Tracking Down Your Sugar Sources

When you think about cutting sugar out of your diet, you might think that staying away from candy bars, sodas and ice cream cones will do the trick. The truth is high fructose corn syrup (one type of sugar) is found in some of the most unlikely food sources. Consider these seemingly “healthy” foods that often have sugar added to them:

• Bread, tortillas, muffins
• Ketchup
• Pickles
• Soy sauce
• Yogurt
• Energy bars
• Cured meats
• Waters and sports drinks
• Salad dressings, especially fat-free varieties
• Baked beans
• Soups
• Crackers
• Dried fruit
• Juices

American consumption of processed and “convenient” packaged foods (and, therefore, fructose) has increased steadily over the past century. Some studies have shown that Americans increased their fructose consumption from 15 grams a day to 73 grams a day OR over the past 120+ years. Add to that the fact that we are not using our bodies physically in the manner requisite to earlier times, and we have a recipe for disaster. This increase in grams sets fructose at 12% of the average American’s total calories every day.

Why? Many of these “empty” calories come from sugary sodas. However, some experts say that 80% of the foods we buy at the grocery store in America have added sugar (but they tend to call it by different names on the labels). Let’s face it: Foods that have added sugar taste better so consumers tend to buy them more often. This equates to a win for the food industry but a loss for the overall health of Americans.

It is this rise in fructose in our diets that may be contributing to the rise in obesity, diabetes and heart disease. In fact, it is estimated that 1/3 of all Americans will have diabetes by the year 2050. Studies have shown that when sugar is more readily available, the prevalence of diabetes increases.

What can you do? Read labels. Choose whole, unprocessed foods. Be aware of what you’re putting into your body – if you don’t know what an ingredient on a label is, research it online first or choose a different food. Don’t let excess sugar “poison” ruin your life.

For more tips on how to reduce your sugar intake, contact Dr. Marilyn Kutzscher in San Francisco at 415-923-3560 or marilynkmd.com.