Sugar on the Human Body

Nicole Babayev & Ariel Barikdar

What is sugar? Sugar is a sweet crystalline substance mainlyconsisting of sucrose Sugar is used as a source of energy, source of income, and a preservation system It’s a highly addictive ingredient because it releases a substancethat acts as a reward system to the brain Many foods contain hidden sugar

“Low fat” foods often contain added sugar to enhance flavor Refined sugar has no nutritional value

Removing refined sugar from the body may cause withdrawal symptoms

Diseases associated with sugar may include: Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, Liver Disease, Heart Disease,

Obesity, High Blood Pressure, Cancer

Pros VS. Cons Of Sugar

Pros Cons Provides sweetness

and tastes good Bakes well Converts to energy

quickly Better than high fructose

corn syrup Source of energy and

income Serves as a

preservative Provides substance for

a diabetics low blood sugar

Causes tooth decay Weakened immune system Results in weight gain if

consumed excessively Calorie dense Lacks nutrients Causes oral bacteria

formation and cavities

“Sugar Is Killing Us” Video

Fed Up

Word Cloud

InterviewName: Mrs. Helene Wilma Schwartzback Mlodinoff

Age: 74

Info: Mrs. Mlodinoff finished her bachelor’s degree at NYU and she majored in physical education, health, and recreation. She claims to be a “sugar addict” Unfortunately, Mrs. M claimed to be photophobic, so we couldn’t capture a picture of her.

Interview QuestionsQ1: How do you feel about sugar? Do you consume it every day?

Q2: Can sugar lead to addiction?

A1: My brain changes when I have sugar. I can feel it. I don’t know if it’s physiological, psychological, or both. I spoke to my doctor about it and he said absolutely, that’s what it does. I was brought up on sugar. I was brought up with bubble gum, and Pepsi cola, along with other foods. I associate my childhood security and everything good, with sugar. But that stuff is poison to certain people. For me, it works on my mind. I can’t say no to sugar. If I go on sugar binges on the weekend, I don’t stop until I’m nauseous. Thank god it’s not alcohol because if it were, I’d be an alcoholic on the floor. Alcohol is just liquid sugar. However, I am a sugar-holic.

A2: An addiction is stronger than you, it’s overwhelming. You are powerless in the face of an addiction. I have allowed myself to be addicted to sugar, but I won’t allow anything else. I won’t have a cigarette, I won’t take alcohol, and I will not take drugs. I will not take anything for fear that I would fall victim to that addiction. And that addiction, even sweets can kill you, but that addiction would make me an alcoholic unable to work, drug addict, and I just won’t allow it.

Q3: How should one cut out excessive sugar intake?

A3: Put simply, ingest no sugary substance at all.

Interview Questions (con’t)

Q4: Do you lead a healthy lifestyle? If so, how?

Q5: What does sugar do to your body in the long run?

A4: I try not to have much sugar, but I eat fruit. I try to limit the amount of fruit I have. I have a limited diet because I’m allergic to many foods. I have a severe iodine allergy, and it’s found in anything. Anything I eat has a rice base to it. I don’t know limitations, because I use food for everything. With my extreme personality it’s either nothing, or everything. I envy anybody who can limit their proportions. You have to be willing to give up your habits and be strong enough to do it. You have to rededicate yourself every day to something that means a great deal to you. You can eat anything you want, but you also have to exercise. You are what you eat. My diet is very limited, and so I know what I’m eating.

A5: Whether its natural sugar, or high fructose corn syrup, sugar is sugar is sugar. They’ve associated sugar with ADHD, mood swings, allergies and behavior in young children. I have mood swings when I go into sugar. What happens is if I start on sugar, I will binge, I will hate myself, then I get into a bad mood because I was weak, and I eat more. Take that further and if it were alcohol, I’d be on the streets. People sell their blood for a drink of alcohol, they kill. Obesity, diabetes, possibly all ailments occur as a result of an overabundance of bad substance in your body. For me, it works on my mind. It’s a destructive cycle you’re talking to a very weak addict. You can easily transfer for ice cream and cake, to alcohol, but I won’t allow it.

Eating Too Much Added Sugar Increases the Risk of Dying with Heart Disease by Julie Corliss

Added sugars make up at least 10% of the calories the average American eats in a day. 

1 in 10 people get 1/4 or more of their calories from added sugar. 25% or more of their daily calories as sugar were more than twice as

likely to die from heart disease as those whose diets included less than 10% added sugar.

Sugar-sweetened beverages are by far the biggest sources of added sugar in the average American’s diet. They account for more than one-third of the added sugar we consume as a nation.

Research has shown that drinking sugar-sweetened beverages can raise blood pressure. A high-sugar diet may also stimulate the liver to dump more harmful fats into the bloodstream.

Women consume less than 100 calories of added sugar per day and men consume less than 150 per day.

A 12-ounce can of regular soda contains about 9 teaspoons of sugar, so drinking even one a day would put all women and most men over the daily limit.

Follow-UpBooks

Sugar Nation by

Jeff O'connell

Sugar by Jenna

Jameson

Websites

http://www.sugar.org/

http://www.plosone.org/article/info%3Adoi%2F10.1371%2Fjournal.pone.0081723

Movies

Super Size Me (2004) Our Daily Bread (2005) Fat Head (2009) Fed Up (2014)

TV Shows

Beavis and Butthead – Super Size Me (Episode 207)

The Doctors (2008) The Dr. OZ show (2009)

Review Questions1) What is Sugar?

Sugar is a sweet crystalline substance mainly consisting of sucrose.

2) What is another word for sugar?

Sucrose

3) What are some diseases associated with sugar?

Diabetes, Metabolic Syndrome, Liver Disease, Heart Disease, Obesity, High Blood Pressure, Cancer.

Works Cited

Corliss, Julie. "Eating Too Much Added Sugar Increases the Risk of Dying with Heart Disease - Harvard Health Blog." Harvard Health Blog RSS. N.p., 6 Feb. 2014. Web. 30 May 2014.

"Facts about Sugar." Facts about Sugar. World Sugar Research Organisation, n.d. Web. 21 May 2014.

"The Health Benefits of Sugar." Fox News. FOX News Network, 07 Apr. 2009. Web. 20 May 2014.

Kirkpatrick, Kristin. "10 Things You Don't Know About Sugar (And What You Don't Know Could Hurt You)." The Huffington Post. TheHuffingtonPost.com, 30 July 2013. Web. 15 May 2014.

Lustig, Robert H. "Sugar: The Bitter Truth." YouTube. YouTube, 30 July 2009. Web. 18 May 2014.

Mercola, Joseph. "The 76 Dangers of Sugar to Your Health." Mercola.com. N.p., 20 Apr. 2010. Web. 30 May 2014.