From HealthNewsDigest.com

Food and Nutrition
5 Reasons For Adding Sugar To Food and 5 Ways To Cut Down On Sugar
By
Aug 30, 2015 - 9:26:51 AM

(HealthNewsDigest.com) - Avoiding too much sugar is accepted healthy eating advice around the world. Foods high in sugar are often low in nutrients and high in calories. Conversely, those foods low in added sugar are healthier choices, rich in nutrients and often lower in calories. It is no wonder that everywhere you turn you are advised to avoid sugar. Like much of the advice we are given, it is presented as an absolute. Sugar is bad. Don't eat sugar. The more appropriate advice should be too much sugar is not good for anyone, eat sugar in moderation. Sadly, advice that is moderate is never as newsworthy as advice that is sensational.

Does sugar have any positive purpose? Yes! Even prehistoric man used sweetness to determine which plants were edible and not poisonous. Mother's milk, rich in lactose (milk sugar), is sweet and engages infants to suck. In food preparation sugar plays many functional roles.

1.     Sugar adds taste which often persuades people to eat foods they might otherwise not choose. We all agree many foods are over sweetened, but a little sugar can enhance the taste of food by interacting with other ingredients to develop flavor. Many cooks add a little sugar to tomato sauce at the end of cooking for just this reason.

2.     Sugar enhances color and flavor of foods through browning. Caramelization adds a distinct color and flavor to foods when sugar is heated beyond its melting point. This is used to produce caramel flavor as well as in sauces, candies, desserts, breads, jams and sweet wines. The Mallard browning reaction occurs between sugar and proteins and enhances flavor, promotes a brown crust, and is responsible for the delicious aroma of baking bread.

3.     Sugar adds both bulk and texture to foods and is responsible for the expected mouthfeel in baked goods, ice cream, candy and fruit preserves such as jelly. Without sugar cake would resemble bread and ice cream would not be creamy.

4.     Sugar aids in fermentation which is the process used to make yogurt, kefir, vinegar, sour cream, wine, beer, cheese, soy sauce and sauerkraut. Many experts believe we should be eating more fermented foods to enhance the healthy bacteria that live in our digestive tract. Sugar also ferments yeast to help yeast-based bakery foods raise so the end product has a good volume and is soft, instead of tough and dense.

5.     Sugar is hygroscopic. It can absorb water which can help preserve and extend the shelf-life of food. Sugar stops jams and jellies from spoiling and prevents breads from drying out and getting stale.


Even with all of its functional qualities, eating too much sugar is still not in anyone's best interest. Here are 5 simple steps you can take to eat less.

1.     Drink water. Sugary drinks are the number one source of sugar in the diet of Americans. Try flavoring water with fruit slices - lemons and lime or watermelon and fresh mint. Or freeze your favorite sweet drink into ice cubes and add a few to a glass of water - a compromise and far less sugar per serving.

2.     Ditch candy and eat fresh fruit or dried fruit. Swap sugar coated cereal for candy. The cereal is based in a grain, often a whole grain, is very low in fat, rich in nutrients, and has less added sugar than a candy bar.

3.     Check the nutrition label. Sugar is part of the total carbohydrate value. If a food has 30 grams of carb and 28 grams of sugar, it is a high sugar food. One teaspoon of sugar equals 4 grams. Do the math to see how many teaspoons of sugar you are eating in a serving.

4.     Check the ingredient list for additions that are really sugar in disguise - evaporated cane juice, fruit juice concentrate, honey, molasses, raw sugar, organic sugar, corn syrup and fructose.

5.     Reduce portion size. If you love sweets, simply eat less - a cup of ice cream not a soup bowl full, a snack size candy bar, single-serve pudding or custard, a snack-size bag of cookies not a boxful.  Split dessert with a friend.


Bottom line: There are no bad foods. It is how much and how often we eat them. Remember the old adage: Dose makes the poison. Go easy on sugar.

© NRH Nutrition Consultants, Inc.
Jo-Ann Heslin, MA, RD, CDN is a registered dietitian and the author of the nutrition counter series for Pocket Books with sales of more than 8.5 million books.

Look for:

The Diabetes Counter, 5th Ed., 2014

The Fat and Cholesterol Counter, 2014

The Most Complete Food Counter, 3rd ed., 2013

The Calorie Counter, 6th Ed., 2013

The Complete Food Counter, 4th ed., 2012

The Protein Counter, 3rd Ed., 2011

The Ultimate Carbohydrate Counter, 3rd Ed., 2010

The Healthy Wholefoods Counter, 2008

Your Complete Food Counter App: http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/your-complete-food-counter/id444558777?mt=8


For more information on Jo-Ann and her books, go to: www.TheNutritionExperts.com

###

For advertising/promo please call Mike McCurdy at: 877-634-9180 or email [email protected]







 



© Copyright by HealthNewsDigest.com