tag:theconversation.com,2011:/uk/topics/sugar-2207/articlesSugar – The Conversation2024-03-28T12:18:54Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2232392024-03-28T12:18:54Z2024-03-28T12:18:54ZWhat is sugar and what would happen if I stopped eating it? A scientist explains<p>The world has declared a time-out on sugar consumption. The harmful link between disease and dietary sugar was recently outlined in a <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37019448/">comprehensive assessment</a> of published studies. </p>
<p>Recognising this link between widely consumed food and disease is essential in marshalling forces to <a href="https://www.who.int/tools/elena/interventions/free-sugars-adults-ncds">change harmful outcomes</a>. These include coronary heart disease, obesity, type 2 diabetes, tooth decay and some cancers. For over a decade, <a href="https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Grace-Jones-10#publications">my research</a> has focused on the mechanisms by which fructose intake plays into disease. </p>
<p>A growing number of African countries have joined the worldwide efforts to reduce sugar intake. For instance, in an attempt to address obesity, diabetes and other non-communicable diseases, South Africa introduced a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9597050/#:%7E:text=South%20Africa%20became%20the%20first,implemented%20on%201%20April%202018.&text=Referred%20to%20as%20the%20Health,billions%20of%20rands%20in%20revenues.">tax on sugar-sweetened drinks</a> in 2018. </p>
<p>It’s hard to avoid sugar when it’s become a normal part of diets and when we celebrate special times with sweet treats. But being more aware of what sugar is and how it can affect our health is the first step.</p>
<h2>What is sugar?</h2>
<p>Sugar is a class of naturally occurring sweet-tasting molecules found in fruits, vegetables, plants and the milk of mammals. It can be extracted from these natural sources and concentrated in processed foods. </p>
<p>The sweet-tasting molecules in sucrose (table sugar) are glucose and fructose. </p>
<p>Sucrose is a disaccharide. This is a molecule made of two simple sugars – glucose and fructose – in a 1:1 ratio and chemically bound. Sucrose is used in many processed foods.</p>
<p>High fructose corn syrup, also used in processed foods, is a mixture of the monosaccharides glucose and fructose. Usually the combination is 45% glucose and 55% fructose. </p>
<p>Sucrose and high fructose corn syrup are more concentrated in processed foods than in fruits and vegetables. </p>
<p>Both are considered added sugars when they are <a href="https://ift.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/1541-4337.12151">added to foods and drinks</a>. Besides the sweet taste, they may be <a href="https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2015/08/150818131807.htm#:%7E:text=Sugar%20aids%20in%20the%20fermentation,reducing%20water%20activity%20in%20foods">added</a> for colour and texture, as a preservative or to aid fermentation. </p>
<p>There are other natural sugars found in the foods we eat. Lactose, or milk sugar, is a disaccharide made of two simple sugars – glucose and galactose – in a 1:1 ratio. It’s found in mammals’ milk and produced naturally to provide nutrition to offspring, and in other dairy products, such as cheese and ice cream. </p>
<p>Honey, made from nectar by honeybees, is primarily a mixture of glucose and fructose monosaccharides with some maltose, sucrose and other carbohydrates. Maltose, which is found in breakfast cereals and breads, is a disaccharide of two glucose molecules. </p>
<p>Naturally occurring sugars are made by plants, bees or mammals based on their needs. </p>
<p>The human body needs glucose as a fuel for every cell, especially brain cells. That’s one of the reasons why we need a stable blood glucose level throughout the day and night.</p>
<p>The way our bodies use fructose is different. It can be turned into glucose, used as fuel, or processed into fats, called triglycerides. Excessive fructose in our diets can lead to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29408694/">increases</a> in blood triglycerides, liver fat, blood glucose, body mass index and insulin resistance (where the body cannot easily remove glucose from the bloodstream). </p>
<p>Increases in these markers can lead to an increased risk for metabolic dysfunction, type 2 diabetes and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (or metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease). </p>
<p>Because of the difference in how the body uses glucose and fructose, and evidence that a higher consumption of sugar leads to worse health outcomes, we must be mindful of the added sugar we eat.</p>
<h2>What would happen if we quit eating sugar?</h2>
<p>A group of scientists performed a study and published a set of research papers that detailed <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/oby.21371">exactly what happened</a> when over 40 children (aged eight to 18) stopped eating sugar and fructose for 10 days. The participants didn’t stop eating bread, hotdogs or snacks. They stopped eating fructose. These studies found <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28579536/">significant reductions</a> in:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>newly made triglycerides (or fats)</p></li>
<li><p>fasting blood glucose</p></li>
<li><p>blood pressure</p></li>
<li><p>fat stored on organs, including the liver</p></li>
<li><p>AST, which is a marker of liver function</p></li>
<li><p>insulin resistance, as their cells were better able to remove glucose from the bloodstream</p></li>
<li><p>body mass index.</p></li>
</ul>
<p>The participants also reported feeling better and were better behaved.</p>
<p>The World Health Organization has made <a href="https://iris.who.int/bitstream/handle/10665/149782/9789241549028_eng.pdf?sequence=1">recommendations</a> for adults and children to reduce their sugar intake to about 58 grams, or 14 teaspoons, per day or between 5% and 10% of total caloric intake. </p>
<p>This is not a lot of sugar. </p>
<p>Consider that a 300ml bottle of Coca-Cola or 240ml cup of sugarcane juice contain about <a href="https://www.coca-cola.com/ke/en/brands/brand-coca-cola/product-coca-cola-original#accordion-d588759a1d-item-8b5bb499cf">30 grams</a> of sugar. One piece of mandazi, a popular deep-fried Kenyan wheat snack, has about <a href="https://www.nutritionix.com/i/nutritionix/mandazi-1-small-piece-3-diameter/5c4f552f21b2c9e80f1748f2">4 grams</a> of sugar, or about 6% of the WHO’s recommended intake contained in each small piece.</p>
<h2>What can I do to lower my sugar intake to recommended levels?</h2>
<p>First, keep track of everything you eat during a typical day, what you eat, when you eat and how much you eat. Secondly, give yourself a star for the fresh vegetables and whole fruits you eat, and identify the foods that have added sugars. </p>
<p>Now, set an attainable goal that details one thing you can change to either:</p>
<p>1) increase the whole fruits or vegetables you eat or </p>
<p>2) decrease the amount of added sugar that you eat each day. </p>
<p>This way, you can be mindful of the added sugar you consume and adjust what you eat accordingly.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/223239/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Grace Marie Jones receives funding from The National Institutes of Health (US). </span></em></p>A higher consumption of sugar leads to worse health outcomes, so we need to be mindful of the added sugar we eat.Grace Marie Jones, Associate Professor, College of Osteopathic Medicine, Touro UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2121142024-02-26T19:00:52Z2024-02-26T19:00:52ZI want to eat healthily. So why do I crave sugar, salt and carbs?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567024/original/file-20231221-29-wxqo9t.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=17%2C565%2C5973%2C3422&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/donut-with-sprinkles-1785852/">Lisa Fotios/Pexels</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We all want to eat healthily, especially as we reset our health goals at the start of a new year. But sometimes these plans are sabotaged by powerful cravings for sweet, salty or carb-heavy foods. </p>
<p>So why do you crave these foods when you’re trying to improve your diet or lose weight? And what can you do about it?</p>
<p>There are many reasons for craving specific foods, but let’s focus on four common ones:</p>
<h2>1. Blood sugar crashes</h2>
<p>Sugar is a key energy source for all animals, and its taste is one of the most basic sensory experiences. Even without specific sweet taste receptors on the tongue, a strong preference for sugar can develop, indicating a mechanism beyond taste alone.</p>
<p>Neurons <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41593-021-00982-7">responding to sugar</a> are activated when sugar is delivered to the gut. This can increase appetite and make you want to consume more. Giving into cravings also drives an appetite for more sugar. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/im-trying-to-lose-weight-and-eat-healthily-why-do-i-feel-so-hungry-all-the-time-what-can-i-do-about-it-215808">I’m trying to lose weight and eat healthily. Why do I feel so hungry all the time? What can I do about it?</a>
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<p>In the long term, research suggests a high-sugar diet can affect <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/369/bmj.m2382">mood</a>, digestion and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33339337/">inflammation</a> in the <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.aay6218?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed">gut</a>.</p>
<p>While there’s a lot of <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0149763402000040?via%3Dihub#aep-section-id23">variation between individuals</a>, regularly eating sugary and high-carb foods can lead to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30951762/">rapid spikes and crashes</a> in blood sugar levels. When your blood sugar drops, your body can respond by craving quick sources of energy, often in the form of sugar and carbs because these deliver the fastest, most easily accessible form of energy. </p>
<h2>2. Drops in dopamine and serotonin</h2>
<p>Certain neurotransmitters, such as <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30595479/">dopamine</a>, are involved in the reward and pleasure centres of the brain. Eating sugary and carb-rich foods can trigger the release of dopamine, creating a pleasurable experience and reinforcing the craving. </p>
<p>Serotonin, the feel-good hormone, suppresses <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1569733910700886">appetite</a>. Natural changes in serotonin can influence daily fluctuations in mood, energy levels and attention. It’s also associated with eating more <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5829131/">carb-rich snacks in the afternoon</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Woman sits at her desk, tired" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567025/original/file-20231221-27-ljdcvp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/567025/original/file-20231221-27-ljdcvp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567025/original/file-20231221-27-ljdcvp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567025/original/file-20231221-27-ljdcvp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567025/original/file-20231221-27-ljdcvp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567025/original/file-20231221-27-ljdcvp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/567025/original/file-20231221-27-ljdcvp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Do you get 3pm sugar cravings? Serotonin could play a role.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/photo-of-woman-holding-her-head-4064177/">Marcus Aurelius/Pexels</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21985780/">Low carb diets</a> may reduce serotonin and lower mood. However, a recent systematic review suggests little association between these diets and risk for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0165032722013933?via%3Dihub">anxiety and depression</a>. </p>
<p>Compared to men, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4189179/">women tend to crave more carb rich foods</a>. Feeling irritable, tired, depressed or experiencing carb cravings are part of premenstrual <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29218451/">symptoms</a> and could be <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK560698/">linked to</a> reduced <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9928757/">serotonin levels</a>. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/got-period-pain-or-cramps-what-to-eat-and-avoid-according-to-science-218344">Got period pain or cramps? What to eat and avoid, according to science</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>3. Loss of fluids and drops in blood sugar and salt</h2>
<p>Sometimes our bodies crave the things they’re missing, such as hydration or even salt. A low-carb diet, for example, <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK537084/">depletes</a> insulin levels, decreasing sodium and water retention. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1933287419302673">Very low-carb diets</a>, like ketogenic diets, induce “ketosis”, a metabolic state where the body switches to using fat as its primary energy source, moving away from the usual dependence on carbohydrates. </p>
<p>Ketosis is often associated with increased urine production, further contributing to potential fluid loss, electrolyte imbalances and salt cravings.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/health-check-do-we-crave-the-food-our-bodies-need-53218">Health Check: do we crave the food our bodies need?</a>
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</em>
</p>
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<h2>4. High levels of stress or emotional turmoil</h2>
<p><a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4214609/">Stress</a>, boredom and emotional turmoil can lead to cravings for comfort foods. This is because stress-related hormones can impact our appetite, satiety (feeling full) and food preferences. </p>
<p>The stress hormone <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3425607/">cortisol</a>, in particular, can drive cravings for <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453000000354">sweet comfort foods</a>. </p>
<p>A <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0306453000000354">2001 study</a> of 59 premenopausal women subjected to stress revealed that the stress led to higher calorie consumption. </p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37295418/">A more recent study</a> found chronic stress, when paired with high-calorie diet, increases food intake and a preference for sweet foods. This shows the importance of a healthy diet during stress to prevent weight gain.</p>
<h2>What can you do about cravings?</h2>
<p>Here are four tips to curb cravings:</p>
<p><strong>1) don’t cut out whole food groups.</strong> Aim for a well-balanced diet and make sure you include:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><em>sufficient protein</em> in your meals to help you feel full and reduce the urge to snack on sugary and carb-rich foods. Older adults should aim for 20–40g protein per meal with a particular focus on <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.1111/jhn.12838">breakfast and lunch</a> and an overall daily protein intake of at least <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/handle/10665/43411">0.8g</a> per kg of body weight for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35187864/">muscle health</a></p></li>
<li><p><em>fibre-rich foods</em>, such as vegetables and whole grains. These make you feel full and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32142510/">stabilise your blood sugar</a> levels. Examples include broccoli, quinoa, brown rice, oats, beans, lentils and bran cereals. Substitute refined carbs high in sugar like processed snack bars, soft drink or baked goods for more complex ones like whole grain bread or wholewheat muffins, or nut and seed bars or energy bites made with chia seeds and oats</p></li>
</ul>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-much-protein-do-i-need-as-i-get-older-and-do-i-need-supplements-to-get-enough-215695">How much protein do I need as I get older? And do I need supplements to get enough?</a>
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<p><strong>2) manage your stress levels.</strong> Practise stress-reduction techniques like meditation, deep breathing, or yoga to manage emotional triggers for cravings. Practising <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30570305/">mindful eating</a>, by eating slowly and tuning into bodily sensations, can also reduce daily calorie intake and curb cravings and stress-driven eating </p>
<p><strong>3) get enough sleep.</strong> Aim for <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33054337/">seven to eight</a> hours of quality sleep per night, with a minimum of seven hours. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9031614/">Lack of sleep</a> can disrupt hormones that regulate hunger and cravings</p>
<p><strong>4) control your portions.</strong> If you decide to indulge in a treat, control your portion size to avoid overindulging.</p>
<p>Overcoming cravings for sugar, salt and carbs when trying to eat healthily or lose weight is undoubtedly a formidable challenge. Remember, it’s a journey, and setbacks may occur. Be patient with yourself – your success is not defined by occasional cravings but by your ability to manage and overcome them.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/212114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hayley O'Neill is a wellness coach for Hayley M O'Neill Enterprises.</span></em></p>We all want to eat healthily, especially as we reset our health goals at the start of a new year. But sometimes these plans are sabotaged by powerful cravings for sweet, salty or carb-heavy foods.Hayley O'Neill, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2202782024-02-08T13:40:17Z2024-02-08T13:40:17ZSugary handshakes are how cells talk to each other − understanding these name tags can clarify how the immune system works<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570832/original/file-20240123-29-c6ob1s.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2880%2C1664&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Handshakes between glycans are one way cells recognize each other.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kelvin Anggara</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Like the people they make up, cells communicate by bumping into one another and exchanging handshakes. Unlike people, cells perform these handshakes using the diverse range of sugar molecules coating their surface like trees covering a landscape. Handshakes between these <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/glycob/cww086">sugar molecules, or glycans</a>, trigger cells to react in specific ways toward each other, such as escape, ignore or destroy.</p>
<p>Figuring out the “body language” of glycans during these handshakes can provide clues to how cancers, infections and immune systems work, as well as solutions to health and sustainability challenges society faces today.</p>
<h2>What are glycans?</h2>
<p>Each glycan molecule is made up of a network of individual sugar molecules bonded together. The vast number of possible glycan structures that can be built from connecting these sugar molecules together allows glycans to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/glycob/cww086">store rich information</a>.</p>
<p>Because all living cells are covered with sugars, glycans act like ID cards for cells. They display the cell’s identity, such as whether it’s a bacteria or human cell, and its state, such as whether it’s healthy or cancer, to the rest of the body and allow <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK579984/">other cells to recognize</a> and respond to it. For example, these identifying signs allow our immune cells to recognize and clear out harmful bacteria and cancerous cells while leaving healthy cells in peace.</p>
<p>An example of how glycan-stored information is important to daily life is <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-are-blood-types-126002">your blood type</a>. Glycans are chemically bonded to proteins and lipids on the surface of red blood cells. Notably, the surface of type A red blood cells have glycans that differ from the glycans on the surface of type B and type O red blood cells. Knowing what blood type you have is important to avoid an unwanted immune response during blood transfusions.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570449/original/file-20240120-22-n2v4b4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Diagram showing the glycan structures of types A, B and O red blood cells" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570449/original/file-20240120-22-n2v4b4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570449/original/file-20240120-22-n2v4b4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570449/original/file-20240120-22-n2v4b4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570449/original/file-20240120-22-n2v4b4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=505&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570449/original/file-20240120-22-n2v4b4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=635&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570449/original/file-20240120-22-n2v4b4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=635&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570449/original/file-20240120-22-n2v4b4.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=635&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Your blood type is determined by the types of glycans, depicted here in circles and triangles, on your red blood cells.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Kelvin Anggara/Created with BioRender.com</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Proteins decorated with glycans, or glycoproteins, and lipids decorated with glycans, or glycolipids, are ubiquitous in nature. </p>
<p>For example, distinctive glycoproteins cover the surface of the viruses that cause <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.0c01056">COVID-19</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2016.04.010">HIV</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acscentsci.2c00981">H1N1 influenza</a> and help them <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-viruses-get-into-cells-their-infection-tactics-determine-whether-they-can-jump-species-or-set-off-a-pandemic-216139">infect cells</a>. Glycolipids also coat <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.cell.2019.12.006">many bacteria</a>, allowing them to stick to their hosts and protect them from viruses and immune cells.</p>
<p>More recently, researchers discovered pieces of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2021.04.023">genetic material decorated with glycans</a> on the surfaces of mammalian cells, challenging the long-standing notion that genetic material could be found only in the nucleus of cells and launching research to determine the functions of these glycans. One recent study showed that these molecules are vital in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cell.2023.12.033">attracting immune cells</a> toward infected or injured tissues.</p>
<h2>How do cells read glycans?</h2>
<p>In addition to the rich biological information contained in glycans, their easily accessible locations on cell surfaces make them highly attractive targets in scientific research and drug development.</p>
<p>Cells sense glycans on the surfaces of other cells by using <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK579947/">proteins called lectins</a>, among others. Each lectin has a unique area that allows it to bind to glycans with a specific matching sequence, triggering complex signals that lead to a biological action.</p>
