15 Interesting Sugar Facts

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.

1. The average American consumes 61 pounds of sugar annually – two pounds during Halloween
2. 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
3. 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
4. 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.
5. So-called diet sodas with artificial sweeteners in place of sugar may cause an overall increase in calorie consumption
6. The US produces over 4 million metric tons of sugar from sugar beet annually – total sugar production is around 8.4 million metric tons.
7. 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.
8. Saccharin, sucralose and aspartame were discovered accidentally during laboratory research into unrelated topics
9. Lugduname is 200,000 times sweeter than table sugar and is the sweetest compound known to man
10. 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.
11. Sugars are everywhere – they are the building blocks of the most abundant organic molecules in all things living – carbohydrates!
12. 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
13. Sugar can be used to create a crude propellant when combined with corn syrup and saltpetre
14. 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!
15. 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