AHHHH… SWEET TEETH


Not many of us run away from having a "good tooth". Many people, even newborns, are working hard to get a good taste as the most enjoyable and satisfying in every taste. Lactose, or “milk sugar”, makes babies crave and choose breast milk or formula milk. Sugar serves as a source of happiness and quick energy, but unfortunately sugar has no other value in nutrition.


Scientifically and physically, sugar is a simple carbohydrate and starchy foods are complex carbohydrates composed of many glucose molecules and essential vitamins, minerals and fiber. Table sugar, also called sucrose, one glucose molecule and one fructose molecule. Rapid digestion separates these. As glucose enters the bloodstream, it is absorbed by insulin and transported to cells for energy. Fructose also found in fruit or honey travels to the liver when it is converted to sugar. For people with prediabetes or diabetes, simple and complex carbohydrates require close attention. Sugar alone does not cause diabetes.


If you have a "good tooth" and your friend does not, it may be a matter of your genetic makeup and your individual ability to sense taste. People with a strong sense of taste may have genes that support strong taste preferences. Age and exposure are popular features, too. A person who used to have a lot of fun at a young age may like a little sugary foods when he is older. A person who grew up drinking sugary soda may continue to enjoy that taste as an adult.


Sugar makes food attractive, especially processed foods. It is estimated by various sources that Americans eat 60 to 170 pounds [60 to 170 kg] of sugar every year, especially as added sugar to processed foods such as sugary drinks, desserts, and snacks. Extra sugar includes what we use in home cooking, added to coffee or sprinkled with cereal. To put sugar in perspective, a pound of sugar contains 7,248 calories. One teaspoon of sugar (4 grams) contains 16 calories. The American Heart Association recommends caring for six teaspoons of sugar per day for women, nine for men. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that less than 10% of daily calories should be added to excess sugar. This means that a 2,000-calorie diet can allow for 50 grams (200 calories) of extra sugar. For good health, it is wise to recognize that a high-sugar diet contributes to tooth decay and weight gain leading to obesity, which can lead to type 2 diabetes and heart disease.


There are many types of sugar depending on the processing and final use as an ingredient. High-fructose corn syrup is commonly used in digested foods by a child with bad sugar, but in fact digestion breaks down into sugar and fructose like any other natural sweet beverage such as honey, molasses and agave juice or "dry sugar" such as ultrafine sugar, i -confectioner's. sugar and demerara sugar cane.


To strengthen your “sweet tooth”, you may research your diet and look for hidden sources of sugar including: agave nectar, brown sugar, cane crystals, sugar cane, sweet corn syrup, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, crystalline fructose , dextrose. , steamed sugarcane juice, fructose, concentrated fruit juice, sugar, honey, sugar, lactose, maltose, malt syrup, molasses, unripe sugar, sucrose, and syrup.


Name the practice. Change the habit.


Challenge your "sweet tooth" to reduce sugar in your diet means changing habits.


Write down all the foods you or your family eat. Find a selection of high-sugar. Get your family involved in this activity so everyone can get on board and change. The sugar that comes naturally from fruit and milk is not counted as an added sugar.

Identify times of the day when you crave something nice, such as after a meal or when you feel down. Can you indulge your cravings by rethinking your message or doing something distracting.

  • Decide on a healthy diet, eating more fruits and vegetables, is a great way to eat a low-sugar diet.
  • If you add sugar to coffee or cereal, try it without sugar or use a sweet drink.
  • Read the labels for sugar content. See ingredient list.
  • Cook from the beginning so you can control the amount of sugar.


Ann Cunningham is a healthy nutritionist living in Eagle, Idaho. Her ability to eat nutritious food is to teach and manage diabetes. She loves to write about accepting healthy food as fun and the way to good health. She serves as a member of the board of directors of Idaho Foodbank addressing food insecurity as a challenge to the well-being of Idaho children and adults.