may not be able to make smart choices about what and how much to eat which could contribute to weight gain.

We all know that sodas, deserts, snack foods and candy are loaded with added sugar. But many foods that we typically think of as healthy and good for us are sugar bombs as well. Here are a dozen such foods to get you thinking.

Food                                  Serving Size                             Added Sugar (tsp)

Orange Juice                                8 oz                                                    10
Bottled Tea                                 16 oz                                                   9.5
Fruit-flavored Yogurt                   5 oz                                                   7.25
Sports/Energy Drinks                16 oz                                                     7
Baked Beans                               1 cup                                                 3.75
Salad Dressing                           2 tbsp                                                 3.5
Tomato/Spaghetti Sauce           1/2 cup                                                  3
Instant Oatmeal                       1 packet                                                 3
Raisin Bran Cereal                     1 cup                                                  2.25
Non-dairy Milks                         1 cup                                                  2.25
Ketchup                                     2 tbsp                                                    2
Whole Wheat Bread                  1 slice                                                    1

To put this in some perspective, the Recommended Daily Allowance for added sugar is 9 tsp for men and 6 tsp for woman. Your only defense it to become a label reader and packaging claim ignorer.