Q: Mr. Pedometer, the nutritional labels on foods generally tell not only the quantity of each nutrient but also the percentage of the recommended daily amount. The exception is sugar. The label tells how many grams, but not how much that is toward a daily amount. How much sugar should a healthy person eat (or drink) in a day?

A: Your question spotlights one of the biggest problems in Americans’ eating habits. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that most people should consume no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of “free sugars” (any kind of sugar added into a food or beverage product) per day. However, that amount is found in just one cup of apple juice or a small fruit yogurt!

The Globalist Quiz in our local newspaper recently reported, “In the United States, almost three-quarters of the population consumes more than the recommended amount [of sugar] per day. (The U.S. average is 22 teaspoons per day, close to four times higher than the WHO recommendation.)”

That has alarming consequences for health in this nation since excess sugar can lead to both obesity and Type 2 diabetes. Some researchers believe that sugar can be “chemically addictive,” with many of the problems associated with other types of addiction.

Reading nutritional labeling on food is a good practice. What can make it confusing, when reading ingredients, is that terms such as “corn syrup” and “fruit juice concentrates” may not be obvious as names for sugar additives.

The good news is that more and more consumers are choosing healthier foods. Major global food processing manufacturers are being impacted. The article noted that “companies such as Kraft Heinz and Coca-Cola are experiencing a continued decline in sales. Coca-Cola’s soft drink sales reached a 31-year low in 2017.” Perhaps this will persuade those large companies to reduce sugar additives? Meanwhile, consuming fewer processed foods seems to be the healthiest option.

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!

Q:  Mr. Pedometer, is drinking coffee bad for one’s health?  I have heard conflicting reports.

A:  It can be difficult to sort out what is “fake news,” even about health.  Consumer Report on Health went through five commonly stated ‘facts” about drinking coffee and reported which were true and which were myths.  Here is an excerpt:

• COFFEE IS BAD FOR YOUR HEART = FALSE! Healthy people who drink 3-5 cups of coffee per day had a 15 percent decreased risk of cardiovascular disease compared with those who drank no coffee, according to a study published recently in the Journal of Agricultural and Food Chemistry. However, government dietary guidelines recommend that most adults should limit caffeine to 2-4 eight-ounce cups of coffee per day.
• COFFEE BOOSTS YOUR BRAIN = TRUE! Caffeine can increase alertness and concentration – possibly even boosting cognitive performance.  More recent research has found that “regular coffee drinkers seem to have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes, Parkinson’s, and Alzheimer’s, conditions that may affect the sharpness of your brain.”
• COFFEE HELPS YOU LOSE WEIGHT = FALSE! “While some studies suggest that coffee drinking may reduce your appetite, none have proved it can help you shed pounds.” Those who drink their coffee black consume no calories, but adding a  teaspoon of sugar adds 16 calories, and a 1-ounce splash of cream can add 60 more – possibly leading to weight gain rather than loss.
• ESPRESSO HAS MORECAFFEINE THAN REGULAR COFFEE = TRUE! An ounce of espresso contains 2-5 times as much caffeine as a regular cup of coffee…but you can get more caffeine from a regular cup of coffee since you likely drink more than on ounce or two.  (If an espresso feels like a greater jolt, it may be because you drink it down more quickly.)
• DECAF ISN’T GOOD FOR YOU = FALSE! Times have changed:  The harsh, carcinoginous chemicals that used to be used to strip caffeine from coffee beans have been replaced with milder chemicals that the Food and Drug Administration says are in amounts too miniscule to affect health. Decaf coffee may have some of the same benefits as regular coffee:  “A large study published in the Annals of Internal Medicine in 2017 showed that people who had just one to three cups of coffee a day – regular or decaf – had a 12-18 percent lower risk of dying from any cause during the 16-year study period.”

So that’s good news for those of us who start (and continue?) each day with a cup of hot coffee.

EAT RIGHT,

MOVE MORE,

AND SLEEP WELL,

FOR A HEALTHY, LONGER LIFE!