<p>For example, a subfamily of lectins called <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nri2569">C-type lectins</a> are able to recognize the specific glycans on the outer walls of harmful viruses, fungi and bacteria. Found on surfaces of certain immune cells, these lectins deliver the glycans to proteins on other immune cells that can now selectively destroy any viruses or cells that carry that glycan. This process allows the immune system to clear the body of harmful pathogens. For example, these lectins recognize glycans on the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/glycob/cwy023">surfaces of cancer cells</a> and direct other immune cells to eliminate these cancer cells.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572940/original/file-20240201-25-cjkqvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Illustration of a spherical influenza virus, with red and blue spikes studding its surface" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572940/original/file-20240201-25-cjkqvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/572940/original/file-20240201-25-cjkqvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572940/original/file-20240201-25-cjkqvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572940/original/file-20240201-25-cjkqvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572940/original/file-20240201-25-cjkqvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572940/original/file-20240201-25-cjkqvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/572940/original/file-20240201-25-cjkqvl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The spikes on the surface of the influenza virus are composed of glycoproteins.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/flu-virus-close-up-view-3d-illustration-royalty-free-image/1389473291">Dr_Microbe/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Another type of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-immunol-102419-035900">lectin called siglecs</a> are found on surfaces of immune cells and help them distinguish self from nonself, that is, between the cells that make up the body and the cells that are foreign to the body. Because siglecs are involved in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-immunol-102419-035900">controlling how the immune system responds</a> to many cancers, allergies, autoimmune diseases and neurodegeneration, they offer an opportunity to treat these conditions.</p>
<p>The early success of glycan-based drugs is exemplified by <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/rr5911a1.htm">Pfizer’s Prevnar vaccine</a> to prevent bacterial pneumonia, which was approved by the Food and Drug Administration in 2010. Prevnar contains glycans from various strains of <a href="https://doi.org/10.5863%2F1551-6776-21.1.27"><em>Streptococcus pneumoniae</em></a>, the leading cause of bacterial pneumonia in children and adults. The bacterial glycans in the vaccine trigger an immune response when immune cells recognize the glycans as foreign threats. Once immune cells learn how to neutralize the threat, the body becomes immune to future invasion by bacteria with the same glycans. </p>
<h2>Examining every sugar molecule</h2>
<p>Because scientists are still <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/jacs.9b06406">unable to extract all the biological information</a> in glycans, their full potential as treatments has remained untapped. Comprehensively extracting all the information stored in glycans is very difficult because there isn’t currently technology able to analyze the complex and diverse structures of glycans. Researchers still don’t know what these “sugar codes” look like and how they function.</p>
<p>Individual glycans are composed of sugar molecules in unique arrangements, but current analytical tools can only <a href="https://doi.org/10.17226/13446">simultaneously analyze many glycans</a>. To see why this is a problem for analysis, imagine all the glycans in a cell as candies in a jar. Some of them are the same colors and some are not. It would be difficult to identify and quantify the color of every candy in the jar if you’re unable to pour them out to individually sort through each one of them.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570447/original/file-20240120-27-59622g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Jar of colorful candy on a table" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570447/original/file-20240120-27-59622g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/570447/original/file-20240120-27-59622g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570447/original/file-20240120-27-59622g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570447/original/file-20240120-27-59622g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=404&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570447/original/file-20240120-27-59622g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570447/original/file-20240120-27-59622g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/570447/original/file-20240120-27-59622g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=508&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Can you identify the color of every candy and count how many there are of each color without opening the jar?</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/round-candies-in-clear-glass-jar-with-clamp-lid-lW25Zxpkln8">Clem Onojeghuo/Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">CC BY-SA</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://anggara.science">My lab</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.ca/citations?user=1SkTHegAAAAJ&hl=en">is confronting</a> this challenge by developing imaging technology that can analyze the structure of glycans by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/science.adh3856">imaging each individual molecule</a>. Essentially, we’re developing a technique to open the jar and study every single candy one at a time.</p>
<p>In the long run, my team aspires to unveil how these glycans present themselves to the proteins that recognize them and, finally, reveal the very language that cells use to express themselves.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220278/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kelvin Anggara works for the Max Planck Institute for Solid State Research and receives funding from the European Research Council under Project GlycoX (101075996).</span></em></p>Sugar molecules called glycans cover the surface of all cells, acting as ID cards that broadcast what they are to the rest of the body.Kelvin Anggara, Group leader in Single molecule imaging, Max Planck Institute for Solid State ResearchLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2175092024-01-22T13:28:26Z2024-01-22T13:28:26ZThink wine is a virtue, not a vice? Nutrition label information surprised many US consumers<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/569115/original/file-20240112-21-1bz0bp.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=56%2C85%2C9247%2C5164&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Decisions, decisions.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/rear-view-of-young-asian-woman-grocery-shopping-for-royalty-free-image/1366189228?phrase=wine+store&adppopup=true">d3sign/Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>When you reach for that bottle of wine this Valentine’s Day, do you know how healthy it is? Many people have a too-rosy view of the beverage and are surprised when confronted with the facts about it on a nutrition label, according to a study my co-author <a href="https://www.depts.ttu.edu/hs/hrm/velikova.php">Natalia Velikova</a> <a href="https://www.depts.ttu.edu/rawlsbusiness/people/faculty/marketing/deidre-popovich/index.php">and I</a> recently published in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1108/JCM-09-2020-4101">Journal of Consumer Marketing</a>. </p>
<p>Our findings could have big implications for the wine industry, particularly as <a href="https://www.fooddive.com/news/alcohol-labeling-lawsuit/633347/">some groups in the U.S. are pushing</a> for wine to have mandatory nutrition labels.</p>
<p>Right now, people usually think of wine as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1287/mksc.17.4.317">a “virtue” rather than a “vice,”</a> thanks to popular beliefs about its <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/blog/is-red-wine-good-actually-for-your-heart-2018021913285#">health benefits</a> and news coverage of its antioxidant effects. But requiring nutrition labels, which are currently voluntary, could change those views. </p>
<p>In our experimental research, which included nearly 800 participants, we found that American consumers aren’t used to seeing nutrition information on wine labels, and most are surprised by what they read since they don’t associate wine with calories, carbohydrates and sugar. People who were prompted to read labels viewed wine as less healthy than they did beforehand, and they were less likely to buy it. </p>
<p>We also found that people are more surprised by the sugar content of sweeter wines, such as Moscato, than by the number of calories. Sweet wines, in particular, may contain more sugar than consumers realize.</p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>The European Union recently <a href="https://www.wineenthusiast.com/culture/industry-news/new-eu-wine-label-regulations/">mandated nutrition labeling on wine</a>, sometimes in the form of <a href="https://www.decanter.com/learn/eu-wine-labelling-the-changes-explained-507553/">QR codes</a>, and industry analysts expect <a href="https://wineindustryadvisor.com/2023/02/24/ingredient-labels-are-coming-you-need-to-know">the U.S. will eventually follow suit</a>. The Treasury Department’s Alcohol and Tobacco Tax and Trade Bureau, which regulates wine production, has already <a href="https://www.cspinet.org/press-release/consumer-groups-obtain-ttb-commitment-issue-rulemakings-mandatory-alcohol-labeling">agreed to issue some preliminary rules</a> for mandatory ingredient labeling.</p>
<p>Nutrition labels don’t need to be bad news for the wine industry. Wine sales have <a href="https://www.svb.com/globalassets/trendsandinsights/reports/wine/svb-state-of-the-wine-industry-report-2023.pdf">recently declined</a> among those 60 and younger, and greater transparency in labeling could help rekindle young consumers’ interest. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wep.2018.11.001">Millennial and Gen Z consumers</a> may especially appreciate clearer labels, since it could help them view wine as less mysterious and more accessible. It may also allow them to fit an occasional glass of wine into their personal health goals. Younger consumers might also be more interested in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wep.2019.02.001">eliminating as many highly processed ingredients as possible</a> from their diets. </p>
<p>What’s more, there’s been a recent trend toward wine packaging including labels like “organic,” “biodynamic” and “sustainable,” which may appeal to consumers’ preferences for sustainability. These labels have less to do with nutrition than with manufacturers trying to appear eco-friendly — but makers of natural wine would likely benefit most from offering nutrition information to support their front-of-label claims.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568090/original/file-20240106-28-sl6le5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=98%2C12%2C8120%2C5438&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="In an over-the-shoulder photograph, a woman chooses between two bottles of wine at a liquor store." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568090/original/file-20240106-28-sl6le5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=98%2C12%2C8120%2C5438&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568090/original/file-20240106-28-sl6le5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568090/original/file-20240106-28-sl6le5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568090/original/file-20240106-28-sl6le5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568090/original/file-20240106-28-sl6le5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568090/original/file-20240106-28-sl6le5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568090/original/file-20240106-28-sl6le5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Americans generally view red wines as healthier than whites, research shows.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/over-the-shoulder-view-of-woman-walking-through-royalty-free-image/1308615779">D3sign/Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>What other research is being done</h2>
<p>German researchers have found that most consumers often overestimate calories in wine before viewing nutritional labels, and they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wep.2019.02.001">don’t think the information is useful</a>. The researchers found that consumers often feel insecure and confused after reading wine ingredient information. Reviewing ingredient lists also made consumers less likely to view wine as a natural product. </p>
<p>On the manufacturer side, research shows that mandatory nutrition labeling would affect the wine industry in several ways — notably by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.wep.2019.05.002">increasing overhead costs</a> related to compliance, laboratory analyses and more challenging labeling processes. This could disproportionately hurt smaller wineries with fewer resources. </p>
<h2>What still isn’t known</h2>
<p>We still don’t know who is most likely to read and use nutrition labels on wine, but younger customers <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980010003290">seem to be more interested</a> in food labels generally. Millennials report they are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980016002871">eating healthier</a> and <a href="https://www.physicalactivitycouncil.org/_files/ugd/286de6_292481f0e76443d4b0921fbb879f8cfc.pdf">exercising more</a> than previous generations.</p>
<p>And there’s still more to learn about how nutrition labels affect behavior. Studies have shown mixed results, but on the whole, labeling appears to make people <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.amepre.2018.09.024">cut their calorie consumption</a> somewhat. Still, the U.S. put nutrition labels on foods in the 1990s, and that hasn’t stopped the <a href="https://www.cdc.gov/obesity/data/adult.html">obesity rate from rising</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/217509/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Deidre Popovich does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>People may be surprised when they read a nutrition label on a bottle of wine. The industry should take note.Deidre Popovich, Associate Professor of Marketing, Texas Tech UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2207562024-01-09T20:18:23Z2024-01-09T20:18:23ZWhy don’t fruit bats get diabetes? New understanding of how they’ve adapted to a high-sugar diet could lead to treatments for people<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568452/original/file-20240109-23-jjo6l0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C2376%2C1442&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Fruit bats have honed their sweet tooth through adaptive evolution.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/fruit-bat-feeding-in-a-tree-royalty-free-image/1293525000">Keith Rose/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>People around the world eat too much sugar. When the body is unable to process sugar effectively, leading to excess glucose in the blood, this can result in diabetes. According to the World Health Organization, diabetes became the <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/the-top-10-causes-of-death">ninth leading cause of death</a> in 2019.</p>
<p>Humans are not the only mammals that love sugar. Fruit bats do, too, eating up to <a href="https://dem.ri.gov/sites/g/files/xkgbur861/files/programs/bnatres/fishwild/outreach/critter-kits/bat-ex-benefits.pdf">twice their body weight</a> in sugary fruit a day. However, unlike humans, fruit bats thrive on a sugar-rich diet. They can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00360-019-01242-8">lower their blood sugar faster</a> than bats that rely on insects as their main food source.</p>
<p>We are a team of <a href="https://www.menlo.edu/about/find-an-expert/wei-gordon/">biologists</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=kkrPGvcAAAAJ&hl=en">bioengineers</a>. Determining how fruit bats evolved to specialize on a high-sugar diet sent us on a quest to approach diabetes therapy from an unusual angle – one that sent us all the way to Lamanai, Belize, for the <a href="https://www.batcon.org/belize-bat-a-thon/">Belize Bat-a-thon</a>, an annual gathering where researchers collect and study bats.</p>
<figure class="align-right zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568470/original/file-20240109-29-2hgb6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Two people wearing face masks, one with a headlamp and one holding a small bat up to the camera" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568470/original/file-20240109-29-2hgb6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568470/original/file-20240109-29-2hgb6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568470/original/file-20240109-29-2hgb6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568470/original/file-20240109-29-2hgb6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=800&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568470/original/file-20240109-29-2hgb6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568470/original/file-20240109-29-2hgb6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568470/original/file-20240109-29-2hgb6j.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=1005&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Authors Nadav Ahituv, left, and Wei Gordon.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Wei Gordon</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>In our <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44186-y">newly published research</a> in Nature Communications, we and colleagues <a href="https://netbiolab.org/w/People:SB_Baek">Seungbyn Baek</a> and <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=H4jO_DQAAAAJ&hl=en">Martin Hemberg</a> used a technology that analyzes the DNA of individual cells to compare the unique metabolic instructions encoded in the genome of the Jamaican fruit bat, <em>Artibeus jamaicensis</em>, with those in the genome of the insect-eating big brown bat, <em>Eptesicus fuscus</em>. </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nature11247">Approximately 2% of DNA</a> is composed of genes, which are segments of DNA that contain the instructions cells use to create certain traits, such as a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.acthis.2020.151503">longer tongue in fruit bats</a>. The other 98% are segments of DNA that regulate genes and determine the presence and absence of the traits they encode.</p>
<p>To understand how fruit bats evolved to consume so much sugar, we wanted to identify the genetic and cellular differences between bats that eat fruit and bats that eat insects. Specifically, we looked at the genes, regulatory DNA and cell types in two significant organs involved in metabolic disease: the pancreas and the kidney. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568363/original/file-20240109-25-d0snov.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Four male *Artibeus jamaicensis* and four male *Eptesicus fuscus* bats were put in a fast then fed fruit or worms, respectively, or no meal before analyzing the cells and genes of their kidney and pancreas." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568363/original/file-20240109-25-d0snov.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/568363/original/file-20240109-25-d0snov.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=244&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568363/original/file-20240109-25-d0snov.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=244&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568363/original/file-20240109-25-d0snov.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=244&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568363/original/file-20240109-25-d0snov.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568363/original/file-20240109-25-d0snov.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/568363/original/file-20240109-25-d0snov.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=306&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">This flowchart outlines the authors’ study methodology.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44186-y">Wei Gordon, created with BioRender.com/Nature Communications</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/4.0/">CC BY-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41580-020-00317-7">The pancreas</a> regulates blood sugar and appetite by secreting hormones like insulin, which lowers your blood sugar, and glucagon, which raises your blood sugar. We found Jamaican fruit bats have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44186-y">more insulin-producing and glucagon-producing cells</a> than big brown bats, along with regulatory DNA that primes fruit bat pancreatic cells to initiate production of insulin and glucagon. Together these two hormones work to keep blood sugar levels balanced even when the fruit bats are eating large amounts of sugar.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1093%2Fndt%2Fgfx027">The kidney</a> filters metabolic waste from the blood, maintains water and salt balance and regulates blood pressure. Fruit bat kidneys need to be equipped to remove from their bloodstreams the large amounts of water that come from fruit while retaining the low amounts of salt in fruit. We found Jamaican fruit bats have adjusted the compositions of their kidney cells in accordance with their diet, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-023-44186-y">reducing the number of urine-concentrating cells</a> so their urine is more diluted with water compared with big brown bats.</p>
<h2>Why it matters</h2>
<p>Diabetes is one of the most expensive chronic conditions in the world. The <a href="https://doi.org/10.2337/dci23-0085">U.S. spent US$412.9 billion</a> in 2022 on direct medical costs and indirect costs related to diabetes.</p>
<p>Most approaches to developing new treatments for diabetes are based on traditional laboratory animals such as mice because they are easy to reproduce and study in a lab. But outside the lab, there exist mammals like fruit bats that have actually evolved to withstand high sugar loads. Figuring out how these mammals deal with high sugar loads can help researchers identify new approaches to treat diabetes.</p>
<p>By applying new cell characterization technologies on these <a href="https://theconversation.com/e-coli-is-one-of-the-most-widely-studied-organisms-and-that-may-be-a-problem-for-both-science-and-medicine-206045">nonmodel organisms</a>, or organisms researchers don’t usually use for research in the lab, we and a growing body of researchers show that nature could be leveraged to develop novel treatment approaches for disease. </p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">The authors disentangle a fruit bat from a net during the Belize Bat-a-thon.</span></figcaption>
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<h2>What still isn’t known</h2>
<p>While our study revealed many potential therapeutic targets for diabetes, more research needs to be done to demonstrate whether our fruit bat DNA sequences can help understand, manage or cure diabetes in humans.</p>
<p>Some of our fruit bat findings may be unrelated to metabolism or are specific only to Jamaican fruit bats. There are <a href="https://www.britannica.com/animal/Old-World-fruit-bat">close to 200 species</a> of fruit bats. Studying more bats will help researchers clarify which fruit bat DNA sequences are relevant for diabetes treatment. </p>
<p>Our study also focused only on bat pancreases and kidneys. Analyzing other organs involved in metabolism, such as the liver and small intestine, will help researchers more comprehensively understand fruit bat metabolism and design appropriate treatments.</p>
<h2>What’s next</h2>
<p>Our team is now testing the regulatory DNA sequences that allow fruit bats to eat so much sugar and checking whether we can use them to better regulate how people respond to glucose.</p>
<p>We are doing this by <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cv59sjupd1Y&t=77s">swapping the regulatory DNA sequences</a> in mice with those of fruit bats and testing their effects on how well these mice manage their glucose levels.</p>
<p><em>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/research-brief-83231">Research Brief</a> is a short take about interesting academic work.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/220756/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Wei Gordon receives funding from NSF. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nadav Ahituv is a cofounder and on the scientific advisory board of Regel Therapeutics and also received funding from BioMarin Pharmaceutical Incorporate.
