When it comes to sugar, so many people are confused. Do you have any idea how many items are packed with the stuff... or the alias names sugar often goes by? And how much sugar is okay to eat on a daily basis? I figured it was a great topic to chat about.
The first thing you need to know is that sugar is a carbohydrate. All carbohydrates have approximately four calories per gram. For example, one teaspoon of sugar (which is equivalent to 1 packet of sugar or 1 sugar cube) equals 4 grams and 16 calories. And keep in mind that the sweet stuff found in many of the foods we love does not always go by the name "sugar." You also will need to recognize the other forms, including honey, raw sugar, turbinado sugar, brown sugar, confectioner's sugar, powdered sugar, high fructose corn syrup, concentrated fruit juice, dextrose, glucose, molasses, corn syrup, maltose, and sucrose.
Why worry about the amount of sugar we eat? Aside from providing empty calories, one of sugar's major drawbacks is that it raises the insulin level. An influx of sugar into the bloodstream upsets the body's blood-sugar balance, triggering the release of insulin, which the body uses to keep blood-sugar at a constant and safe level. Prolonged, elevated insulin levels can increase the risk for disease by causing inflammation within your body. Plus, of course, when eaten in large quantities, sugar provides excessive calories that pack on the pounds. Yikes!
In my next blog entry, I lay out just how much added sugar you should be eating and how to keep track: