There is no need to give up "this kind of sugar"! Is eating in moderation good for your body? Harvard experts reveal 3 tricks to "painlessly reduce sugar"
Does the prototype food also contain sugar? What’s the difference between refined sugar and processed food?
“Sugar” is not only found in processed foods, but natural prototype foods also contain a certain amount of sugar? Frank Sacks, Ph.D. in cardiovascular prevention at Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said that when it comes to sugar intake, we must first pay attention to its source to avoid consuming the wrong type of sugar, which may lead to obesity or health problems. Dr. Sacks pointed out that “natural sugars” exist in various vegetables, fruits, dairy products and cereals. The fructose, glucose and sucrose found in fruits and vegetables, the lactose in milk and the maltose in cereals are all natural sugars. . Complete intake of fruits, vegetables and grains can provide you with fiber, antioxidants, and various vitamins and minerals, so there is no need to reduce your intake of natural foods in order to quit sugar.
In contrast, “refined sugar” is sugar added to foods to improve taste. Most come from sugar cane, sugar beets, and corn, and are processed to separate the sugar. Added refined sugars include sucrose, glucose and high fructose corn syrup; the main food sources of added refined sugars include soft drinks, fruit-flavored drinks, flavored milks, cereals, cookies and cakes. But refined sugar is also found in most processed foods, including products not easily associated with sweetness, such as soups, breads, cured meats and ketchup.
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As for natural sugar and refined sugar, what are the different effects on the body after intake? Dr. Sacks explained that when eating foods containing natural sugars, fruits, vegetables, dairy products or grains contain other nutrients, such as vitamins, fiber, minerals, etc., which will slow down the digestive process in the gastrointestinal tract; while foods high in refined sugars , there are fewer additional nutrients, so the body digests sugar faster.
“No matter how many calories you eat, it’s often difficult to feel full after eating foods high in refined sugar, which is why people tend to eat too many processed products.” Dr. Sacks also pointed out that high-refined sugar diets have It has been linked to many health problems; for example, multiple studies have shown that consuming refined sugar increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, and increased triglyceride levels.
In addition, a study published by Harvard University found that a diet high in refined sugar is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease: Over the 15 years of the study, those subjects who obtained 17-21% of their calories from refined sugar died of heart disease. The risk of vascular disease was 38% higher than for people who got only 8% of their calories from refined sugar. Another study, published in Cell Metabolism, found that long-term excess refined sugar intake increases the risk of autoimmune diseases, such as Crohn’s disease, ulcerative colitis, or certain thyroid disorders.
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Regarding the daily consumption limit of refined sugar, the American Heart Association (AHA) issued guidelines stating that it is recommended that the daily calories obtained from refined sugar should not exceed 150 calories, which is equivalent to the calories of 9 teaspoons of sucrose. Dr. Sacks emphasizes that the direct way to control refined sugar intake is to reduce or completely avoid beverages with added sugar, such as any sugary soda drinks, juice drinks, energy drinks, hand drinks, sugar-sweetened coffee drinks or sugar water drinks, etc.
Additionally, additional sugars added to the diet should be consciously limited. A survey found that about two-thirds of coffee drinkers and one-third of tea drinkers are accustomed to adding sugar or sugary flavorings to their drinks, and sugar accounts for more than 60% of the calories in drinks. Therefore, people should try to halve the amount of sugar, and then gradually reduce it to 1/3, 1/4 of the original amount, or even drink sugar-free drinks completely.
Finally, Dr. Sacks reminded that when choosing processed foods, if the following ingredients are marked on the label, they are all related to the addition of refined sugar, and the public should consider the portion size and exercise restraint:
agave nectar
brown sugar
Cane crystals
Cane sugar, sucrose
sweetener(corn sweetener)
corn syrup
Crystalline fructose
Dextrose
evaporated cane juice
fructose
fruit juice concentrates
Glucose
honey
inverted sugar
lactose
malt syrup
Maltose (maltose, malt sugar)
maple syrup
Molasses
raw sugar
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