Funding for this research was supported by the National Human Genome Research Institute grant R01HG012396.
</span></em></p>Fruit bats can eat up to twice their body weight in fruit a day. But their genes and cells evolved to process all that sugar without any health consequences − a feat drug developers can learn from.Wei Gordon, Assistant Professor of Biology, Menlo CollegeNadav Ahituv, Professor, Department of Bioengineering and Therapeutic Sciences; Director, Institute for Human Genetics, University of California, San FranciscoLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2118152023-09-24T12:10:15Z2023-09-24T12:10:15ZUltra-processed foods are not only bad for our bodies, their production damages our environments<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/549668/original/file-20230921-22-v8eauy.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4031%2C3024&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Our grocery stores are increasingly filled with ultra-processed foods, which have little to no nutritional value and a huge environmental impact.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Nathalia Rosa)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/ultra-processed-foods-are-not-only-bad-for-our-bodies-their-production-damages-our-environments" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Ultra-processed foods (UPF) have become <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41416-022-01749-y">increasingly popular</a> and range from <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/science/2023/aug/27/ultra-processed-foods-what-are-they-risks-to-health">chips to microwave meals and even bread</a>. Even just a casual glance at supermarket shelves reveals a plethora of UPF offerings in all their elaborate and enticing packaging. </p>
<p>Besides their affordability, UPF not only offer time-saving convenience but also momentary satisfaction drenched in saturated fat, sugar, salt and additives. After all, who can resist enjoying a tasty snack when indulging in a football game or an electrifying new TV series?</p>
<p>Although much is discussed about the direct negative impact of these products on our health, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14010023">obesity</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmab049">cardiovascular diseases</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.2337/dc22-1993">diabetes</a>, little has been said about the impacts of UPF on the environment.</p>
<h2>What are ultra-processed foods?</h2>
<p>UPF can be defined as “formulations of ingredients, mostly of exclusive industrial use, that result from a series of industrial processes” and <a href="https://www.fao.org/3/ca5644en/ca5644en.pdf">contain little or no whole foods</a>.</p>
<p>They are made using <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S1368980018003762">industrial processing methods</a> that may include moulding, chemical modification and hydrogenation (which can turn liquid unsaturated fat into a more solid form). </p>
<p>The consumption of ultra-processed foods is not new. In Europe, processed products on an industrial scale have been widely consumed <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Ffoods9081056">since the late 18th and 19th centuries</a>. A <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/apnm-2019-0518">2020 Canadian study</a> shows that the percentage of total purchased calories attributed to UPF in Canada increased from 24 per cent in 1938 to 55 per cent in 2001 and, in 2013, Canadians purchased an astonishing average of 230 kg of UPF per person. </p>
<p>Even more alarmingly, 99 per cent of Canadian adults consume UPF at least once a week. In comparison, <a href="https://www.c3health.org/blog/is-ultra-processed-food-why-are-we-eating-so-much/">57 per cent of people in the United Kingdom</a> consume some kind of UPF on a weekly basis.</p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.25318/82-003-x202001100001-eng">The consumption of UPF in Canada</a> is largely associated with men, youth, those struggling with low income and those with obesity. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-rise-of-ultra-processed-foods-and-why-theyre-really-bad-for-our-health-140537">The rise of ultra-processed foods and why they're really bad for our health</a>
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<p>Unfortunately, UPF tend to be more affordable than fresh, whole foods. They have a longer shelf life, require no preparation and can be enticing due to high sugar content that trigger <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.brainres.2010.04.003">feel-good dopamine responses</a>.</p>
<p>However, consuming UPF comes at a high cost not just to our health but to our environment as well.</p>
<h2>Cutting costs, raising emissions</h2>
<p>UPFs rely on energy-intensive manufacturing processes and long supply chains, leading to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.scitotenv.2023.164417">substantial greenhouse gas emissions</a>.</p>
<p>The most substantial environmental impacts of UPF-rich diets predominantly stem from the post-farm stages, specifically <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01013-4">the final product creation and packaging processes</a>. </p>
<p>One specific additive <a href="https://www.rainforest-rescue.org/topics/palm-oil">that has the most environmental impact is palm oil</a>. Palm oil is responsible for <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41477-020-00813-w">deforestation</a> of some of the world’s most biodiverse forests. It is the <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-palm-oil-became-the-worlds-most-hated-most-used-fat-source-161165">world’s most consumed vegetable oil that can be found in half of our food</a>. </p>
<p>Another villain is high-fructose corn syrup, which not only <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2002/07/19/opinion/when-a-crop-becomes-king.html">leaves a long carbon footprint</a> but is also linked to obesity, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/17441692.2012.736257">high blood pressure and Type 2 diabetes</a>. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/two-surprising-reasons-behind-the-obesity-epidemic-too-much-salt-not-enough-water-184128">Two surprising reasons behind the obesity epidemic: Too much salt, not enough water</a>
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<p>The massive waste generated by over-packaged UPF is another factor to consider. Their plastic packaging doesn’t degrade in landfills or in nature, and has a dramatic impact on soil health and marine life. </p>
<p>One recent study published in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41893-022-01013-4"><em>Nature Sustainability</em></a> demonstrates that UPF processing and packaging stages have the greatest environmental impacts of the whole system, and are a major source of environmental waste worldwide.</p>
<h2>The path to sustainability</h2>
<p>There is no simple answer to the problem, but there are alternatives that can help reduce the pressure on the natural resources available on the planet. Embracing <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/agriculture-emissions-reduction-strategy-1.5993201">sustainable agricultural practices that prioritize regenerative farming</a>, waste reduction and local sourcing of ingredients can effectively lower the carbon impact of UPF. </p>
<p>In addition, companies should adopt water-efficient technologies and support initiatives that restore natural habitats, as these are essential steps towards water conservation and biodiversity preservation. Public and health agencies need to put pressure on governments to adopt new policies and implement measures that will protect public health and the environment.</p>
<p>Advancements in agricultural technology could play a pivotal role in mitigating the environmental impact of food additives. Precision farming techniques, data-driven decision-making, and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jclepro.2020.122574">AI-driven supply chain optimizations can enhance resource efficiency and reduce waste</a>.</p>
<p>Small and medium-sized agri-food enterprises and small family farms often prioritize sustainable and locally-sourced ingredients, contributing to a more sustainable food system and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/agriculture8020022">enhancing biodiversity</a>. Supporting local businesses not only encourages a healthier food ecosystem but also bolsters community resilience and regional economic development.</p>
<p>Indigenous communities as well possess a profound knowledge of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-023-00021-4">sustainable agroforestry practices</a>, and collaborating with these communities can provide essential teachings into more sustainable food production and responsible land and water management.</p>
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<p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/australias-agriculture-sector-sorely-needs-more-insights-from-first-nations-people-heres-how-we-get-there-173154">Australia's agriculture sector sorely needs more insights from First Nations people. Here's how we get there</a>
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<p>The <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(20)30177-7">environmental impact of ultra-processed foods</a> cannot be ignored any longer. As we become more and more conscious about what we buy and how it is produced, we hold the responsibility to advocate for change. </p>
<p>High rates of UPF consumption indicates an essential failure of our food system to provide universal access to affordable, wholesome food. Whether such a goal is even possible may be up for debate, but what cannot be denied is that our current industry-driven proliferation of UPF is inflicting harm on both our planet and our health.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/211815/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Laila Benkrima does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Ultra-processed foods are bad for our health and our planet and must be central to any efforts to reduce our carbon emissions, and waistlines.Laila Benkrima, Agronomy Consultant, B.C. Centre for Agritech Innovation, Simon Fraser UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2105652023-08-24T20:20:43Z2023-08-24T20:20:43ZWhy do I crave sugar and carbs when I’m sick?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544126/original/file-20230823-24-jor56l.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C179%2C5991%2C3808&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/imAfCYq7KH0">Adrian Swancar/Unsplash</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Your nose is running, your head hurts and you feel like you’re coming down with a cold. You’re settling in on the couch for a sick day. Then you reach for the snacks. </p>
<p>When you’re sick, your appetite often decreases. So why, at other times, do you crave sugary treats and carbohydrate-loaded comfort foods?</p>
<p>A food <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28375878/">craving</a> goes beyond a mere desire to eat, it encompasses a <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7399671/#CR1">complex mix</a> of emotional, behavioural, cognitive and physiological processes. Whether it’s the need for a quick energy source or a temporary relief from discomfort, our bodies and minds work in tandem to drive our food preferences.</p>
<p>Here we’ll explore the science behind why our bodies crave sugar and carbs – especially when we’re sick.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/3-reasons-you-feel-hungrier-and-crave-comfort-foods-when-the-weather-turns-cold-202831">3 reasons you feel hungrier and crave comfort foods when the weather turns cold</a>
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<h2>Fuelling the immune system</h2>
<p>When sickness strikes, our immune system springs into action, requiring additional energy to combat invaders. </p>
<p>This heightened activity often leads to an increase in our <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36505552/">metabolic rate</a>, energy demands and nutritional requirements. </p>
<p>Sugary treats and carbs are quick sources of energy, satisfying this increased demand. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Person eats a biscuit" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544124/original/file-20230823-5286-u508sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544124/original/file-20230823-5286-u508sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544124/original/file-20230823-5286-u508sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544124/original/file-20230823-5286-u508sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544124/original/file-20230823-5286-u508sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544124/original/file-20230823-5286-u508sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544124/original/file-20230823-5286-u508sw.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sugary treats are a quick source of energy.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.pexels.com/photo/person-holding-biscuit-with-both-hands-1204222/">Cats coming/Pexels</a></span>
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<p>But while a high sugar diet during times of illness may help meet increased metabolic demands, it could also exacerbate the immune and inflammatory response, potentially impeding recovery. </p>
<p>In the longer term, high-sugar diets promote chronic <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33339337/">inflammation</a>, <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/scitranslmed.aay6218?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed">alter gut microbiota</a> composition, and are associated with chronic disease. For a <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/4/1181">well-functioning immune system</a>, aim for a <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/healthy-diet">balanced intake</a> of <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31267783/">fruits, vegetables</a>, fibre, protein, and low-glycaemic carbohydrates.</p>
<h2>The stress response</h2>
<p>Being sick is stressful for the body. Acute mild or intense stress, like we’d see if we’re sick, boosts the “<a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5921333/">flight or fight</a>” hormones adrenaline and cortisol. This mobilises stored energy to meet increased demands, but it can also curb appetite. </p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31125634/">Prolonged stress</a> can disrupt energy balance, and cause nutritional deficiencies and alterations in gut and brain functions. This can reduce a person’s threshold for craving sugar and salt, increasing their preferences towards energy-dense foods.</p>
<p>The stress hormone cortisol can also increase your <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24123563/">preference</a> for high-calorie, comfort foods, which can <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/36615866/">temporarily alleviate stress</a>. </p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-happens-in-our-body-when-we-encounter-and-fight-off-a-virus-like-the-flu-sars-cov-2-or-rsv-207023">What happens in our body when we encounter and fight off a virus like the flu, SARS-CoV-2 or RSV?</a>
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<h2>The brain’s reward system</h2>
<p>Comfort foods trigger your brain’s reward system, releasing feel-good neurotransmitters like <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30595479/">dopamine</a> and serotonin. </p>
<p>But “<a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30951762/">sugar rushes</a>” are often short-lived and can lead to decreased alertness and heightened fatigue within an hour of consumption. </p>
<p>The link between carbohydrates (which the body converts to sugar) and serotonin can be traced back to 1971 when <a href="https://www.science.org/doi/10.1126/science.174.4013.1023?url_ver=Z39.88-2003&rfr_id=ori:rid:crossref.org&rfr_dat=cr_pub%20%200pubmed">researchers</a> found elevated tryptophan levels (serotonin’s precursor) in rats’ plasma and brains after a carbohydrate-rich diet. </p>
<p>Subsequent studies in humans established connections between carbohydrates and mood, especially in relation to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2903717/">obesity, depression and seasonal affective disorder</a>. Therapies enhancing serotonin have since been shown to <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/2903717/">reduce carbohydrate intake</a>.</p>
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<img alt="McDonald's French fries" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544140/original/file-20230823-27-lqld1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/544140/original/file-20230823-27-lqld1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544140/original/file-20230823-27-lqld1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544140/original/file-20230823-27-lqld1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544140/original/file-20230823-27-lqld1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544140/original/file-20230823-27-lqld1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/544140/original/file-20230823-27-lqld1n.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">There’s more to our cravings than just a desire to eat.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/MyuR5q3KDmw">Unsplash/Brett Jordan</a></span>
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<p>Remarkably, around <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8911970/pdf/molecules-27-01680.pdf">90% of serotonin</a> production occurs in the gut. The vast microbial population in our gut exerts a potent influence on <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8106557/">immunity, metabolism</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8293578/pdf/40168_2021_Article_1093.pdf">appetite</a>. </p>
<p>Recent mouse studies have even identified specific microbes linked to <a href="https://www.cell.com/current-biology/fulltext/S0960-9822(22)01750-X">sugar binges after antibiotic treatment</a>.</p>
<h2>Some people eat less when they’re sick</h2>
<p>Not everyone craves sugar and carbs when they are sick. Some people eat less for a few reasons:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>they have less of an appetite. While <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5610818/pdf/JDR2017-4527980.pdf">ghrelin</a> (the “hunger” hormone) levels might initially rise, prolonged illness can suppress appetite due to nausea, fatigue and discomfort. <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5921333/">Critically ill</a> patients have reduced food intake and are at risk of malnutrition</p></li>
<li><p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30777142/">metabolic adaptation</a>. The body might slow specific metabolic processes to conserve energy, reducing overall calorie requirements</p></li>
<li><p>altered taste perception. <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32195512/#:%7E:text=The%20ability%20of%20an%20individual%20to%20perceive%20tastes,intake%2C%20playing%20an%20important%20role%20in%20promoting%20satiation%2Fsatiety.">Taste</a> is an important component that affects both appetite and energy intake. Alterations in taste and smell is a common symptom when we are sick and was common with <a href="https://doi.org/10.1101/2020.04.05.20048421">COVID</a></p></li>
<li><p>consuming fluids like water, tea or broths might be more appealing and manageable than solid foods. These fluids provide hydration but contribute minimally to calorie intake.</p></li>
</ul>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-to-eat-when-you-have-covid-and-why-reaching-for-the-chicken-soup-is-not-a-bad-idea-202338">What to eat when you have COVID – and why reaching for the chicken soup is not a bad idea</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/210565/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hayley O'Neill is a wellness coach for Hayley M O'Neill Enterprises.</span></em></p>A quick energy source or a temporary relief from discomfort? Here’s what drives our food preferences when we’re sick.Hayley O'Neill, Assistant Professor, Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine, Bond UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2099572023-07-21T12:26:43Z2023-07-21T12:26:43ZWHO expert cancer group states that the sweetener aspartame is a possible carcinogen, but evidence is limited – 6 questions answered<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/538137/original/file-20230718-27-wh515o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3866%2C2590&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Research on possible links between aspartame consumption and cancer is ongoing and far from conclusive.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/coffee-royalty-free-image/95061040?phrase=artificial%2Bsweetener">celsopupo/iStock via Getty Images Plus</a></span></figcaption></figure><p><em>The World Health Organization declared on July 14, 2023, that the widely used synthetic sweetener <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/14-07-2023-aspartame-hazard-and-risk-assessment-results-released">aspartame could be a “possible” carcinogen</a>, or cancer-causing agent, on the basis of “limited evidence for cancer in humans.”</em> </p>
<p><em>But the agency also concluded that the currently available data does not warrant a change of the acceptable daily intake of aspartame at this time.</em></p>
