It's no argument… we love our sweet treats! From tasty soft drinks and fruit drinks, cookies, and cakes, to colorful candies, flaky pies, and ready-to-eat cereals, foods that boast sweetness are not only big sellers, but the major source of added sugars in our diet. In the year 1909, the intake of added sweeteners was about 83 pounds per person, per year. By 1997, intake rose to 154 pounds per person, per year! Sugar both tastes good and makes us feel good, at least temporarily. As obesity, diabetes, and heart disease becomes more common, we are paying a steep price for our indulgence.

These days, we are very “Carb-Conscious”. Carbohydrates represent a broad category that includes both sugars and starches. They are derived from plants using photosynthesis by means of energy from the sun. They are the most abundant source of food energy. Now, lets introduce you to Saccharides, derived from the Greek word “Sackharon,” meaning sugar. These are usually divided into three groups: Monosaccharides, Disaccharides, and Polysaccharides. A monosaccharide is a single sugar unit, and is often called a “simple sugar.” The most common Monosaccharides are glucose (blood sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar). Fructose is found naturally in many fruits and vegetables and is the sweetest tasting Monosaccharide. Over the past thirty years, food manufacturers have dramatically increased the use of high-fructose corn syrup as a sweetener because new manufacturing techniques have made it cheaper than regular table sugar and fewer steps are required to produce the same level of sweetness. From 1970 to 1997, consumption of high-fructose corn syrup has risen from a half pound per person to over 62 pounds per person per year! The soft drink and fruit drink industries are among the highest users of high-fructose corn syrup. Added sugars are the syrups that are added to foods during food processing. They are also known as nutritive sweeteners because they provide energy. Added sugars include white sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, dextrose, molasses, fructose sweetener, maple syrup, and pancake syrup.
Soft drinks, cakes, candy, pies, ready-to-eat cereals, and fruit drinks are major sources of added sugars. US food labels refer only to total sugars present in food and do not distinguish between added sugars and those that are naturally occurring. However, you can review the ingredient listing to find the sources of sugar added to any given labeled product.

The glycemic index classifies foods based on their ability to raise blood glucose levels after being consumed. Foods with a high glycemic index will cause a faster or higher rise in blood glucose than a similar amount of carbohydrate from a food with a low glycemic index. Some metabolic consequences of a sharp rise in blood glucose suggest that this condition may predispose people towards obesity. Some studies suggest that individuals who are diabetic can better control their blood sugar by choosing foods with a low glycemic index.

There are a number of artificial sweeteners available in the marketplace today. Their popularity has become more common over the past thirty years as the market tries to give consumers the sweet taste they want without the calories. The idea of non-caloric sugar substitutes is desirable, assuming these products work as intended and are safe. Controlled clinical studies show that sugar substitutes can help people eat fewer calories short-term, provided the study participants are unaware (blinded) whether or not they are eating artificially sweetened products.

In reality, most are aware when they choose such products and tend to “make up” the calories elsewhere in diet, so artificial sweeteners can be used to help consumers restrict energy intake and/or to maximize food indulgence.

Incidences of overweight and type II diabetes have increased during the same time the number of artificial sweeteners and products containing them have increased. This phenomenon suggests that consumers use them to increase indulgence, and not necessarily to restrict energy intake.