I ran into my neighbor Regina yesterday.  In the Facebook game of posting the celebrity you most look like, Regina posted Fergie (no, not from the Black Eyed Peas, the other Fergie, the Duchess of York).  Regina also owns her own business (www.redladder.com) and works out of her home like I do, so periodically we’ll go to lunch, and chat about what’s new in her world and what’s new in mine.  Often, her questions turn to nutrition, and her latest inquiry is a good one to blog about in light of the attention it’s getting these days.  The topic – sugar.

The question at hand is:  What do we really know about the impact of sugar on health?

From a science perspective, we know that eating high sugar foods causes cavities.  We know there is no direct relationship between high fructose corn syrup consumption and obesity (you can’t always believe the media hype: High Fructose Corn Syrup: Consumer Communications).  Preliminary research is suggesting a relationship for sugar consumption with inflammation and other risk factors for heart disease.

But what we also know is that Americans are eating more sugar than ever before.  Data suggests the typical person gets more than 22 teaspoons of added sugar each day.  That’s more than 350 calories just from sugar.  And while sugar might not directly cause weight gain and obesity, added calories do.

The problem with these calories is where they come from – regular soft drinks, candy and dessert items like cookies.  They’re “empty calories,” providing no nutrients, just calories.   Just the other night I was volunteering at concessions at a high school basketball game.  One girl in particular, who was indeed overweight, came on three separate occasions and got a Coke.  In the span of two hours, she consumed 450 calories straight from sugar.

For kids, these high sugar foods also tend to replace more nutrient-dense foods.  So instead of drinking milk with dinner, kids drink soda.  Employees hit the vending machine for a 3:00 candy bar snack instead of having a piece of fruit that contains fiber, vitamins, minerals and many other nutrients.  These empty calorie, high sugar foods impact our health by edging out healthier options.

While a direct impact of added sugar on health seems a bit elusive, it really isn’t.  So what can you do about it?  Here are some ideas:

For Kids

• As a parent, you set parameters around how much television your kids watch, how late they can stay up at night.  Set a similar rule about beverages – milk is always served at meals, plain water for everything in between.  Soda pop is a treat, to be enjoyed on special occasions only.
• Your kids look up to you.  Give them one more reason to look up to you by helping them have a healthy relationship with candy, desserts and treats.  Sometimes, one small bite is better than a whole bag (for example, treat one Starburst as a treat instead of an entire bag of Skittles).
• Role modeling has great impact on kids.  My coworker Rachel recommends cutting up an apple, sprinkling it with cinnamon, and serving this as apple pie.  Great snack, great dessert, heated or cold!  Fruit is a sweet treat, but has many other positive nutrients.
• When you bake, cut down the sugar in the recipe by 1/4^th.  It may by urban legend, put there’s word out there that recipes today contain much more sugar than recipes in the 1950s did.

For adults

• Often, when you think you’re hungry, you’re thirsty.  Drink a big glass of water whenever cravings for a sweet treat strike.
• Don’t keep sweets and treats in the house, at your desk at work, etc.  Out of sight, out of mind.
• Try sugar free gum, when you’re craving something sweet.
• Consider all the beverages you drink – soda pop, coffees at the coffee shop, juices – and the sugar they contain.  Is there a option with less sugar that you can trade up to?

Visit www.nuval.com to see what products’ scores get dragged down because of their sugar content.