<p><em>The Conversation asked chronic disease epidemiologist <a href="http://gsm.utmck.edu/internalmed/faculty/terry.cfm">Paul D. Terry</a>, public health scholar <a href="https://publichealth.utk.edu/people/jchen/">Jiangang Chen</a> and nutrition expert <a href="https://nutrition.utk.edu/people/ling-zhao/">Ling Zhao</a>, all from the University of Tennessee, to put these seemingly contradictory findings into perspective based on the available scientific evidence.</em></p>
<h2>1. Why is aspartame being classified as ‘possibly’ cancer-causing?</h2>
<p>Aspartame is an artificial sweetener that is added to many foods, candies, gums and beverages, such as diet soda. Because it is approximately <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/aspartame-and-other-sweeteners-food">200 times sweeter than table sugar</a>, smaller amounts of aspartame are added to foods, and they contribute considerably fewer calories. NutraSweet and Equal are well-known brand names for aspartame sold in packages for individual use. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.iarc.who.int/cards_page/about-iarc/">International Agency for Research on Cancer</a>, an entity within the WHO, evaluated findings from both human and animal studies of aspartame and cancer. The group noted some positive associations between <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/14-07-2023-aspartame-hazard-and-risk-assessment-results-released">aspartame consumption and hepatocellular carcinoma</a>, a form of liver cancer. </p>
<p>This WHO group classifies degrees of evidence that an agent has cancer-causing potential as being “sufficient,” “limited,” “inadequate” or “suggesting lack of carcinogenicity.” “Limited” evidence, as it pertains to the WHO’s new announcement on aspartame, means that although there is some evidence for an association, that evidence cannot be considered “sufficient” to infer a causal relationship.</p>
<p>Ultimately, the group concluded that several limiting factors could possibly explain the positive associations in those studies. These include the small number of human studies available, the complexity of studying people’s dietary behaviors and possible bias from factors such as higher-risk people – for example, those with diabetes – selecting diet products more often and ingesting higher quantities of aspartame than the average consumer. Therefore, the classification of “limited evidence” implies the need for additional studies.</p>
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<figcaption><span class="caption">Aspartame is found in many products: diet soda, ice cream, cereals, toothpaste and even some medications.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>2. What are the current guidelines for aspartame consumption?</h2>
<p>The Food and Agriculture Organization’s <a href="https://www.fao.org/food-safety/scientific-advice/jecfa/en/#">Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives</a>, an international committee of science experts that is operated by both the WHO and the United Nations, currently <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/14-07-2023-aspartame-hazard-and-risk-assessment-results-released#">recommends a daily maximum</a> of 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight for aspartame.</p>
<p>This amount of aspartame per day translates to approximately eight to 12 cans of soda, or approximately 60 packets of aspartame, for a person weighing 132 pounds (60 kilograms). For a child weighing 33 pounds (15 kg), it translates to between two to three cans of aspartame-sweetened soda per day, or approximately 15 packets of aspartame. Some individuals may consume more aspartame than this, but such high intake is not typical. </p>
<h2>3. Does the WHO’s new stance change that recommendation?</h2>
<p>Independently of the expert panel on cancer, the food safety group also evaluated the available evidence and concluded that there was no “convincing evidence” from either animal or human studies that aspartame consumption causes adverse effects within the currently established daily limits. </p>
<p>Based on assessments of the findings of both groups, the director of the Department of Nutrition and Food Safety of the WHO stated that, “while safety is not a major concern” at the doses in which aspartame are commonly used, “potential effects have been described that need to be investigated by more and better studies.” The American Cancer Society has also stated that it <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/chemicals/aspartame.html">supports further research into possible health concerns</a> related to aspartame.</p>
<p>It is important to note that people with the rare inherited disorder called <a href="https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/17816-phenylketonuria">phenylketonuria</a>, or PKU, should <a href="https://www.fda.gov/food/food-additives-petitions/aspartame-and-other-sweeteners-food">avoid or restrict aspartame intake</a>. </p>
<h2>4. How can two consensus groups reach different conclusions?</h2>
<p>It is not uncommon for scientific consensus groups to differ in how they classify risk based on the results of published studies, even if more than one of those consensus groups is affiliated with the same agency or parent organization. </p>
<p>Whereas the WHO’s expert cancer group’s stance may appear to be more worrisome than that of the committee on food safety, in fact, the latter’s “no convincing evidence” is consistent with the cancer group’s “limited evidence” classification. Because, unlike the cancer group, the food safety committee considers risk of aspartame at specific consumption levels, the WHO as a whole continues to support the food safety committee’s existing recommendations for allowable daily aspartame intake of up to 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight. </p>
<p>Of note, the committee’s recommended maximum daily intake is still more conservative than the current U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s <a href="https://www.cancer.org/cancer/risk-prevention/chemicals/aspartame.html">recommended maximum daily allowance</a> of 50 milligrams of aspartame per kilogram of body weight.</p>
<h2>5. How does aspartame compare to other sweeteners?</h2>
<p>Alternatives to aspartame include other <a href="https://theconversation.com/whats-the-difference-between-sugar-other-natural-sweeteners-and-artificial-sweeteners-a-food-chemist-explains-sweet-science-172571">artificial sweeteners</a> such as saccharin and sucralose, sugar alcohols like sorbitol and xylitol, naturally derived sugar-free sweeteners like Stevia and simple sugars, such as those in sugar cane, sugar beets and honey. </p>
<p>But, like aspartame, many of these sweeteners have been implicated in developing cancer. This list includes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1371/journal.pmed.1003950">acesulfame potassium, or Ace-K</a> – a synthetic calorie-free sugar substitute – as well as <a href="https://www.upstate.edu/news/articles/2023/2023-03-25-perl.php">sugar alcohols</a> and even <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390%2Fcancers14246042">simple sugar</a>. </p>
<p>The availability of a wide variety of approved sweeteners seems like a good thing, but studying the many possible risks associated with sweeteners is challenging, since <a href="https://www.science.org/content/blog-post/sugar-substitutes-surprise">people have complex diets and lifestyles</a>. </p>
<h2>6. So what should consumers do?</h2>
<p>For now, as is the case with aspartame, these sweeteners remain approved for human use because there isn’t sufficient evidence to support an association with cancer. And, <a href="https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/artificial-sweeteners/art-20046936">as noted by the Mayo Clinic</a>, artificial sweeteners may play a beneficial role for some people who are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eprac.2021.06.013">seeking to manage their weight</a> or control their sugar intake. Studies show that sugar <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bjsports-2017-097971">may be addictive for some individuals</a>.</p>
<p>When making a decision about consumption of sweeteners, consumers should consider factors like taste preference, body weight and composition, diabetes status and risk, possible allergic responses and the evidence that may result from ongoing and future studies. In certain cases, such as with individuals who have or are at future risk of diabetes, people should talk with their physician or other health care provider to determine the best choice. </p>
<p>One thing is clear: Scientific studies on aspartame consumption will continue, and it will be important for both consumers and the research community to continue weighing potential risks.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/209957/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>An expert panel found a potential association with liver cancer, but too little research exists to assume a causal connection. For now, the WHO left current consumption guidelines unchanged.Paul D. Terry, Professor of Epidemiology, University of TennesseeJiangang Chen, Associate Professor of Public Health, University of TennesseeLing Zhao, Professor of Nutrition, University of TennesseeLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2088952023-07-04T15:11:40Z2023-07-04T15:11:40ZAspartame: popular sweetener could be classified as a possible carcinogen by WHO – but there’s no cause for panic<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535489/original/file-20230704-16-qfev1h.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=8%2C0%2C5646%2C3764&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/double-cool-ice-soft-drink-cola-647315608">MMD Creative/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>According to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/whos-cancer-research-agency-say-aspartame-sweetener-possible-carcinogen-sources-2023-06-29/">reports</a>, the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), part of the World Health Organization (WHO), is set to declare the artificial sweetener aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans”. </p>
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<p><em>You can listen to more articles from The Conversation, narrated by Noa, <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/audio-narrated-99682">here</a>.</em></p>
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<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26377607/">Aspartame</a> is about <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/0308814685901190">200 times sweeter</a> than sugar and is one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners. It’s used particularly in “low calorie” or “diet” foods and beverages, but is contained in a wide variety of products including drinks, ice creams, chewing gums, confectionery, sauces and snacks.</p>
<p>We don’t have further information yet on what evidence the IARC will base this new classification on, but the WHO will publish the full data <a href="https://monographs.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Meeting134-QA-June2023.pdf">on July 14</a>. </p>
<p>While reports like these can understandably be worrying, there’s no reason to panic at this stage.</p>
<p>Aspartame was first approved for use by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) <a href="https://efsa.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/epdf/10.2903/j.efsa.2013.3496">in 1974</a>, and ever since then there have been claims made about its potential effects on health. </p>
<p>Over time, aspartame has not only been linked to cancer, but also to <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosone/article?id=10.1371/journal.pone.0116212">other conditions</a> such as multiple sclerosis, blindness, seizures, memory loss, depression, anxiety, birth defects and death. </p>
<p>However, frequent evaluations by regulatory agencies such as the <a href="https://apps.who.int/food-additives-contaminants-jecfa-database/Home/Chemical/62">WHO</a>, the FDA and the <a href="https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/3496">European Food Safety Authority</a> (EFSA) have found no evidence to support these assertions.</p>
<p>So far, the regulators have all agreed that it’s safe for a person to consume <a href="https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/3496">40mg of aspartame</a> per kilogram of their body weight per day. That’s about 2.8g for a 70kg adult – and is much more than most people consume. </p>
<h2>What does ‘possibly carcinogenic’ actually mean?</h2>
<p>The safety of food additives is <a href="https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/topics/topic/food-additive-re-evaluations">regularly reevaluated</a>. This is important as new evidence can emerge, especially with the development of different methods to assess the health effects of additives.</p>
<p>This year, aspartame has been reevaluated by two WHO agencies: the International Agency for Research on Cancer (<a href="https://www.iarc.who.int/">IARC</a>) and the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (<a href="https://www.who.int/groups/joint-fao-who-expert-committee-on-food-additives-(jecfa)">JECFA</a>). </p>
<p>The two agencies have <a href="https://monographs.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/Meeting134-QA-June2023.pdf">very different remits</a>. The IARC looks at hazard and JECFA at risk. This distinction is important. For example, sunshine is a hazard as it can cause skin cancer, but the risk depends on the time spent in the sun and whether one uses sunscreen.</p>
<p>The IARC’s job is to investigate possible causes of cancer and identify hazards. In its <a href="https://monographs.iarc.who.int/">reports</a> (called monographs), it reviews all available evidence and classifies hazards into one of <a href="https://www.iarc.who.int/wp-content/uploads/2023/06/IARC_MONO_classification_2023_updated.png">four categories</a>: </p>
<ul>
<li>Group 1: carcinogenic to humans (sufficient evidence for cancer in humans)</li>
<li>Group 2a: probably carcinogenic to humans (limited evidence in humans, sufficient evidence in animals)</li>
<li>Group 2b: possibly carcinogenic to humans (limited evidence in humans, insufficient evidence in animals) </li>
<li>Group 3: not classifiable (inadequate evidence in humans or animals).</li>
</ul>
<p>Aspartame will reportedly be classified into group 2b. It shares this category with aloe vera leaves, electromagnetic radiation, the heart drug <a href="https://bnf.nice.org.uk/drugs/digoxin/">digoxin</a> and engine exhaust fumes, among <a href="https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20230630-aspartame-what-else-is-possibly-cancerous">many other things</a>. For all of these hazards, there is some limited data that suggests they might cause cancer – but nothing convincing. </p>
<p>These categories can be confusing, because they refer only to the strength of the evidence that something can cause cancer, not the degree of risk. Group 1 for example includes smoking, alcohol, <a href="https://theconversation.com/not-all-processed-meats-carry-the-same-cancer-risk-64622">processed meat</a>, plutonium and sunlight. There’s convincing evidence each one can cause cancer. </p>
<p>But the actual risks are very different and depend on amount and exposure. For instance, plutonium and smoking are best avoided, but there’s no reason to avoid processed meat or alcohol completely.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A hand holds a cigarette." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535511/original/file-20230704-29-7padyv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/535511/original/file-20230704-29-7padyv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535511/original/file-20230704-29-7padyv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535511/original/file-20230704-29-7padyv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535511/original/file-20230704-29-7padyv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535511/original/file-20230704-29-7padyv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/535511/original/file-20230704-29-7padyv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Smoking is known to cause cancer.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/harmful-habit-hand-holding-cigarette-smoke-1885761310">Oakland Images/Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>While the IARC assesses the hazard, it’s JECFA’s job to assess the risk and make a recommendation about the <a href="https://apps.who.int/iris/bitstream/handle/10665/37578/9241542705-eng.pdf">acceptable daily intake</a>. </p>
<p>Their assessment will also be published on July 14, but there hasn’t been an indication in the media reports what it will say. It’s possible the acceptable daily intake will remain at 40mg per kilogram of body weight, or it may be reduced. Without having access to the data, is impossible to predict. </p>
<h2>The evidence so far</h2>
<p>The last review of aspartame’s safety was <a href="https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/press/news/131210">conducted by EFSA</a> in 2013. This review didn’t find any new evidence that aspartame causes cancer and confirmed previous reviews by other regulators.</p>
<p>One compound that was of particular interest was <a href="https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/3496">methanol</a>, which is formed in the gut when aspartame is broken down and converted into formaldehyde by the human body. Formaldehyde is a known carcinogen (group 1). However, the amount that can form after the consumption of aspartame is much lower than what the body produces naturally.</p>
<p>In the interim there has been some data from a French study, which asked participants to provide information about their diet and followed them up for several years afterwards. This research suggested high consumption of aspartame <a href="https://journals.plos.org/plosmedicine/article?id=10.1371/journal.pmed.1003950">increases cancer risk</a>.</p>
<p>However, the results are difficult to interpret as obesity is <a href="https://www.wcrf.org/diet-activity-and-cancer/risk-factors/obesity-weight-gain-and-cancer">an independent risk factor</a> for cancer and people who are obese often use sweeteners. It’s also difficult to estimate aspartame intake accurately <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-whole-new-way-of-doing-nutrition-research-148352">from diet data alone</a>.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/artificial-sweeteners-linked-to-diabetes-and-obesity-95314">Artificial sweeteners linked to diabetes and obesity</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<p>It’s likely that the upcoming assessments will include this data and therefore provide a better estimate of aspartame’s risk. Until then, there is no reason for concern. Aspartame has been scrutinised for a long time and the classification of “possibly carcinogenic” suggests it’s unlikely there will be any major change in assessment or implications for consumers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/208895/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Gunter Kuhnle has received research funding from Mars, Inc.</span></em></p>Reports have indicated the artificial sweetener aspartame will be classified as ‘possibly carcinogenic to humans’ by the WHO. Here’s what that means – and doesn’t mean.Gunter Kuhnle, Professor of Nutrition and Food Science, University of ReadingLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2054562023-06-16T12:37:40Z2023-06-16T12:37:40ZCan we train our taste buds for health? A neuroscientist explains how genes and diet shape taste<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531177/original/file-20230609-22954-t3e9qh.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=90%2C10%2C6619%2C4456&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Researchers are increasingly learning that early diet can shape taste preferences but that our taste buds can also be trained to prefer healthier foods.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/young-female-nerd-holds-ice-cream-and-broccoli-royalty-free-image/679524590?phrase=vegetables+versus+sweets&adppopup=true">RichVintage/E+ via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Have you ever wondered why only hummingbirds sip nectar from feeders?</p>
<p>Unlike sparrows, finches and most other birds, hummingbirds <a href="https://www.insidescience.org/video/why-hummingbirds-have-sweet-tooth">can taste sweetness</a> because they <a href="https://doi.org/10.1126/scisignal.2005818">carry the genetic instructions</a> necessary to detect sugar molecules.</p>
<p>Like hummingbirds, we humans can sense sugar because our DNA contains gene sequences coding for the <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-taste-for-sweet-an-anthropologist-explains-the-evolutionary-origins-of-why-youre-programmed-to-love-sugar-173197">molecular detectors</a> that allow us to detect sweetness. </p>
<p>But it is more complex than that. Our ability to sense sweetness, as well as other tastes, involves a delicate dance between our genetic makeup and the foods we encounter from the womb to the dinner table.</p>
<p>Neuroscientists <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=2LAmkegAAAAJ&hl=en">like me</a> are working to decipher how this <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs11154-016-9360-5">intricate interplay between genes</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tem.2020.11.011">and diet</a> shapes taste.</p>
<p>In <a href="https://sites.lsa.umich.edu/dus-lab/">my laboratory</a> at the University of Michigan, we are diving deeply into one specific aspect, which is how <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.063">consuming too much sugar dulls the sense of sweetness</a>. Taste is so central to our eating habits that understanding how genes and the environment shape it has crucial implications <a href="http://health.euroafrica.org/books/dietnutritionwho.pdf">for nutrition</a>, <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240039919">food science</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqaa302">disease prevention</a>.</p>
