Most people probably consume sugar without really thinking about how much they are eating and the effect it has on their body – indeed it is all too easy to consume vast amounts of sugar without realizing, as it is often a hidden ingredient in many processed foods. Here are a number of interesting facts and figures concerning sugar consumption.
- The average American consumes 61 pounds of sugar annually – two pounds during Halloween
- Excess blood sugar may bind to collagen in the skin, a process known as glycation, resulting in less elasticity in the skin and more wrinkles – reduce sugar intake to maintain skin elasticity
- On the Indian sub-continent crystallization of sugar cane has been taking place for over 2,000 years – companions of Alexander the Great are known to have been amazed at seeing honey produced without bees
- 1747 saw the discovery by German chemist Marggraf of sugar in sugar beet – found to be the same as that produced by sugar cane this meant the advent of cheap sweet stuffs in northern countries as sugar beet refinery began in 1802.
- So-called diet sodas with artificial sweeteners in place of sugar may cause an overall increase in calorie consumption
- The US produces over 4 million metric tons of sugar from sugar beet annually – total sugar production is around 8.4 million metric tons.
- A twenty-ounce bottle of cola contains the equivalent of sixteen sugar cubes – no-one would eat that many sugar cubes in one sitting, but, most of us will happily drink that amount.
- Saccharin, sucralose and aspartame were discovered accidentally during laboratory research into unrelated topics
- Lugduname is 200,000 times sweeter than table sugar and is the sweetest compound known to man
- Sugar is made up of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen molecules. Simple sugars included glucose, fructose, and galactose. Table sugar is created from a fusion of fructose and glucose, which becomes crystallized sucrose.
- Sugars are everywhere – they are the building blocks of the most abundant organic molecules in all things living – carbohydrates!
- An eight-atom sugar, glycolaldehyde, has been found in gas clouds at the centre of the Milky Way – this can combine with a three-carbon sugar to form ribose and as such may be a chemical precursor to life on earth. These gas clouds are also known to contain one of the main ingredients of anti-freeze, ethylene glycol, indicating the possibility of the synthesizing of complex sugars between stars
- Sugar can be used to create a crude propellant when combined with corn syrup and saltpetre
- A sugar pill named Obecalp is manufactured to FDA standards and marketed as a treatment of mild childhood diseases and complaints – it is of course merely a placebo!
- Glucosamine has been found to suppress appetite in mice and the sugar alcohol xylitol can prevent ear infections in infants and children.
Author’s Bio: Natalia Z. is a one of the specialists on Webctor.com – a new health center which is responsible for bringing free and accurate medical information to the Internet. You can follow the portal on Twitter @webctor_com
