February 8, 2024 general

If these look yummy, you may have a sweet tooth (and one that isn’t very fussy). Do you think you might have more than one sweet tooth? Does it seem that the more sweets you eat the more you want? Well, it really does work that way for at least couple of reasons. One is that when your blood sugar spikes because of a sugar load, insulin brings it down but it can over-compensate. Then, when your blood sugar is low (hypoglycemia), survival instincts kick in and tell you to get blood sugar back up. (At that point, celery just won’t do the job.) Another reason is that a regular diet of sweets and refined carbohydrates encourages an overgrowth of yeast. Yeasts have a sneaky way of sending your brain messages to eat more of what they like. (They basically order their lunch.)

“Lemonade” conjures up wholesome images of grandma pouring you an icy glass on the porch of the old farmhouse on a warm summer day. However, research shows that lemonade along with other sweet drinks are linked to early death in type 2 diabetics.

It is easier to be fooled into eating more sugar than you think that you are because it is in so many of grocery items and goes by so many names: cane sugar, beet sugar, brown sugar, raw sugar, honey, corn syrup and high fructose corn syrup. Then there is fructose, dextrose, glucose and other names ending in “ose”. If a word ends in “ol” it is a non-caloric sugar substitute that is a sugar alcohol. Examples include sorbitol, maltitol and mannitol. One, xylitol, is valued because it is antimicrobial. Science has recently suggested (but not proven) that frequent consumption of another sugar alcohol, erythritol, may increase the risk of heart attack or stroke. (I checked the actual study to see if it was funded or influenced by the competing sugar industry. It was not directly. This article details the errors in that study.) Excess intake of most any sugar alcohol at one sitting may cause gas and a loose stool. I still think those are preferred to the chemical artificial sweeteners like Splenda® (sucralose), NutraSweet® (aspartame), and saccharin. Natural is still better. I like the herbal sweetener, Stevia which has health benefits and Monk fruit (also sometimes called “lo han guo” or just “lo han”).

I did a quick internet search for the origin of “sweet tooth”. Vocabulary.com reported “The phrase has been used in English for hundreds of years, since the late fourteenth century, and it comes from toothsome, an even older word meaning ‘delicious or tasty’. This sense of tooth standing in for taste gave rise to sweet tooth, or ‘particularly enjoying sweet tastes.’”

We probably always knew there wasn’t just a tooth to blame for sweet cravings. And it is not surprising that the origin goes back to the 13^th century. Actually, the cravings themselves most likely go back to early humans. Think about it. If we were not genetically programed to seek foods with some sweetness, our species might have eaten only leaves and died off thousands of years ago from starvation. Foods with a bit of sweetness in the flavor, like nuts, root vegetables and obviously fruits, have more calories and other nutrients.

Unfortunately, modern food technology and product availability have thrown us a big curve. These days, we are much more likely to die from the effects of obesity than starvation. Although in the past, thanks to industry lobbying not science, the government blamed fat in the diet instead of sugar. If we understand the science as alluded to in this authoritative article by the Harvard School of Public Health, sugar intake should be controlled to reduce the risk of obesity and heart disease. (I might add: diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s.)

Americans eat more sugar than any other population on the planet! (Yay us? Is it a coincidence that we also pay more for sickness care?) Most estimates have us eating well over 100 pounds a year on average. And, since that average includes some people who eat no sugar, other folks must eat boatloads. Probably few people have a sugar bowl on the table and must refill it every two days. Most of the intake is hidden in foods and beverages. Even an apple contains sugar, but I doubt that anyone is getting fat eating apples. The biggest offenders are not naturally occurring sugars like that but rather refined sugar added to beverages. Examples of sugar in these: 12 ounces of Dr. Pepper = 10 teaspoons, Starbucks Caramel Frappuccino® or Monster Energy drink = 14 teaspoons (almost a quarter cup). Look up your personal beverage temptation on this website. Of course, we all know that candy, cookies, cakes, donuts, pies, and ice cream are sources of sugar. But it is important to read labels on catsup, BBQ sauce, salad dressing, yogurt, peanut butter, chicken pot pies…well, everything. Little by little it adds up. Learn more about sugar on this page in our Library.

At the market, I was inspired to do this blog when another customer (who said that her husband is diabetic) asked me about a brand of bread that had the least sugar. I think we are better off without bread in general, but at least this variety of Dave’s bread had good organic ingredients, decent fiber, low  sugar content and is sliced thin.

If your sweet tooth is getting you into trouble, know that there is hope. Stopping cold turkey can cause withdrawal symptoms. Reducing gradually may be easier. Be of good cheer—after  you are off for a week, it becomes much easier to resist sugar. Yes, you still know it tastes good but it doesn’t have power over you. I ran across a supplement product that, based on my experience in the past with its ingredients, should help reduce cravings.  (I’ve never used this particular one, so I can’t say for sure.)

Craving something sweet? Maybe eat an apple or a date so you get some fiber and other nutrients. Take heart, after a week or so off of sugar, it will no longer have power over you.