<h2>The role of genes in sensing taste</h2>
<p>As with hummingbirds, the <a href="https://www.webmd.com/diet/features/science-how-we-taste">human ability to discern what food tastes like</a> depends on the presence of taste receptors. These molecular detectors are found on the sensory cells, which are housed inside the taste buds, the sensory organs on the surface of the tongue. </p>
<p>The <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-taste-for-sweet-an-anthropologist-explains-the-evolutionary-origins-of-why-youre-programmed-to-love-sugar-173197">interactions between taste receptors and food molecules</a> give rise to the five basic taste qualities: sweetness, savoriness, bitterness, saltiness and sourness, which are transmitted from the mouth to the brain via specific nerves.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532282/original/file-20230615-17-tk80ew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A diagram of a taste bud, with arrows pointing to the taste pore, a taste receptor cell and taste cells." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532282/original/file-20230615-17-tk80ew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/532282/original/file-20230615-17-tk80ew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532282/original/file-20230615-17-tk80ew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532282/original/file-20230615-17-tk80ew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=476&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532282/original/file-20230615-17-tk80ew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=599&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532282/original/file-20230615-17-tk80ew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=599&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/532282/original/file-20230615-17-tk80ew.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=599&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A diagram of a taste bud, indicating different types of cells and the sensory nerve.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Julia Kuhl and Monica Dus</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>For instance, when sugar binds to the sweet receptor, it signals sweetness. Our innate preference for the taste of some foods over others is rooted in how the tongue and the brain <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/486S16a">became wired during our evolutionary history</a>. Taste qualities signaling the presence of essential nutrients and energy, like salt and sugar, send information to brain areas linked to pleasure. Conversely, tastes that alert us to potentially harmful substances, such as the bitterness of certain toxins, are connected to those that make us <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2013.04.010">feel discomfort or pain</a>.</p>
<p>While the presence of genes encoding for functional taste receptors in our DNA allows us to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/486S16a">detect food molecules</a>, how we respond to these also depends on the unique combination of taste genes we carry. Like ice cream, genes, including those for taste receptors, come in different flavors. </p>
<p>Take, for instance, a taste receptor for bitterness called TAS2R38. Scientists <a href="https://doi.org/10.3389%2Ffgene.2019.01272">found small changes in the genetic code</a> for the TAS2R38 gene among different people. These genetic variants affect how people perceive the bitterness of vegetables, berries and wine. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/C4rdqXXzPGU?wmode=transparent&start=45" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">Aside from allowing us to taste the wide variety of flavors in foods, taste also helps us distinguish between foods that are healthy or potentially harmful, such as spoiled milk.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Follow-up studies have suggested a link between those same variants and food choice, particularly with respect to <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-alcohol-taste-genes/genes-influence-taste-and-possibly-use-of-alcohol-idINKCN0HL23U20140926">vegetable and alcohol consumption</a>. </p>
<p>Many more variants exist in our gene repertoire, including those for the sweet taste receptor. However, whether and how these genetic differences <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cofs.2021.07.001">affect our taste and eating habits</a> is still being worked out. What is certain is that while genetics lays the groundwork for taste sensations and preferences, experiences with food can profoundly reshape them. </p>
<h2>How diet influences taste</h2>
<p>Many of our innate sensations and preferences are molded by our <a href="https://www.npr.org/2011/08/08/139033757/babys-palate-and-food-memories-shaped-before-birth">early experiences with food</a>, sometimes before we’re even born. Some molecules from the mother’s diet, like garlic or carrots, reach the <a href="https://www.npr.org/2011/08/08/139033757/babys-palate-and-food-memories-shaped-before-birth">fetus’s developing taste buds via the amniotic fluid</a> and can affect the appreciation of these foods after birth.</p>
<p>Infant formula can also influence food preferences later on. For example, research shows that infants fed with formulas that are not based on cow’s milk – which are more bitter and sour because of their amino acid content – are more accepting of bitter, sour and savory foods such as vegetables after weaning than <a href="https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.2009.27462o">those who consume cow milk-based formula</a>. And <a href="https://theconversation.com/why-kids-shouldnt-eat-added-sugar-before-they-turn-2-according-to-a-nutritional-epidemiologist-173398">toddlers who drink sweetened water</a> strongly prefer <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007%2Fs11154-016-9360-5">sweet beverages as early as age 2</a>.</p>
<p>The effect of food on our taste predispositions doesn’t stop in early life: <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tem.2020.11.011">What we eat as adults</a>, especially our sugar and salt intake, can also shape how we perceive and potentially choose food. <a href="https://media.nutrition.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/01/NIH-Workshop-Slides-Beauchamp.pdf">Cutting down on sodium</a> in our diet decreases our preferred level of saltiness, whereas consuming more makes us like saltier foods.</p>
<p>Something similar occurs with sugar: <a href="https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.115.112300">Reduce sugar in your diet</a> and you may find food sweeter. Conversely, as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.063">research in rats</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2019.04.027">flies</a> suggests, high sugar levels may dull your sensation of sweetness.</p>
<p>Although we researchers are still working out the exact how and why, studies show that high sugar and fat intake in animal models <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tem.2020.11.011">dampens the responsiveness of taste cells</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.063">nerves to sugars</a>, modifies the number of taste cells available and even flips <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-you-eat-can-reprogram-your-genes-an-expert-explains-the-emerging-science-of-nutrigenomics-165867">genetic switches</a> in the <a href="https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.83979">taste cells’ DNA</a>.</p>
<p>In my lab, we’ve shown that these taste alterations in rats return to normal within weeks when the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.07.063">extra sugar is removed from the diet</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531463/original/file-20230612-19-vqd4x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Artistic image of a white lab rat standing on its high legs to sniff a chocolate dessert." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531463/original/file-20230612-19-vqd4x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531463/original/file-20230612-19-vqd4x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531463/original/file-20230612-19-vqd4x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531463/original/file-20230612-19-vqd4x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531463/original/file-20230612-19-vqd4x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531463/original/file-20230612-19-vqd4x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531463/original/file-20230612-19-vqd4x5.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Animal studies have helped inform how high sugar intake affects taste and eating.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Irina Ilina</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/">CC BY-NC-ND</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Illness can also influence taste</h2>
<p>Genetics and food aren’t the only factors that affect taste. </p>
<p>As many of us discovered <a href="https://theconversation.com/covid-19-smell-and-taste-how-is-covid-19-different-from-other-respiratory-diseases-139543">during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038%2Fs41598-022-11864-8">disease can also play a role</a>. After testing positive for COVID-19, I couldn’t tell the difference between sweet, bitter and sour foods for months. </p>
<p>Researchers have found that about 40% of people infected with SARS-CoV-2 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/chemse/bjac001">experience impairment in taste and smell</a>. In about 5% of those people, these <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2021-069503">taste deficits persist</a> for months and years. </p>
<p>Although researchers don’t understand what causes these sensory alterations, the leading hypothesis is that the virus <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-022-01627-w">infects the cells that support the taste and smell receptors</a>.</p>
<h2>Training taste buds for healthier eating</h2>
<p>By shaping our eating habits, the intricate dance between genes, diet, disease and taste can affect the risk for chronic diseases.</p>
<p>Beyond distinguishing food from toxins, the brain uses taste signals as a proxy to estimate the filling power of foods. In nature, the stronger a food tastes – in terms of sweetness or saltiness – is directly connected to its nutrient levels and calorie content. For example, a mango contains five times the amount of sugar than a cup of strawberries, and this is why it tastes sweeter and is more filling. Thus, taste is important not just for food enjoyment and choice, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.physbeh.2021.113419">but also for regulating food intake</a>.</p>
<p>When taste is altered by diet or disease, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016%2Fj.physbeh.2015.05.036">sensory and nutrient information could become “decoupled</a>” and no longer provide accurate information to our brains about portion size. Research shows this may also occur with <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2020/03/10/common-artificial-sweetener-might-be-making-you-fatter-sicker-new-study-says/">consumption of</a> <a href="https://theconversation.com/whos-recommendation-against-the-use-of-artificial-sweeteners-for-weight-loss-leaves-many-questions-unanswered-206175">artificial sweeteners</a>.</p>
<p>And indeed, in recent studies in invertebrate animal models, our lab discovered that the changes in taste caused by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.celrep.2019.04.027">high dietary sugar intake</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.7554/eLife.54530">drove higher eating</a> by <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2022.11.039">impairing these food predictions</a>. Notably, many of the eating
patterns and brain changes we observed in flies have also been <a href="https://theconversation.com/diet-can-influence-mood-behavior-and-more-a-neuroscientist-explains-185360">discovered in</a> people who ate foods high in sugar or fat or who had high body-mass index. This raises the question of whether these effects also arise from taste and sensory alterations in our brains. </p>
<p>But there is a silver lining to the adaptable nature of taste. Since diet shapes our senses, we can actually train our taste buds – and our brains – to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/advances/nmaa151">respond and prefer foods with lower quantities of sugar</a> and <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK50956/">salt</a>.</p>
<p>Interestingly, many people already say that they <a href="https://monell.org/big-data-says-food-is-too-sweet/">find foods overly sweet</a>, which may not be surprising since between 60% to 70% of <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/22/upshot/it-isnt-easy-to-figure-out-which-foods-contain-sugar.html">grocery store foods contain added sugar</a>. Reformulating foods tailored to our genes and the plasticity of our taste buds could be a practical and powerful tool to <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/924120916X">enhance nutrition, promote health and decrease the burden of chronic disease</a>.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205456/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Monica Dus is a tenured faculty at The University of Michigan College of Literature, Science, and the Arts in Ann Arbor, MI. She receives funding from the National Science Foundation, the National Institute of Health, the Sloan Foundation, the Rita Allen Foundation, and the Klingenstein Foundation; she is also a 2023 Guggenheim Fellow. Monica is the Junior Councilor for the Association for Chemoreception Sciences, on the Advisory Board for the Trends in Endocrinology & Metabolism journal, on the Editorial Board for the Chemical Senses journal, and the Natural Sciences representative to the University of Michigan Faculty Senate. </span></em></p>Research is clear that what we eat can drive our test preferences as early as 2 years of age.Monica Dus, Associate Professor of Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology, University of MichiganLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2072362023-06-13T15:20:22Z2023-06-13T15:20:22ZUltra-processed foods: bread may be considered one, but that doesn’t mean it’s all bad<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531605/original/file-20230613-27-6f5wu1.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4493%2C3085&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Most modern bread is produced using a method called the Chorleywood process.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/sliced-white-bread-352819853">Gamzova Olga/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Humans have been <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-44846874">eating bread</a> in some form for centuries. But modern bread is a far cry from the bread of the past. In its sliced bread form, it often contains so many more ingredients than the kind our ancestors were eating that it is now widely considered an ultra-processed food. But, this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s bad for us.</p>
<p>There are many definitions of what makes a food ultra-processed. The most commonly used one is the <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0924224421004970#sec3">Nova classification</a>, which was developed by researchers at the University of Sao Paulo in Brazil. This separates foods into four groups. </p>
<p>The first group includes unrefined or minimally processed foods such as vegetables or meat with no additives. Second are culinary ingredients which have come from natural sources, but have been milled or processed to make them easier to cook with or edible – such as flour. </p>
<p>The third group covers processed foods. These are made by combining ingredients, including fats, sugar and salt. Examples include homemade or bakery breads. The last are ultra-processed foods. These are either industrially processed in a factory or include ingredients not typically used in the home, such as additives like emulsifiers. </p>
<p>Since most sliced bread is made using the <a href="https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-13670278">Chorleywood process</a>, this would technically make it an ultra-processed food. The Chorleywood process was invented in the 1960s to produce bread faster on an industrial scale. </p>
<p>The process involves using more rapid mixing and more yeast, along with the addition of solid fats, emulisifiers and ascorbic acid (<a href="https://www.sustainweb.org/realbread/ascorbic_acid/">vitamin C</a>). This allows more water and lower-protein flours to be used in the bread-making process, alongside the use of a vacuum to control the proving process. This creates the soft, fluffy bread we buy from the supermarket.</p>
<p>Although this process has enabled affordable, consistent bread, there are growing concerns about how healthy it actually is because it’s ultra-processed. This concern has partly been fuelled by mounting evidence showing a link between ultra-processed foods and health problems including <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l1451">heart disease</a>, <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0261561421001862">type 2 diabetes</a> and <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/360/bmj.k322.long">some cancers</a>. </p>
<p>However, researchers still don’t know if eating ultra-processed foods directly causes these health conditions. Nor do they know if only specific ingredients within these foods <a href="https://academic.oup.com/cdn/article/3/2/nzy077/5097779?login=false">are to blame</a>. </p>
<p>Bread’s position as an unhealthy, ultra-processed food has also been challenged. Some researchers argue the Nova classification’s <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/35730561/">definition of “ultra-processed” is oversimplified</a>, leading many foods to be lumped into the same category despite containing vastly different ingredients and going through different processing methods. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A woman holds two loaves of supermarket bread in her hands." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531607/original/file-20230613-21-i2rjyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/531607/original/file-20230613-21-i2rjyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531607/original/file-20230613-21-i2rjyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531607/original/file-20230613-21-i2rjyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531607/original/file-20230613-21-i2rjyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531607/original/file-20230613-21-i2rjyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/531607/original/file-20230613-21-i2rjyc.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Bread may not be as bad as other ultra-processed foods.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hands-girl-holding-sliced-white-bread-1891015522">CGN089/ Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>It’s true supermarket bread contains emulsifiers, which have been linked with <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9593865/">health problems</a>, including a potentially increased risk of developing some cancers. But typically bread only uses mono- or diglyceride fatty acids as emulsifiers, which have not been linked to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7010209/">risk of disease</a>. </p>
<p>It’s also worth noting that during the long fermentation processes used in traditional bread making, <a href="https://www.rsc.org/images/BreadChemistry_tcm18-163980.pdf">similar compounds</a> to these two emulsifiers will actually be made by the yeasts and bacteria. These emulsifiers are used to improve the texture and, alongside hard fats (such as palm oil), help extend the bread’s shelf life. </p>
<p>Besides, the most important issue might not be whether the bread is classed as ultra-processed or not. The levels of salt in shop-bought bread could be more of a problem. Salt is used to even out how bread rises and give a consistent texture. </p>
<p>But the amount of salt in different brands of bread can vary from a teaspoon per loaf (similar to most homemade recipes) to <a href="https://www.actiononsalt.org.uk/news/surveys/2011/bread/">four teaspoons per loaf</a>. Look out for sodium levels on the label, and aim to purchase bread with less than 0.7g of salt per 100g (or 0.3g of sodium per 100g).</p>
<p>And, despite similar concerns, the sugar in modern supermarket bread may not be as bad as many think. Sugar is used to help the yeast ferment and rise before baking. As such, most bread contains <a href="https://www.diabetes.co.uk/blog/2015/12/bread-the-best-and-worst-products-for-people-with-diabetes//">2g-4g of sugar per 100g</a>. Some of this actually naturally occurs as a result of the proving process. However, this may vary depending on the brand.</p>
<h2>Other considerations</h2>
<p>So, it’s likely that the ultra-processed way bread is made might not be as big an issue to our health as some think – although the salt content in some loaves might be.</p>
<p>Brown bread (such as wholemeal or wholegrain) goes through a similar production process as white bread. The main difference is that it may have some fibre either retained or added back into the flour. </p>
<p>Fibre is important for maintaining <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/77/4/967/4689774?login=false">healthy bowels</a>. Bread (and even flat breads or pitta) which contains seeds or bits of grain may also have the added benefit of taking <a href="https://www.diabetes.org.uk/guide-to-diabetes/enjoy-food/carbohydrates-and-diabetes/glycaemic-index-and-diabetes">longer to digest</a>. This can help to make you feel fuller longer. </p>
