A Healthy You: How sweet it is
Sugar (those little granules you see above) is the most popular food additive in the United States.
Today, the average American consumes more sugary foods than ever before --about 22 teaspoons of added sugar every day. This is just a little less than a ½ cup. If you are like the average American, you may be eating more sugar than you realize. Everyone knows that sugar is found in pop, cakes and candy, but did you realize there is added sugar in spaghetti sauce, canned soups, peanut butter and even low-fat foods (they take out the fat, but add extra sugar to make them test better).Studies do show that sugar by itself does not lead to cancer or feed cancer cells, but the calories in sugar can add up quickly and contribute to weight gain. Being overweight does lead to an increase risk for several cancers. It’s hard to limit sugar when sugar has almost 100 different names (high fructose corn syrup, dextrose, cane juice, turbinado, etc)The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day for women and no more than 9 teaspoons a day for men.A 20 ounce soda has 17 teaspoons of sugar! Many realize that pop is high in sugar, so they turn to other drinks such as bottled tea and energy drinks. A 20 ounce bottle of sweetened tea has 15 teaspoons of sugar, a 16 ounce can of energy drink has 16 teaspoon of sugar and a 24 ounce frozen coffee drink may have 28 teaspoons of sugar.Other foods high in sugar: 1/2 cup of jello -- 4 tsp; candy bar -- 5 tsp; 1 brownie -- 5 tsp.Try to satisfy your sweet tooth naturally with fruit which contains vitamins, fiber and phytochemicals which all may help reduce the risk of cancer. There are many other reasons besides cancer prevention to avoid eating too much sugar: decrease tooth decay, reduce triglycerides, control blood sugars, and help with weight management.Healthy You is a regular column about nutrition, healthy living and cancer care. It is written by Cindy Gates, RD and LD and the Cancer Center’s Oncology dietitian, herbalist and Certified Wellness Coach.