When it comes to sugar, should you worry about the natural sugars, like those found in fruit or milk? Apparently there is no need to worry, because our bodies process these sugars differently.
In the 2015 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, added sugars were singled out for the first time as being harmful. The recommendation is to keep added sugars below 10 percent of daily calories.
When it comes to added sugars, like those in soda, cakes and cookies, Americans get more than enough -- 131 pounds a year per person, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. That added sugar turns into added pounds, which can contribute to weight gain and obesity, as well as conditions such as Type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
The question is whether natural sugars -- found in apples, bananas, oranges and other fruits -- have the same effect.
It's how the sugar molecules are packaged that ultimately determines the sugar's effect on your health, said Jim White, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in an article in U.S. News & World Report. When packaged in whole foods such as fruit, naturally occurring sugars come with a healthy helpings of fiber, slowing the body's breakdown of the sugars and tempering their effect on blood sugar and reducing the body's propensity to store energy from sugar as fat.
While fruit does contain natural sugar, it's much more than sugar -- it's low calorie and contains essential vitamins, minerals and nutrients that aren't available in other foods.
In a study of 65,226 adults, those who ate seven or more servings of fruit and vegetables per day had a 42 percent lower risk of dying during the study's follow-up compared to those who ate less than one full serving per day. (Most of us fall short of that goal of seven servings a day. According to the Centers for Disease Control, 76 percent of Americans don't even get three servings a day.)
Drinking fruit juice, however, doesn't seem to have the same effect as eating whole fruit. When turned into juice, the naturally occurring sugars are separated from the fruit's beneficial fiber. Without the fiber, the sugar in juice is processed much like the sugar in soda. A study by researchers at Harvard School of Public Health found that while people who eat more whole fruits have a lower risk of developing Type 2 diabetes, those with greater intake of fruit juices had an increased risk of Type 2 diabetes.
The bottom line? Choose whole fruits and vegetables -- up to seven servings a day -- without any guilt about the added sugars. You can definitely overeat added sugars, but it's difficult to overeat sugar if you're only getting it from whole fruit.
Q and A
Q: Are there benefits of beetroot juice for exercise performance or heart health? If so, how much would I need to drink to get the benefit?
A: Beetroot juice is currently a "hot" nutritional supplement for its touted effects both on reducing cardiovascular disease risk and its potential to improve endurance exercise performance. Beetroot is naturally high in nitrate, which is converted to a signaling molecule called nitric oxide in the body. Nitric oxide has beneficial effects on vasodilation (relaxation and widening of blood vessels, increasing blood flow), according to Tufts University. A review of studies examining the relationship between beetroot juice and cardiovascular disease risk showed a beneficial effect of consuming between 200 and 500 milliliters (about 61/2 to 17 ounces) of beetroot juice daily on systolic blood pressure (the top number). For exercise performance, enhanced vasodilation translates to increased oxygen and nutrient delivery to exercising muscles. Studies where subjects consumed about 500 ml of beetroot juice about 2 hours before exercise had increased performance before reaching exhaustion. However, there's a downside. Beetroot juice may cause stomach upset, especially in the quantities consumed in the studies and drinking it may not translate into any perceived benefits in the less-than-serious athlete. For decreasing systolic blood pressure, it makes more sense to eat a variety of naturally nitrate-rich vegetables -- beets, spinach, other leafy greens, carrots and cabbage. Although we're often warned against consuming nitrate-treated processed meats due to their association with increased cancer risk, consuming a variety of vegetables naturally rich in nitrate has only been linked with health benefits. --Tufts University Health & Nutrition Letter.
RECIPE
Here's a spring recipe, from Cooking Light magazine, to boost your omega-3 healthy fats. The salmon is placed on a bed of fresh thyme to give extra flavor.
Roasted Salmon with Thyme and Honey Mustard Glaze
10 thyme sprigs
1 (3-pound) skin-on salmon fillet (preferably sustainable), pin bones removed
1/4-cup country Dijon mustard
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon white wine vinegar
2 teaspoons fresh thyme leaves
1-teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 lemon, thinly sliced
Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Arrange thyme sprigs in a long row on parchment. Place salmon, skin side down, on top of thyme. Combine mustard, honey, and vinegar in a bowl. Brush mixture evenly over top of salmon. Sprinkle salmon with 2 teaspoons thyme leaves, salt, and pepper. Arrange lemon slices over salmon. Bake salmon at 450 degrees in center of oven 26 minutes or until desired degree of doneness. Serve hot or at room temperature. Serves 8 (serving size: 6 ounces salmon).
Per serving: 387 calories, 48 g protein, 6 g carbohydrate, 17.4 g fat, 116 mg cholesterol, 0 fiber, 527 mg sodium.
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