<p>Sourdough is another favoured option, with many saying it’s healthier because it uses more traditional baking processes. There is evidence that traditional <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4488771/">French breads</a>, which are slowly fermented and made with a sourdough starter, raise blood glucose (sugar) and insulin levels less than typical sliced loaves. As with higher fibre versions, this could mean they keep us feeling fuller for longer.</p>
<p>But many supermarket breads labelled “sourdough” may not be traditionally made. One of the problems is a lack of <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/09637486.2023.2213858">legally recognised definition</a> for soughdough bread. In some countries it can only contain flour, water and salt (maybe with a little oil), but in others it can contain yeast to speed up fermentation and proving – and even additives. So if you’re looking for a real, <a href="https://www.sustainweb.org/realbread/sourdough/#:%7E:text=Always%20read%20the%20label.,it%20is%20not%20sourdough%20bread.">traditional sourdough loaf</a>, check that it only contains flour, water and salt.</p>
<p>Although supermarket bread may be classified as ultra-processed, that doesn’t mean you can’t include it as part of a balanced diet. Just be sure to think about what you’re putting on your toast. A sausage sandwich is less healthy than topping your toast with tinned tomatoes or baked beans.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/207236/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Duane Mellor is a member of the British Dietetic Association.</span></em></p>Bread may be defined as an ‘ultra-processed food’ – but that doesn’t mean you need to stop eating it.Duane Mellor, Lead for Evidence-Based Medicine and Nutrition, Aston Medical School, Aston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2058272023-05-18T04:11:45Z2023-05-18T04:11:45ZThe WHO says we shouldn’t bother with artificial sweeteners for weight loss or health. Is sugar better?<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526747/original/file-20230517-23-dlv1zx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=40%2C16%2C5422%2C3620&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/white-pink-blue-brown-sugar-bags-1023556240">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>This week, the World Health Organization (WHO) <a href="https://www.who.int/news/item/15-05-2023-who-advises-not-to-use-non-sugar-sweeteners-for-weight-control-in-newly-released-guideline">advised</a> that “non-sugar sweeteners should not be used as a means of achieving weight control or reducing the risk of noncommunicable diseases” such as diabetes and heart disease.</p>
<p>Artificial sweeteners are either natural compounds or synthesised compounds that taste sweet like sugar – and are are <a href="https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/additives/SiteAssets/Pages/Steviol-glycosides-%28960%29-%28intense-sweetener%29%20%28stevia%29/SteviolGlycosideRiskAssessment_April2023.pdf">up to 400 times</a> sweeter by weight – but provide no or negligible energy. As a comparison, sugar has 17kj (or four calories) per gram, so one teaspoon of sugar would have 85 kilojoules.</p>
<p>Several types of artificial sweeteners are <a href="https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/additives/pages/sweeteners.aspx">used in Australia</a>. Some are synthetic, others are extracted from foods such as monk fruit and the stevia plant. </p>
<p>So, what do the new WHO guidelines mean for people who have switched to artificial sweeteners for health reasons? Should they just go back to sugar?</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/food-and-drinks-are-getting-sweeter-even-if-its-not-all-sugar-its-bad-for-our-health-187605">Food and drinks are getting sweeter. Even if it's not all sugar, it's bad for our health</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Promoted for weight loss</h2>
<p>As a practising clinical dietitian in the 1990s, I remember when artificial sweeteners began to appear in processed foods. They were promoted as a way of substituting sugar into food products that may lead to weight loss. </p>
<p>A can of sugar-sweetened soft drink contains on average about 500kj. Theoretically, the substitution of one sugar-sweetened can of soft drink with an artificially sweetened can of soft drink every day would reduce your weight by about 1kg per month. </p>
<p>But research over the past few decades shows this doesn’t hold up. </p>
<h2>What’s the new advice based on?</h2>
<p>The WHO has based its recommendation on a <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-do-we-know-what-works-systematic-research-reviews-5979">systematic review</a> it has <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240073616">conducted</a>. Its objective was to provide evidence-based guidance on the use of artificial sweeteners in weight management and for disease prevention. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/topic-details/GHO/ncd-mortality">Weight management</a> is important, given obesity increases the risk of diseases such as diabetes and certain types of cancer, which are the <a href="https://www.who.int/data/gho/data/themes/topics/topic-details/GHO/ncd-mortality">leading cause</a> of death globally.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1658164337758855168"}"></div></p>
<p>The <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240073616">WHO’s systematic review</a> included data from different types of studies, which give us different information:</p>
<ul>
<li><p>50 were randomised controlled trials (when scientists intervene and make changes – in this case to the diet – while keeping everything else constant, to see the impact of that change)</p></li>
<li><p>97 were prospective cohort studies (when scientists observe a risk factor in a large group of people over a period of time to see how it impacts an outcome – without intervening or make any changes)</p></li>
<li><p>47 were case-control studies (another type of observational study that follows and compares two groups of otherwise matched people, aside from the risk factor of interest).</p></li>
</ul>
<p>Randomised controlled trials provide us with causal data, allowing us to say the intervention led to the change we saw. </p>
<p>Prospective cohort and case-control only give us associations or links. We can’t prove the risk factors led to a change in the outcomes – in this case, weight – because other risk factors that scientists haven’t considered could be responsible. But they give great clues about what might be happening, particularly if we can’t do a trial because it’s unethical or unsafe to give or withhold specific treatments. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526746/original/file-20230517-19-1nqed9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="person puts sweetener in cup of tea" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526746/original/file-20230517-19-1nqed9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/526746/original/file-20230517-19-1nqed9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526746/original/file-20230517-19-1nqed9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526746/original/file-20230517-19-1nqed9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526746/original/file-20230517-19-1nqed9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526746/original/file-20230517-19-1nqed9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/526746/original/file-20230517-19-1nqed9.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The WHO review looked at different types of studies investigating artificial sweeteners.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://unsplash.com/photos/N2n01mhpbmg">Unsplash</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The WHO’s systematic review looked at body fatness, non-communicable diseases and death. </p>
<p>For body fatness, the randomised controlled trials showed those consuming more artificial sweeteners had slightly lower weight – an average of 0.71kg – than those consuming less or no artificial sweeteners. </p>
<p>But the cohort studies found higher intakes of artificial sweeteners were associated with a higher BMI, or body mass index (0.14 kg/m2) and a 76% increased likelihood of having obesity.</p>
<p>The prospective cohort studies showed for higher intakes of artificial sweetened beverages there was a 23% increase in the risk of type 2 diabetes. If artificial sweeteners were consumed as a tabletop item (that the consumer added to foods and drinks) there was a 34% increase in the risk of diabetes.</p>
<p>In people with diabetes, artificial sweeteners did not improve or worsen any clinical indicators used to monitor their diabetes such as fasting blood sugar or insulin levels.</p>
<p>Higher intakes of artificial sweeteners were associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease and death in the long-term prospective observational studies that followed participants for an average of 13 years. </p>
<p>But artificial sweeteners were not associated with differences in overall cancer rates or premature death from cancer. </p>
<p>Overall, while the randomised controlled trials suggested slightly more weight loss in people who used artificial sweeteners, the observational studies found this group tended to have an increased risk of obesity and poorer health outcomes.</p>
<h2>Does the review have any shortcomings?</h2>
<p>The WHO’s advice has led to <a href="https://www.sciencemediacentre.org/expert-reaction-to-new-who-guideline-which-advises-not-to-use-non-sugar-sweeteners-for-weight-control-or-to-reduce-the-risk-of-noncommunicable-diseases/">some criticism</a> because the randomised controlled trials did show some weight loss benefit to using artificial sweeteners, albeit small. </p>
<p>However the WHO clearly states its advice is based on the multiple research designs, not just randomised controlled trials. </p>
<p>Additionally, the WHO assessed the quality of the studies in the review to be of “low or very low certainty”.</p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sweeteners-may-be-linked-to-increased-cancer-risk-new-research-179709">Sweeteners may be linked to increased cancer risk – new research</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Are they unsafe?</h2>
<p>This advice is not suggesting artificial sweeteners are unsafe or should be banned. The WHO’s scientific review was not about chemical or safety issues.</p>
<h2>So are we better off having sugar instead?</h2>
<p>The answer is no. </p>
<p>In 2015, the WHO released <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241549028">guidelines on added sugar intake</a> to reduce the risk of excess weight and obesity. Added sugars are found in processed and ultra-processed foods and drinks such as soft drinks, fruits drinks, sports drinks, chocolate and confectionery, flavoured yoghurt and muesli bars. </p>
<p>It recommended people consume no more 10% of total energy intake, which is about 50 grams (ten teaspoons), of sugar per day for an average adult who needs 8,700kj a day. </p>
<p>The WHO’s recommendation is in line with the <a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/food-essentials/how-much-do-we-need-each-day/recommended-number-serves-adults">Australian Dietary Guidelines</a>, which recommends no more than three serves of discretionary foods per day, if you need the extra energy. However it’s best to get extra energy from the core food groups (grains, vegetable, fruit, dairy and protein group) rather than discretionary foods. </p>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/8-everyday-foods-you-might-not-realise-are-ultra-processed-and-how-to-spot-them-197993">8 everyday foods you might not realise are ultra processed – and how to spot them</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>So what do I drink now?</h2>
<p>So if artificial and sugar in drinks are not advised for weight loss, what can you drink? </p>
<p>Some options include water, kombucha with no added sugar, tea or coffee. Soda and mineral water flavoured with a small amount of your favourite fruit juice are good substitutes. </p>
<p>Milk is also a good option, particularly if you’re not currently meeting you calcium requirements.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/205827/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Evangeline Mantzioris is affiliated with Alliance for Research in Nutrition, Exercise and Activity (ARENA) at the University of South Australia. Evangeline Mantzioris has received funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council, and has been appointed to the National Health and Medical Research Council Dietary Guideline Expert Committee.</span></em></p>Here’s what the new WHO guidelines mean for people who have switched to artificial sweeteners for health reasons.Evangeline Mantzioris, Program Director of Nutrition and Food Sciences, Accredited Practising Dietitian, University of South AustraliaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1940762023-03-30T02:22:47Z2023-03-30T02:22:47ZHow eating a local diet can help Indonesians live healthier and more sustainable lives<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/509405/original/file-20230210-27-9mcpe0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C80%2C3000%2C1841&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Muhammad Haris/Wikimedia Commons)</span>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/">CC BY-NC-SA</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Indonesians are consuming more and more <a href="https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-42468-2_9">processed foods,</a> including sugary drinks, salty snacks, junk food, and unhealthy fats. </p>
<p>These changes take a toll on people’s health, as well as the environment. </p>
<p>There is growing evidence consumption of highly processed and preserved foods is linked with <a href="https://pubs.rsc.org/en/content/articlelanding/2023/fo/d2fo02628g/unauth">poorer health outcomes</a> and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0002916522105241">higher risk of mortality</a>. A 2019 study using national health data found consuming sugary drinks is associated with an increased risk of excess weight and obesity <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/11/11/2813">among children and adolescents.</a> </p>
<p>A 2021 research has predicted the growing consumption of sugar and meat in Indonesia will <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s11625-020-00887-7">impact the environment</a>.</p>
<p>As food system and sustainability researchers, we recommend Indonesians look back at our local food biodiversity for a healthier and more sustainable way to eat.</p>
<h2>What healthy local foods do we have?</h2>
<p>Indonesia’s <a href="https://journalofethnicfoods.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42779-019-0009-3">rich mix of cultures</a> is reflected in the variety of its food habits and dishes. A study by <a href="http://www.opi.lipi.go.id/data/1228964432/data/13086710321320841770.makalah.pdf">the Ministry of Environment and Forestry of Indonesia</a> showed that Indonesians consume at least 100 types of carbohydrates, 100 types of legumes, 450 fruits, and 250 types of vegetables and mushrooms. </p>
<p>For example, some Indonesians eat <a href="http://jurnal.lppm.unsoed.ac.id/ojs/index.php/Prosiding/article/view/564/0">beans</a> and <a href="http://article.scholarena.com/Indonesia-Local-Beans-and-Its-Benefit-as-Functional-Food.pdf">seeds</a>, such as red beans mixed with sorghum, cooked and pressed using banana leaves and served as local staple food. </p>
<p>Some Indonesians even eat <a href="https://smujo.id/biodiv/article/view/5113/3686">insects</a>. <a href="https://medium.com/the-nature-of-food/the-eat-lancet-diet-is-it-all-nuts-2db9b0d7579f">Studies show</a> insects have high levels of protein and micronutrients, making them a great source of nutrition. Scientists around the world are studying insects for their potential to be low-carbon animal source foods, even named it as <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2772566921000033">“future food”</a>. </p>
<p>Indonesia’s seascapes is also the home of the largest marine biodiversity in the world, with <a href="https://www.aciar.gov.au/publication/books-and-manuals/market-fishes-indonesia-jenis-jenis-ikan-di-indonesia-bilingual-publication-english">almost 3,000 species found in the markets</a> of Java, Bali, and Lombok alone.
<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-019-1592-6">Fish</a> from warm tropical seas like Indonesia contain high calcium, iron and zinc.</p>
<p>There are many regions in Indonesia that have <a href="https://link.springer.com/article/10.1186/s42779-019-0002-x">diverse locally produced foods</a> that are healthy, yet underutilized.</p>
<h2>Why the local foods?</h2>
<p>Focusing on local foods is a beneficial approach to achieving healthy and sustainable diets, for the following reasons:</p>
<p><strong>First,</strong> the diversity of Indonesian local foods, <a href="https://www.cifor.org/knowledge/publication/8070/">is a gateway to diverse diets</a>. When people eat a diverse range of foods, it helps them get all the nutrients they need and can better <a href="https://doi.org/10.6133/apjcn.012016.01">reduce the risk of child stunting.</a> </p>
<p><a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1709194115">Recent studies</a> have shown that consuming a variety of species daily also promotes <a href="https://www.cifor.org/knowledge/publication/8070/">better micronutrient adequacy.</a> Look no further, Indonesia’s megabiodiversity holds the key to a more nourished country.</p>
<p><strong>Second,</strong> indigenous plant-based and animal-source foods that suit local conditions tend to be more resilient to climate shocks, such as extreme weather or floods. </p>
<p>One example is <a href="https://ecsdev.org/ojs/index.php/ejsd/article/view/407/404">sago,</a> which can grow in prolonged droughts and floods in areas such as Sulawesi, Papua and Maluku. </p>
<p>Additionally, sago is considered a healthier carbohydrate option because it has <a href="https://scialert.net/abstract/?doi=pjn.2016.667.672">lower glycemic index</a>, and can function <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0955286318305989">as a prebiotic,</a> which means they stimulate the growth of healthy bacteria in the gut.</p>
<p><strong>Third,</strong> eating local food could cut back carbon emissions from packaging and distribution. This is particularly important for items that are easily spoiled, like fish and vegetables, and for highly processed foods that <a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00225-9">contribute 10% of emissions in the food sector.</a> </p>
<p><a href="https://kemlu.go.id/vancouver/en/pages/indonesia_at_a_glance/2016/etc-menu#:%7E:text=INDONESIA%2C%20the%20largest%20archipelago%20in,which%20about%206%2C000%20are%20inhabited.">As an archipelagic country with about 6,000 inhabited islands,</a> a shorter and more efficient food distribution system could cut back food loss and waste along the supply chain.</p>
<p><strong>Fourth,</strong> promotion of eating local food has the potential to increase environmental awareness and social justice by <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0743016702000402">increasing interaction between producers and consumers</a>. </p>
<p>In some cases, such promotion supports producers in growing underutilized food species. We can link efforts to conserve biodiversity with the nutritional benefits of the food we eat. This can be achieved by promoting the consumption of locally sourced food, which not only improves people’s diets but also helps preserve biodiversity by encouraging them to protect their food sources.</p>
<p>It could also help boost <a href="https://journalofethnicfoods.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s42779-019-0009-3">culinary tourism,</a> which is increasingly popular in Indonesia. Additionally, local food are also part of local cultures and practices. Promotion of healthy and sustainable diets through foods they are familiar with, promise a better uptake by the local communities.</p>
<h2>How to promote healthy and sustainable diets through local foods</h2>
<p>To promote healthy and sustainable diets in Indonesia, we need to consider global, national, and local factors. </p>
<p>We can draw inspiration from global initiatives like <a href="https://eatforum.org/learn-and-discover/the-planetary-health-diet/">the Planetary Health Diet,</a>– a global reference diet made by group scientists from many countries. However, we should not apply such references rigidly, as Indonesia has its own unique characteristics.</p>
<p>Fortunately, the Indonesian government has dietary guidelines called <a href="https://panganbijak.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/10/Strategy-Paper-ISFS-ENG-0510-min.pdf">Isi Piringku or “My Plate Initiative”</a> that help people balance their diets by eating the right amount of carbohydrates, protein, fruits and vegetables. <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/370/bmj.m2322.long">A study</a> published in the British Medical Journal found “Isi Piringku” was not only one of the healthiest global dietary guidelines, but also among the most environmentally sustainable out of 85 evaluated.</p>
<p>At the local level, we need more efforts to use traditional food cultures to implement the “Isi Piringku” concept in each area of Indonesia. Nutrition experts can make a big difference by using knowledge of local food to create healthy “Isi Piringku” meals. </p>
<p>People may think local foods aren’t nutritious because we don’t know enough about them and all the different options available.
