14 Sweet Facts About Sugar
Multiply by 4
To find the number of calories from sugar in a product, multiply the grams by 4. For example, a product containing 15 grams of sugar has 60 calories from sugar per serving.
Satiety
While foods rich in fiber, fat, and protein help make a person feel full, sugar does not create feelings of satiety.
The sweetest compound
The sweetest compound known is called lugduname. It’s over 20,000 times sweeter than sugar.
World’s oldest ingredients
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.
One teaspoon of sugar
One teaspoon of white sugar has 15 calories and one teaspoon of corn syrup (a type of sugar) has 20 calories. Soft drinks are responsible for most of the added sugar in the average American diet.
Aging cells
A 2009 study found that glucose consumption accelerated the aging of cells in the body. Additionally, a 2012 study found that excess sugar consumption was tied to deficiencies in memory and overall cognitive processing.
White Gold
Until the late 1500s, sugar was called “White Gold,” and European nobility used it to display their social standing. After about 1600 on, technological improvements and New World sources helped turn sugar into a bulk commodity.
The word “sugar”
The word “sugar” originates from the Sanskrit word sharkara, which means “material in a granule form.” In Arabic, it is sakkar; Turkish is sheker; Italian is zucchero; and Yoruba speakers in Nigeria call it suga.
Doughnut or Donut
Ten people in the United States have the last name Doughnut or Donut. Ninety-five people have the name Longjohn (the name of a long doughnut). Twelve people have the name Bearclaw, 498 people have the name Sprinkles, 470 people in the U.S. have the name Fritter, and 1,634 have the name Sugar.
Blood sugar levels
Stress can alter blood sugar levels, which can cause mood swings, fatigue, hyperglycemia, and metabolic syndrome, a major risk factor for heart attack and diabetes.
Largest popcorn ball
The world’s largest popcorn ball was 12 feet in diameter and weighed 5,000 pounds. It required 2,000 pounds of corn, 40,000 pounds of sugar, 280 gallons of corn syrup, and 400 gallons of water.
Honey
It’s always best to get a small batch, local honey if you can. There have been reported cases that the “honey” in supermarkets has been unmasked as liquid sucrose, beet sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. Make sure that the list of ingredients in your honey has only one thing on it: honey.
Balsamic vinegar
Traditional balsamic vinegar is aged in oak casks for years and, like wine must adhere to strict codes. Except, that now that it’s become more popular, it’s also become easily faked, with added sugar and caramel coloring.
American Sweets
The average American eats 25 pounds (11.3 KG) of candy each year.