Day 35 : [TED-ED] Sugar: Hiding in plain sight

by Robert Lustig


Take-away messages:

1. There are ~56 added sugars with different name in the labels : brown rice syrup, barley malt, demerara, Florida crystals, mascovado, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), or corn syrup.

2. Even though some sugar appear healthier, but it is still sugar! When multiple added types of sugar are used in one type of product, they get buried down in the long list of ingredients, but adding them all together, sugar can be the single biggest ingredient.

3. Glucose is the best source of energy. It can be metabolized by all organs in the body.

4. Fructose is metabolized primarily in the liver. When the liver is overloaded with these sweet fructose, the excess is metabolized to fat.

5. Fresh fruits contains natural fructose, but they do not cause overload, because the fiber in fruits slow its absorption.

6. Try to pay attention to the ingredients label, so you can keep the sugar intake in a healthy level.

Reference:

http://ed.ted.com/lessons/sugar-hiding-in-plain-sight-robert-lustig#watch