This is where research and documentation of local foods come in - to show the variety and true value of local foods to health and culture.</p>
<p>We need to gather more information about the rich food biodiversity and local food practices in different parts of Indonesia. We need to learn more about how these plants grow, where they are usually found, who consumes them, how to prepare them for consumption, the cultural significance, nutritional value, and health benefits.</p>
<p>This pool of knowledge will provide a strong basis for healthy and sustainable national dietary programs.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194076/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mulia Nurhasan menerima dana dari berbagai organisasi non profit dan atau pemerintah. Mulia Nurhasan tidak memiliki konflik kepentingan dalam penulisan artikel ini.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Romauli Panggabean menerima dana dari organisasi profit, non profit dan pemerintah </span></em></p>Indonesians are consuming more and more processed foods, including sugary drinks, salty snacks, junk food, and unhealthy fats. These changes take a toll on people’s health, as well as the environment…Mulia Nurhasan, Food and Nutrition Scientist, CGIAR System OrganizationRomauli Panggabean, Environmental Economist, World Resources InstituteLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/2000542023-03-16T20:10:24Z2023-03-16T20:10:24ZUncovering the violent history of the Canadian sugar industry<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514332/original/file-20230308-20-sn5ci6.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=130%2C8%2C2784%2C1818&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">By reflecting on sugar's origins, we can trace the pathways that have made this commodity so abundant.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jonathan Hayward</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/uncovering-the-violent-history-of-the-canadian-sugar-industry" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Sugar, we are often told, is bad for us. According to <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar">recent health advice</a>, adults should restrict their sugar intake to between six and nine teaspoons daily. But what is more upsetting about sugar is its atrocious history. </p>
<p>Western Europe’s <a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/322123/sweetness-and-power-by-sidney-w-mintz/">appetite for “sweetness</a>” helped fuel the horrific transatlantic trade of enslaved peoples, in which at least 15 million enslaved people from Africa were forced to work on <a href="https://uncpress.org/book/9781469663685/capitalism-and-slavery-third-edition/">plantations in the Americas</a>. To this day, working conditions in sugar <a href="https://theconversation.com/child-labour-poverty-and-terrible-working-conditions-lie-behind-the-sugar-you-eat-95242">are among the world’s worst</a>.</p>
<p>Given its heinous human rights record, the question becomes: why do we continue to eat sugar? The answer is complicated. Crucial, however, are <a href="https://sugar.ca/international-trade/canadian-sugar-market/value-of-sugar-to-the-canadian-economy">the significant profits that sugar represents</a>, together with the low prices that sugar commands. </p>
<h2>History of sugar</h2>
<p>For nearly five centuries, European planters made dizzying fortunes in sugar, made possible by <a href="https://uncpress.org/book/9781469663685/capitalism-and-slavery-third-edition/">enslaving workers in colonized lands</a>. Sugar became so integral to European profiteering that it started <a href="https://doi.org/10.7312/beck18524-016">being produced on a global scale</a>. Canadian investors, too, have reaped massive sugar profits.</p>
<p>During the 1700s and 1800s, most Europeans, in what is now Canada, were implicated in the transatlantic sugar and slave trades. Not only did many consume the fruits of the enslaved sugar industry — including molasses and rum, in addition to sugar, <a href="https://cha-shc.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/The-Enslavement-of-Africans-in-Canada.pdf">as historian Afua Cooper writes</a> — but some also invested in Caribbean trade, itself powered by enslaved sugar work. </p>
<p>Several Canadian banks — including the Imperial Bank of Commerce and the Bank of Nova Scotia (now known as Scotiabank) — have their origins in the West Indies, where their forerunners <a href="https://doi.org/10.1215/07990537-2642737">established themselves early in the 19th century</a>. According to Cooper, the Bank of Nova Scotia exists “in the shadow of West Indian slavery.”</p>
<p>Western Canadians have also profited from unfree sugar labour. The famed western Canadian brand, Rogers Sugar, was established by American Benjamin Tingley Rogers who moved to Canada in 1889. Having grown up in the sugar industry, <a href="http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio.php?id_nbr=7676">Rogers had both sugar connections and expertise</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A black and white photo of old factory bulidings" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514551/original/file-20230309-2232-l3hp15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514551/original/file-20230309-2232-l3hp15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514551/original/file-20230309-2232-l3hp15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514551/original/file-20230309-2232-l3hp15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=465&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514551/original/file-20230309-2232-l3hp15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514551/original/file-20230309-2232-l3hp15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514551/original/file-20230309-2232-l3hp15.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=585&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Original B.C. Sugar refinery buildings in Vancouver in 1892.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(City of Vancouver Archives)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Building <a href="https://blogs.ubc.ca/buildingempire/2021/02/21/rogers-sugar-vancouver-1981/">a refinery in Vancouver</a>, a city newly constructed on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations, Rogers created a western Canadian sugar empire — one that sourced raw sugar cane through the Pacific, refined it in British Columbia and sold it throughout the Canadian West. </p>
<p>Railway magnate <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/sir-william-cornelius-van-horne">William Cornelius Van Horne</a>, together with noted investors such as <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/richard-bladworth-angus">Richard Bladworth Angus</a>, Edmund Boyd Osler and <a href="https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/donald-alexander-smith-1st-baron-strathcona-and-mount-royal">Donald Alexander Smith</a>, were among the ventures’ early shareholders. By the time of his death in 1918, <a href="http://www.biographi.ca/en/bio.php?id_nbr=7676">Rogers had become “quite wealthy</a>.”</p>
<p>Now owned by Lantic Inc., <a href="https://www.lanticrogers.com">Rogers Sugar remains a recognized Canadian brand</a>. Less well known, though, is Rogers Sugar’s violent past.</p>
<h2>Sugar plantations</h2>
<p>To make the refined sugar that is so familiar to Canadians today, B.C. Sugar (the name of the company that owned Rogers Sugar) sourced both beet and cane sugars. Canadian beet sugar has its own atrocious labour history, as <a href="https://www.collectionscanada.gc.ca/obj/thesescanada/vol2/002/NR33801.PDF?is_thesis=1&oclc_number=530949579">University of Saskatchewan professor Ron Laliberté</a>, <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/canadian-journal-of-law-and-society-la-revue-canadienne-droit-et-societe/article/abs/cartographies-of-violence-women-memory-and-the-subjects-of-the-internment/F291FCC6A7EC2F460E89E7C3CE07E610">York University professor Mona Oikawa</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/S0829320100006360">other experts</a> have demonstrated. </p>
<p>Refined predominantly in Vancouver, Rogers Sugar was made mostly from raw cane sugar. Since sugar cane cannot grow in Canada, <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/20094617">B.C. Sugar sourced internationally</a> from places including Mauritius, Java, Peru, Hawaii, Cuba, Fiji and the Dominican Republic. </p>
<p>B.C. Sugar also ventured into sugar cane plantation ownership: in Fiji between 1905 and 1922, and in the Dominican Republic between 1944 and 1955. Notably, it purchased the latter from the Bank of Nova Scotia.</p>
<p>In both cases, workers reported horrendous conditions. The pay was so low and the work was so menial in the Dominican Republic that, as historian Catherine C. Legrand points out, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1215/00182168-75.4.555">workers left the plantation whenever they could</a>.</p>
<p>In Fiji between 1905 and 1920, B.C. Sugar employed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1177/001946468502200103">indentured workers from India</a> who migrated to the colony on five-year contracts. As on other Fiji plantations, workers were subject to numerous atrocities and treated in ways similar to how enslaved and indentured people <a href="https://press.anu.edu.au/publications/chalo-jahaji">were treated on plantations globally</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Black and white photo of rows of tram cars full of sugar cane. In the distance a factory building can be seen." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514535/original/file-20230309-305-61e1pd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/514535/original/file-20230309-305-61e1pd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514535/original/file-20230309-305-61e1pd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514535/original/file-20230309-305-61e1pd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=448&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514535/original/file-20230309-305-61e1pd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514535/original/file-20230309-305-61e1pd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/514535/original/file-20230309-305-61e1pd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=562&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Sugar cane cars lined up in front of a cane factory in Fiji in the early 20th century.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(City of Vancouver Archives)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Forced into hard physical labour with little time for sleep, indentured workers at B.C. Sugar’s Fiji plantation endured sickness, confinement, hunger, abuse, injuries, whippings, beatings and more, all for below subsistence pay and the <a href="http://girmit.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/vnaidu_violence_preface.pdf">eventual chance to move out of indentured work</a>. </p>
<p>Conditions were so dire that some workers <a href="https://press-files.anu.edu.au/downloads/press/p212781/pdf/16.-Death-On-Fiji-Plantations-1900-1909-Nicole-Duncan.pdf">tragically perished in B.C. Sugar’s cane fields</a>. When Fiji de-criminalized the desertion of indenture contracts in 1916, it is little wonder that hundreds of workers left the colony’s sugar plantations. These <a href="https://openresearch-repository.anu.edu.au/bitstream/1885/132695/1/PRM_05.pdf">included plantations operated by B.C. Sugar</a>.</p>
<h2>Understanding Canadian history</h2>
<p>Refined sugar is now so common it is difficult to imagine life without it. But, by reflecting on its origins, we can trace the pathways that have made this commodity so abundant. Canadian sugar was built upon violence, including upon enslaved and indentured labour. </p>
<p>By building upon <a href="https://teaching.usask.ca/indigenoussk/import/grab-a-hoe_indians.php">existing research</a> into <a href="https://doi.org/10.24908/ss.v7i1.3305">Canadian</a> <a href="https://www.erudit.org/en/journals/llt/1978-v3-llt_3/llt3art05.pdf">sugar</a>, and by continuing to probe <a href="https://worldcat.org/title/281643610">Canadian sugar companies’ local</a> and <a href="https://worldcat.org/en/title/988075349">global</a> <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/00223349508572786">histories</a>, we can gain a clearer picture of how sugar became central to the Canadian diet. </p>
<p>And we can also work toward greater recognition for those who have laboured in the local and global Canadian sugar industry.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/200054/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Donica Belisle currently holds an Insight Grant from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada for the project, "Canadian Sugar: A Local and Global History."</span></em></p>By reflecting on the violent origins of the Canadian sugar industry, we can bring wider attention to the exploitation underpinning the history of Canadian cuisine.Donica Belisle, Professor of History, University of ReginaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1965602023-01-31T13:48:24Z2023-01-31T13:48:24ZUltraprocessed foods – like cookies, chips, frozen meals and fast food – may contribute to cognitive decline<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/507225/original/file-20230130-14099-bxhu8i.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=20%2C104%2C4608%2C3588&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Surprisingly, even packaged foods that contain healthy components can qualify as ultra-processed.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/new-jersey-jersey-city-close-up-of-tv-dinner-on-royalty-free-image/114849031?phrase=processed%20foods&adppopup=true">Jamie Grill Photography/Tetra Images via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Scientists have known for years that unhealthy diets – particularly those that are high in fat and sugar – may cause <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/hipo.20470">detrimental changes to the brain</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1471-4159.2010.06865.x">lead to cognitive impairment</a>. </p>
<p>Many factors that contribute to cognitive decline are out of a person’s control, such as <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41593-022-01042-4">genetics</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/13607863.2022.2046694">socioeconomic factors</a>. But ongoing research increasingly indicates that a <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2021.101395">poor diet is a risk factor</a> for memory impairments during normal aging and increases the risk of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.arr.2021.101397">developing Alzheimer’s disease</a>. </p>
<p>But when evaluating how some diets may erode brain health as we age, research on the effects of consuming minimally processed versus ultraprocessed foods has been scant – that is, until now. </p>
<p>Two recent large-scale studies suggest that eating ultraprocessed foods <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.4397">may exacerbate age-related cognitive decline</a> and increase the <a href="https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000200871">risk of developing dementia</a>. In contrast, another recent study reported that ultraprocessed food consumption was not associated <a href="https://doi.org/10.1007/s00394-022-02911-1">with worse cognition in people over 60</a>. </p>
<p>Although more research is needed, as a <a href="https://neuroscience.ufl.edu/profile/burke-sara/">neuroscientist</a> who researches how <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=EYPe4zQAAAAJ&hl=en">diet can influence cognition</a> later in life, I find that these early studies add a new layer for considering how fundamental nutrition is to brain health. </p>
<h2>Lots of ingredients, minimal nutrition</h2>
<p>Ultraprocessed foods tend to be lower in nutrients and fiber and higher in sugar, fat and salt compared to unprocessed or minimally processed foods. Some <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/cdn/nzy077">examples of ultraprocessed foods</a> include soda, packaged cookies, chips, frozen meals, flavored nuts, flavored yogurt, distilled alcoholic beverages and fast foods. Even packaged breads, including those high in nutritious whole grains, qualify as ultraprocessed in many cases because of the additives and preservatives they contain. </p>
<p>Another way to look at it: You are not likely to find the ingredients that make up most of these foods in your home kitchen.</p>
<p>But don’t confuse ultraprocessed with processed foods, which still retain most of their natural characteristics, although they’ve undergone some form of processing – like canned vegetables, dried pasta or frozen fruit. </p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7HeS6kG7NLQ?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">A look at three categories of foods.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>Parsing the research</h2>
<p>In a December 2022 study, researchers compared the rate of cognitive decline over approximately eight years between groups of people that <a href="https://doi.org/10.1001/jamaneurol.2022.4397">consumed different amounts of ultraprocessed foods</a>. </p>
<p>At the beginning of the study, over 10,000 participants living in Brazil reported their dietary habits from the previous 12 months. Then, for the ensuing years, the researchers evaluated the cognitive performance of the participants with standard tests of memory and executive function. </p>
<p>Those who ate a diet containing more ultraprocessed foods at the start of the study showed slightly more cognitive decline compared with those that ate little to no ultraprocessed foods. This was a relatively modest difference in the rate of cognitive decline between experimental groups. It is not yet clear if the small difference in cognitive decline associated with higher consumption of ultraprocessed foods will have a meaningful effect at the level of an individual person. </p>
<p>The second study, with about 72,000 participants in the U.K., measured the association between <a href="https://doi.org/10.1212/WNL.0000000000200871">eating ultraprocessed foods and dementia</a>. For the group eating the highest amounts of ultraprocessed foods, approximately 1 out of 120 people were diagnosed with dementia over a 10-year period. For the group that consumed little to no ultraprocessed foods, this number was 1 out of 170. </p>
<p>Research examining the relationship between health and ultraprocessed foods uses the <a href="https://regulatory.mxns.com/en/ultra-processed-foods-nova-classification">NOVA classification</a>, which is a categorization system based on the type and extent of industrial food processing. Some nutritionists have <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac123">criticized the NOVA classification</a> for not having clear definitions of food processing, which could <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41430-022-01099-1">lead to misclassification</a>. They also argue that the potential health risks from consuming ultraprocessed foods could be explained by low levels of fiber and nutrients and high levels of fat, sugar and salt in the diet rather than the amount of processing. </p>
<p>Many ultraprocessed foods are high in additives, preservatives or coloring agents, while also having other features of an unhealthy diet, such as being low in fiber and nutrients. Thus, it is unclear if eating food that has undergone more processing has an additional negative impact on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcn/nqac122">health beyond low diet quality</a>.</p>
<p>For example, you could eat a burger and fries from a fast food chain, which would be high in fat, sugar and salt as well as being ultraprocessed. You could make that same meal at home, which could also be high in fat, sugar and salt but would not be ultraprocessed. More research is needed to determine whether one is worse than the other. </p>
<h2>Brain-healthy diets</h2>
<p>Even when the processes that lead to dementia are not occurring, the aging brain undergoes biochemical and structural changes that are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/nrn1809">associated with worsening cognition</a>.</p>
<p>But for adults over the age of 55, a healthier diet could increase the likelihood of maintaining better brain function. In particular, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13062067">the Mediterranean diet</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2017.08.004">ketogenic diet</a> are associated with better cognition in advanced age. </p>
<p>The Mediterranean diet emphasizes the consumption of plant-based foods and healthy fats, like olive oil, seeds and nuts. The ketogenic diet is high in fat and low in carbohydrates, with the primary fiber source being from vegetables. Both diets minimize or eliminate the consumption of sugar. </p>
<p>Our research and the work of others show that both diets can <a href="https://doi.org/10.1093/gerona/glx193">reverse some of these changes</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3109/13697137.2015.1078106">improve cognitive function</a> – possibly by <a href="https://theconversation.com/what-is-inflammation-two-immunologists-explain-how-the-body-responds-to-everything-from-stings-to-vaccination-and-why-it-sometimes-goes-wrong-193503">reducing harmful inflammation</a>. </p>
<p>Although inflammation is a normal immune response to injury or infection, chronic inflammation can be detrimental to the brain. Studies have shown that excess sugar and fat <a href="https://doi.org/10.1096/fj.201700984RR">can contribute to chronic inflammation</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14163309">and ultraprocessed foods might</a> also exacerbate harmful inflammation.</p>
<p>Another way that diet and ultraprocessed foods may influence brain health is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/bs.irn.2022.07.006">through the gut-brain axis</a>, which is the communication that occurs between the brain and <a href="https://theconversation.com/which-microbes-live-in-your-gut-a-microbiologist-tries-at-home-test-kits-to-see-what-they-reveal-about-the-microbiome-181392">the gut microbiome</a>, or the community of microorganisms that live in the digestive tract.</p>
<p>Not only does the gut microbiome help with digestion, but it also influences the immune system, while producing hormones and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/mp.2016.50">neurotransmitters that are critical for brain function</a>.</p>
<p>Studies have shown that the <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14091758">ketogenic</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/gutjnl-2019-319654">Mediterranean diets</a> change the composition of microorganisms in the gut in ways that benefit the person. Ultraprocessed food consumption is also associated with <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu13082710">alterations in the type and abundance</a> of gut microorganisms that have more harmful effects.</p>
<figure>
<iframe width="440" height="260" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/E479yto8pyk?wmode=transparent&start=0" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen=""></iframe>
<figcaption><span class="caption">There’s a war going on in your gut: good bacteria versus bad bacteria.</span></figcaption>
</figure>
<h2>The uncertainties</h2>
<p>Disentangling the specific effects of individual foods on the human body is difficult, in part because maintaining strict control over people’s diets to study them over long periods of time is problematic. Moreover, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cmet.2019.05.008">randomized controlled trials</a>, the most reliable type of study for establishing causality, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.116.136085">are expensive</a> to carry out. </p>
<p>So far, most nutritional studies, including these two, have only shown correlations between ultraprocessed food consumption and health. But they cannot rule out <a href="https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj.f6698">other lifestyle factors</a> such as exercise, education, socioeconomic status, social connections, stress and many more variables that may influence cognitive function. </p>
<p>This is where lab-based studies using animals are incredibly useful. Rats show <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/ejn.12183">cognitive decline in old age that parallels humans</a>. It’s easy to control rodent diets and activity levels in a laboratory. And rats go from middle to old age within months, which shortens study times. </p>
<p>Lab-based studies in animals will make it possible to determine if ultraprocessed foods are playing a key role in the development of cognitive impairments and dementia in people. As the world’s population ages and the number of <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/dementia#">older adults with dementia increases</a>, this knowledge cannot come soon enough.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/196560/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Sara N. Burke does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Researchers are trying to understand whether ultraprocessed foods erode brain health in the aging process.Sara N. Burke, Associate Professor of Neurobiology and Cognitive Aging, University of FloridaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1941682022-11-23T02:06:04Z2022-11-23T02:06:04ZMisleading food labels contribute to babies and toddlers eating too much sugar. 3 things parents can do<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495237/original/file-20221115-11-u9ap2g.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=34%2C86%2C5716%2C3733&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/irvine-california-united-states-01042020-600w-1613416633.jpg">Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Australian infants and toddlers are eating unhealthy amounts of sugar. This is mostly because the products marketed and sold by the processed food industry are high in sugar. </p>
