We often consume sugars in foods or meals that we don't know contain this additive. Did you know that approximately 60% of foods in the supermarket contain added sugars? Get informed and take action...
It is disturbing to think and know that the vast majority of the products we consume daily may contain amounts of added sugar that you cannot imagine.
In CanaryDoctor we believe that information is power and that is why today we talk to you about the subject, so that you can make decisions on the market shelf, based on knowledge about the reality of the sugar you consume, many times without knowing it! Do we start
What is sugar exactly?
Is named sugar to saccharose, also called "common sugar" or "table sugar." Sucrose is a disaccharide formed by a molecule of glucose and a fructose that is obtained mainly from sugarcane or beets. 27% of total world production is made from beets and 73% from sugarcane.
Sugar what types exist?
You should know that there are different types of sugars:
- The Added Sugars, which can be "refined" or "unrefined". Monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods by manufacturers, cooks, or consumers, whether during manufacture, processing, or handling, are known as added sugars. Are usedEg to sweeten food and drinks, preserve food, achieve greater texture or viscosity.
- The naturally present sugars in certain foods, for example: in honey, in syrups and fruit juices that you prepare. It is important to highlight at this point, that the sugar naturally present in fresh fruits or vegetables is different from the sugar naturally present in a juice that you prepare with those foods.
Generally keep this data: The best sugar and the least you should worry about in "your daily account of this substance", is the one that is in unprocessed fruits and vegetables (natural, fresh; for example: an apple). The rest, you must take it into consideration when knowing the amount of daily sugar you eat, including the sugar in a 100% natural juice.
Sugar is an important source of calories in the diet Modern food, but it is frequently associated with "empty calories", due to the complete absence of vitamins and minerals.
Differences between added sugars and those present naturally
Added sugars are empty calories. Those that provide our body with a diverse amount of calories, but no nutrients or benefits for our health. The natural or that we find present in foods, such as fresh fruits or vegetables, yes they are accompanied by nutrients as water, fiber or macronutrients.
Sugar do you have other names?
We find different forms of denomination of sugars in quantity of products that sometimes we do not know that it is sugar as such. In fact, did you know that the sugar added in food has more than 50 different names?
This variety of denominations that we find in the market products is extensive. We list the most common that you can see on the "labels" of foods and that can make you think that this product does not contain added sugars and does have them. Take note:
- disaccharides: sucrose, maltose, lactose, trehalose.
- monosaccharides: glucose, fructose and galactose.
- polysaccharides: starch, glycogen, cellulose, chitin.
#TipCanaryDoctor
As you can see, many of these names end in "bear". And just today we want to give you that tip: when you read food labels and see an ingredient finished in "bear", you will recognize that it is "added sugar".
We list some of the sugars ending in "bear", so that you understand that there are differences but at the end of the day, they are all "sugars".
- Saccharose: Known as "table sugar", it is the most common and you should know that consuming it in excess is associated with health problems such as: cavities and other dental problems; diabetes, obesity and cardiovascular problems.
- Fructose: "Fruit sugar" (and honey), which is suitable for diabetics but not for fructose intolerant.
- Lactose: It is the sugar naturally present in milk and other dairy products.
What effects produce the sugar in our body?
The consumption of excess sugar can cause irremediable effects on our body and serious diseases that we can avoid by controlling the consumption of this one.
These are some of the consequences that we must take into account, to avoid excessive consumption.
- Risk of death from Cardiovascular disease
- Problems of hyperactivity, above all In children.
- Possible relationship in monosaccharide intake and power develop different types of cancer: pancreas, colorectal.
- It has been detected that diets rich in sugar consumption can develop predisposition to Type 2 diabetes mellitus and Alzheimer's disease.
What is the amount of sugar recommended in humans?
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends a consumption of 12 teaspoons a day. If you are not aware of what we have been telling you (that many foods have added sugars and you do not know it), this measure seems easy to fulfill "who takes 12 teaspoons of sugar a day?", You will ask yourself.
The reality is that if you add to your pair of teaspoons of sugar that you can place in your daily coffees, the added sugar in products you can't even imagine or do not take into account how: ham, yogurt, cereal bars, juices, cereals, sauces and even almond milk!surely - very surely - your daily consumption will exceed this WHO recommendation!
This organization invites us to sugar consumption does not exceed 10% of daily calories consumed And to be more specific, they clarify that a consumption of 5% (or below) -that is, about 25 grams approximately- would result in additional benefits for our health.
It is important to note that this concern about the high consumption of sugar in the population makes sense. And is that consume more sugar than recommended, you can derive -as we already advanced in the previous point- in serious health problems, highlighting diseases, such as:
- Obesity
- Cardiovascular diseases
- Diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome
#TipCanaryDoctor
To understand the concern of those who seek healthy life: Only one can of a cola, has approximately 35 grams. of added sugars.
How do we detect it in food? 5 tips
Follow these tips to identify products that contain sugars and thus avoid excessive consumption.
- Look closely at the ingredients. Do you know how to read labels? If the answer is no, it's a good time to start.
We take advantage of giving you a #TipCanaryDoctor very useful: lThe ingredients on the labels are "listed" in order from highest to lowest., that is, the ingredients that appear first are the ones that are most in that food. Therefore, if you find a food where sugar (with any of its names) is among the first 3 ingredients, you should know that you are buying a product that is not beneficial for your health. You can buy it, but if you make it consciously, knowing that you bring to your table and your mouth, a product loaded with sugar. - In addition to seeing the ingredients, on the label you can clearly identify the grams of sugar that this product contains. See if that measure is "per serving", "for every 100 grams" and compare between several products of the same food, to choose the one that best comes out of your examination on its label.
- Try to avoid Marketing and do not get carried away by the colors, drawings, promotions. Especially in children's food, it is easy to fall into buying "the most beautiful or striking", without taking into account that excess sugar is associated with diabetes and childhood obesity (one of the pests in Canary Islands).
- Avoid sugary drinks and juices and pay special attention to nectars that abuse the sugar content and are scarce in the use of fruits. A trick that can help you a lot is to start substituting both "juice" for water or lemon water. You will be doing yourself and yours a favor.
- And be very careful with the names given to the types of sugars mentioned above (dextrose, fructose, syrup, ..). At this point, remember what we just told you: sugar has many different names and, ideally, you learn to recognize them all to really know what you buy.
