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Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Sugar is one of the world's oldest ingredients. The people of New Guinea were most likely the first to domesticate sugar cane around 8000 B.C.

Sugar is everywhere. It is the building blocks of carbohydrates, the most abundant type of organic molecules in living things. Researchers note that sugar is not necessarily a health problem, but the amount of sugar we consume is.

Sugar threatens more than thin waistlines. It has also been associated with several conditions and diseases, including type 2 diabetes, arthritis, acne, heart disease, depression, thrush/yeast infections, and cancer.



Today's Random Fact:

Worldwide, people consume 500 extra calories a day from sugar, which is roughly the amount of calories needed to gain a pound a week.


A 15.2 oz. bottle of Minute Maid 100 percent Apple Juice contains 49 grams of sugar. This is about the same amount of sugar in 10 Oreos. While sugar occurs naturally in fruit, the body processes both types of sugar in the same way. One benefit of eating whole fruit is eating fiber, which is generally lost in the process of making juice.

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Bonus Fact:

According to brain scans, sugar is as addictive as cocaine.

Two hundred years ago, the average American ate only 2 pounds of sugar a year. In 1970, Americans ate 123 pounds of sugar per year. Today the average American consumes almost 152 pounds of sugar in one year. This is equal to 3 pounds (or 6 cups) of sugar consumed in one week.