<p>Based on the last <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28231135/">Australian National Nutrition Survey</a>, children aged 2–3 years consumed <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/4364.0.55.0112011-12?OpenDocument">32 grams of added sugar per day</a> equivalent to 8 teaspoons of white sugar.</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/nutrition-and-packaging-characteristics-of-toddler-foods-and-milks-in-australia/1C6BA80843B773FC058BD3087D1A22BA">research</a> shows the increased availability of ultra-processed foods for very young children may be contributing to a sugary diet.</p>
<p>So what can parents do about it?</p>
<h2>What too much sugar does to children</h2>
<p>The problem with too much sugar in our diets is it provides kilojoules but little else nutritionally. </p>
<p>These extra kilojoules <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23321486/">promote weight gain and obesity</a>. They also contribute strongly to <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8501477/">tooth decay in young children</a> and often <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/AUSSTATS/abs@.nsf/DetailsPage/4727.0.55.0052012-13?OpenDocument">displace healthy options</a> like fruits, vegetables, and dairy foods from a child’s diet.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports/dental-oral-health/oral-health-and-dental-care-in-australia/contents/healthy-mouths#:%7E:text=Maintaining%20a%20healthy%20mouth%20relies%20upon%20practising%20good,twice%20a%20day%20using%20fluoride%20toothpaste%20%28DoH%202018%29.">One in every four</a> Australian children has dental cavities in their baby or permanent teeth. </p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/not-all-calories-are-equal-a-dietitian-explains-the-different-ways-the-kinds-of-foods-you-eat-matter-to-your-body-156900">Not all calories are equal – a dietitian explains the different ways the kinds of foods you eat matter to your body</a>
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<p>The <a href="https://www.who.int/publications-detail-redirect/9789241549028">World Health Organization</a> (WHO) recommends “free sugar intake” be limited to less than 10% of our total daily kilojoules for everyone. In fact, the WHO is now considering reducing that amount down to 5% given the knowledge <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.011%7E2011-12%7EMain%20Features%7EConsumption%20of%20Added%20Sugars%20-%20A%20comparison%20of%201995%20to%202011-12%7E20">children’s sugar intakes remain high</a>. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.foodstandards.gov.au/consumer/nutrition/Pages/Sugar.aspx">Free sugars</a> are those added to foods and drinks, as well as sugars naturally present in honey, fruit juices, and fruit juice concentrates. Free sugars do not include natural sugars found within whole (unprocessed) fruits and vegetables or milk. </p>
<p>Results from the <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.011%7E2011-12%7EMain%20Features%7EDietary%20Energy%20from%20Free%20Sugars%7E9">Australian National Nutrition Survey</a> indicate toddlers aged 2–3 years consumed 11% of their total energy intake from free sugar on average. Half of the toddlers exceeded the current WHO free sugar recommendation.</p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1595180332533567494"}"></div></p>
<h2>Where is the sugar coming from?</h2>
<p>The latest National Health <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4364.0.55.011%7E2011-12%7EMain%20Features%7EDietary%20Energy%20from%20Free%20Sugars%7E9">survey</a> also tells us sugar comes mostly from highly processed foods like bakery products, sugar-sweetened beverages, chocolate and confectionary, breakfast cereals and desserts. </p>
<p><a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26794833/">These foods</a> provide 80–90% children’s daily added sugar intake. </p>
<p>But it’s not just about treats. Commercial infant and toddler foods are a major source of hidden sugars in young children’s diets. These are largely ultra-processed foods that have undergone multiple industrial processes. They contain ingredients such as added sugar, salt, fat as well as additives to make them appealing. Ultra-processed foods often contain ingredients that would not be used if we made a similar product at home.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/nutrition-and-packaging-characteristics-of-toddler-foods-and-milks-in-australia/1C6BA80843B773FC058BD3087D1A22BA">Our research</a> shows, ultra-processed foods, particularly snack foods, are common. They comprise 85% of all foods marketed as for toddlers in Australia (as of 2019). </p>
<p>These ultra-processed toddler foods often contain ingredients like fruit pastes, purees or concentrates. They can sound healthy – with slogans like “made from real fruit” – but are very different from the whole fruit they come from. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495239/original/file-20221115-15-44kkrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="toddler being offered cut up fruit" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495239/original/file-20221115-15-44kkrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/495239/original/file-20221115-15-44kkrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495239/original/file-20221115-15-44kkrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495239/original/file-20221115-15-44kkrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495239/original/file-20221115-15-44kkrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495239/original/file-20221115-15-44kkrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/495239/original/file-20221115-15-44kkrd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Offer whole food rather than ultra-processed foods.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/mother-gives-toddler-baby-fruits-600w-2197707739.jpg">Shutterstock</a></span>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/ultra-processed-foods-are-trashing-our-health-and-the-planet-180115">Ultra-processed foods are trashing our health – and the planet</a>
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<p>Consumers might assume these products are healthy due to the labelling and images of fruit on the package. But our body <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/10408398.2018.1502743?journalCode=bfsn20">handles ultra-processed foods</a> very differently than it does a whole food, which has had no or minimal processing. </p>
<p>Some toddler foods marketed as “no added sugar” or “all natural” are in some cases, up to <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/nutrition-and-packaging-characteristics-of-toddler-foods-and-milks-in-australia/1C6BA80843B773FC058BD3087D1A22BA">50% fruit sugar</a> in the form of fruit purees or concentrates. </p>
<p>Some <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/nutrition-and-packaging-characteristics-of-toddler-foods-and-milks-in-australia/1C6BA80843B773FC058BD3087D1A22BA">toddler milks</a>, which are also ultra-processed, contain more sugar in the same volume than a soft drink. And nearly a third of <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/nutrition-and-packaging-characteristics-of-toddler-foods-and-milks-in-australia/1C6BA80843B773FC058BD3087D1A22BA">savoury foods</a> for toddlers contain fruit purees as well. </p>
<p>While this may make the food more palatable to a child, ensuring parents buy it again, it also ensures children will develop a preference for sweetness.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/food-and-drinks-are-getting-sweeter-even-if-its-not-all-sugar-its-bad-for-our-health-187605">Food and drinks are getting sweeter. Even if it's not all sugar, it's bad for our health</a>
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<h2>3 things parents can do</h2>
<p>While there is no need to remove all free sugar, the evidence tells us most children are consuming more than is good for them. So how can we cut that down?</p>
<p><strong>1. Demand accurate labelling</strong></p>
<p>Honest food labelling where food manufacturers are required to reveal how much added sugar is in food products is needed. For example, a clear “added sugar” definition would ensure that all harmful sugars are included in food labels, including the highly processed fruit-based ingredients used in infant and toddler foods. You can sign up to advocate for this via the <a href="https://www.opc.org.au/kids-are-sweet-enough">Kids are Sweet Enough</a> campaign.</p>
<p><strong>2. Pantry swaps</strong></p>
<p>Replace sugar-sweetened foods with foods often already in the kitchen. Swap out the common sources of sugar including cakes, biscuits, pastries, sugar and sweet spreads with wholegrain breads, low sugar cereals (like porridge or Weet-Bix), vegetables and fruits (cut to safe swallowing size) and nut pastes.<br>
<a href="https://www.eatforhealth.gov.au/sites/default/files/files/the_guidelines/n56b_infant_feeding_summary_130808.pdf">Swap</a> sugar-sweetened beverages, sweetened dairy products and toddler milks with plain water (boiled and cooled for children over 6 months) and unflavoured cows milk (from 12 months of age). </p>
<p><strong>3. Plug into places to learn more</strong></p>
<p>For practical advice and support on feeding your baby or toddler, download the My Baby Now App from the App Store or Google Play. </p>
<p>Parents can join our free online course <a href="https://www.futurelearn.com/courses/infant-nutrition">Infant Nutrition</a>, or <a href="https://www.infantprogram.org/">search here</a> to see if the INFANT (INfant Feeding, Activity Play and NuTrition) Program is running in your area.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sugar-detox-cutting-carbs-a-doctor-explains-why-you-should-keep-fruit-on-the-menu-173992">Sugar detox? Cutting carbs? A doctor explains why you should keep fruit on the menu</a>
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<img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/194168/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Miaobing(Jazzmin) Zheng receives funding from National Health Medical Research Council Early Career Fellowship. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rachel Laws has previously been funded by National Health and Medical Resource Council Early Career Fellowship (2015-2017). </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Jennifer McCann, Julie Woods, and Karen Campbell do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>‘Free sugars’ should only make up 10% of children’s diets. But Australian toddlers are eating 11% sugar on average.Jennifer McCann, Lecturer, PhD student, Deakin UniversityMiaobing (Jazzmin) Zheng, NHMRC Early Career Research Fellow, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1927422022-10-27T19:26:41Z2022-10-27T19:26:41ZHow taxing sugary drinks reinforces weight stigma<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491565/original/file-20221025-246-osvds4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=4%2C98%2C2972%2C2090&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Newfoundland and Labrador has implemented a tax of 20 cents per litre on sugary drinks.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(AP Photo/Jenny Kane)</span></span></figcaption></figure><iframe style="width: 100%; height: 100px; border: none; position: relative; z-index: 1;" allowtransparency="" allow="clipboard-read; clipboard-write" src="https://narrations.ad-auris.com/widget/the-conversation-canada/how-taxing-sugary-drinks-reinforces-weight-stigma" width="100%" height="400"></iframe>
<p>Newfoundland and Labrador made history in September as the first Canadian province to <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/rethink-your-drink-campaign-1.6548570">implement a sugar-sweetened beverage tax</a>. Sugar-sweetened beverage taxes also exist outside of Canada, including in <a href="https://doi.org/10.1017/s1368980016003086">Mexico, Philadelphia, Penn. and the United Kingdom</a>. In Newfoundland and Labrador the tax amounts to <a href="https://www.gov.nl.ca/budget/2021/what-you-need-to-know/promoting-a-healthier-newfoundland-and-labrador">20 cents per litre</a> of sugar-sweetened beverage.</p>
<p>Sugar-sweetened beverage taxation is supported by many global and national health organizations, such as the <a href="https://www.who.int/europe/publications/i/item/WHO-EURO-2022-5721-45486-65112">World Health Organization</a>, <a href="https://www.diabetes.ca/advocacy---policies/our-policy-positions/sugar---diabetes">Diabetes Canada</a> and the <a href="https://www.heartandstroke.ca/-/media/pdf-files/canada/position-statement/liquidcandy-factsheet-en.ashx?la=en&hash=E21D8E5A8708FD82915931DEC2C768361D130CC7">Heart and Stroke Foundation</a>. Taxes are a popular public health policy because of associations between sugary beverage consumption and <a href="https://doi.org/10.2337/dc10-1079">Type 2 diabetes</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.3945/ajcn.113.058362">weight gain</a>. </p>
<p>Sugar-sweetened beverage taxes are excise taxes, or flat taxes, which also make them regressive taxes. This type of taxation has real potential to have <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-sin-tax-on-sugary-drinks-unfairly-targets-indigenous-communities-instead-of-improving-health-155108">harmful effects on equity</a> as lower-income populations will pay a higher proportion of their income through this tax. Previous critiques of sugar-sweetened beverage taxation also include the <a href="https://vocm.com/2022/09/06/opposition-fielding-questions-on-new-sugar-tax/">potential harm to small business</a> and First Nations communities.</p>
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<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/a-sin-tax-on-sugary-drinks-unfairly-targets-indigenous-communities-instead-of-improving-health-155108">A sin tax on sugary drinks unfairly targets Indigenous communities instead of improving health</a>
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<h2>Weight stigma</h2>
<p>Notably absent from this list of harms is the potential of sugar-sweetened beverage taxation to create or exacerbate stigma, including weight stigma. Weight stigma in health policies has received global attention and there are <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41591-020-0803-x">many calls to action</a> to end <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/S2468-2667(19)30186-0">weight-stigmatizing policies</a>.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Overweight parents walking outdoors with their child" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491963/original/file-20221026-21-c74v42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491963/original/file-20221026-21-c74v42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491963/original/file-20221026-21-c74v42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491963/original/file-20221026-21-c74v42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=509&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491963/original/file-20221026-21-c74v42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=639&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491963/original/file-20221026-21-c74v42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=639&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491963/original/file-20221026-21-c74v42.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=639&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Weight stigma includes stereotypes of laziness and stupidity, which are not supported by evidence.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>Stigma occurs, in part, when a label — such as “obesity” — is associated with negative stereotypes, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.soc.27.1.363">leading to discrimination and loss of status</a>. Weight stigma includes stereotypes of <a href="https://doi.org/10.1037//0278-6133.22.1.68">laziness and stupidity</a>. It can lead to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2008.636">discrimination in health-care and workplace settings</a>. </p>
<p>Weight stigma has negative effects on <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/cob.12264">mental</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13511">physical health</a>, including <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ijo.0803105">health-care avoidance</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.eatbeh.2020.101383">disordered eating</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1186/s12889-021-10565-7">self exclusion from sport and exercise</a> and <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13511">stress</a>. Contrary to what many people think, <a href="https://doi.org/10.2105%2FAJPH.2009.159491">stigma is not an effective strategy for weight loss</a>. </p>
<p>Even before Newfoundland and Labrador declared its intentions with sugar-sweetened beverage taxation, significant interest in Canada and globally led us to explore attitudes and acceptability of a tax in our province of Manitoba. We conducted an <a href="http://hdl.handle.net/1993/36863">interview-based study</a> with residents of many different locations, including a middle-to-upper class, liberal neighbourhood in the provincial capital, Winnipeg. </p>
<p>Our participants from this location were white, food secure and primarily highly educated. In our analysis, we specifically sought out instances of weight stigma in the interview transcripts. </p>
<h2>Stigmatizing messages</h2>
<p>We were interested in the language participants used because people absorb the messages they hear and the images they see. They may push back, change or repeat these messages. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A hand pouring sugar out of a soda can" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491753/original/file-20221025-18-2ajurj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/491753/original/file-20221025-18-2ajurj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491753/original/file-20221025-18-2ajurj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491753/original/file-20221025-18-2ajurj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491753/original/file-20221025-18-2ajurj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491753/original/file-20221025-18-2ajurj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/491753/original/file-20221025-18-2ajurj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">People absorb the messages they hear and the images they see.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>In our analysis of the interviews, we found that many participants repeated weight-stigmatizing messages when discussing sugar-sweetened beverages. A more overt way this occurred was through the judgement of higher-weight individuals who were buying or consuming sugar-sweetened beverages. </p>
<p>Weight stigma also occurred in more covert or subtle ways. For example, some participants talked about their “disgust” and other negative emotions associated with their weight and others’ weight. Many participants also spoke of their “responsibility” to lose weight or to protect their children from becoming overweight by not consuming sugar-sweetened beverages and juice. </p>
<p>Weight dissatisfaction is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1155/2013/291371">harmful to one’s health</a>. Disgust also has justice implications for public health. Being disgusted by someone <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/09581596.2014.885115">makes them seem less than human. It can contribute to blaming people</a> for conditions caused by multiple biological and social factors and can reinforce prejudice. </p>
<p>Participants also described higher weight individuals as a “burden” on the health-care system and that a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages would help offset these perceived costs. While this myth of obesity bankrupting the health-care system is pervasive, research suggests otherwise. In Manitoba, the health service usage for <a href="http://mchp-appserv.cpe.umanitoba.ca/reference/MCHP-Obesity_Report_WEB.pdf">individuals classified as overweight was found to be similar to those classified as normal weight</a>. Health-care usage was only marginally higher for individuals classified as obese. </p>
<h2>Policies and stigma</h2>
<p>Hearing these comments repeated in our interviews indicated to us how pervasive and widespread weight stigma was in participants’ attitudes toward sugar-sweetened beverage intake. Most importantly, these beliefs informed support or acceptability of sugar-sweetened beverage taxation. </p>
<p>This finding echoes <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.socscimed.2013.09.023">existing research suggesting reciprocal processes</a> between stigma at inter- and intra-personal levels and policies. This indicates that interpersonal stigma may contribute to the creation of stigmatizing policies and that stigmatizing policies may in turn legitimize and worsen existing stigma. </p>
<p>Our specific research population was chosen because it was a good representation of the dominant social group in Canada — a white, middle-to-upper class, highly educated segment of the population. This dominant population is also likely to be similar to many policymakers, further supporting the perspectives of this group within Canadian policies. </p>
<p>Our findings demonstrate how weight-stigmatizing comments were used in support of sugar-sweetened beverage taxation. Weight stigma has <a href="https://theconversation.com/how-anti-fat-bias-in-health-care-endangers-lives-115888?">serious health consequences</a>. If Canadian <a href="https://www.canada.ca/en/public-health/corporate/publications/chief-public-health-officer-reports-state-public-health-canada/addressing-stigma-toward-more-inclusive-health-system.html">public health professionals</a> are committed to tackling weight stigma in health policies, we need to reconsider our support for this policy.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/192742/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Anne Katherine Anderson Waugh received Canada Graduate Scholarship-Masters funding from CIHR. She has also received funding from the University of Manitoba, Faculty of Graduate Studies. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Andrea Bombak receives funding from New Brunswick Health Research Foundation, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, and Banting Discovery Award. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Natalie Diane Riediger receives funding from the Canadian Institutes of Health Research, Canadian Celiac Association, Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council, University of Manitoba, Mitacs, and Universities Canada. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Patty Thille currently receives funding from Research Manitoba. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Kerstin Roger does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Taxation of sugar-sweetened drinks is not only inequitable, but also has the potential to create or perpetuate weight stigma, which has negative effects on mental and physical health.Anne Katherine Anderson Waugh, Research Coordinator, Department of Food and Human Nutritional Sciences, University of ManitobaAndrea Bombak, Associate professor, Department of Sociology, University of New BrunswickKerstin Roger, Full Professor, Department of Community Health Sciences, University of ManitobaNatalie Diane Riediger, Assistant Professor of Nutritional Epidemiology, University of ManitobaPatty Thille, Assistant Professor in Physical Therapy, University of ManitobaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1841282022-08-22T12:26:15Z2022-08-22T12:26:15ZTwo surprising reasons behind the obesity epidemic: Too much salt, not enough water<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471724/original/file-20220629-12-h11vd4.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C3600%2C2398&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Salty french fries may taste good, but they just contribute to dehydration and obesity.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/cropped-image-of-tempted-boy-holding-french-fries-royalty-free-image/660559557?adppopup=true">William Voon/EyeEm via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Scientific studies and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/what-percent-young-adults-obese/2021/12/03/b6010f98-5387-11ec-9267-17ae3bde2f26_story.html">media coverage</a> are rife <a href="https://doi.org/10.1002/oby.22073">with warnings</a> on how <a href="https://doi.org/10.31883/pjfns/110735">sugar</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/jhn.12559">carbohydrates</a>, <a href="https://doi.org/10.3945/jn.111.153460">saturated fat</a> and <a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/obesity-prevention-source/obesity-causes/physical-activity-and-obesity/">lack of exercise</a> contribute to obesity. And <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7721435/">tens of millions of Americans are still overweight or obese</a> in large part because of the classic Western diet and lifestyle. </p>
<p>As an <a href="https://drrichardjohnson.com/about/#">educator, researcher and professor of medicine</a>, I have <a href="https://drrichardjohnson.com/books/">spent more than 20 years</a> <a href="https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=dTgECeMAAAAJ&hl=en">investigating the causes of obesity</a>, as well as related conditions such as diabetes, high blood pressure and chronic kidney disease. </p>
<p>Throughout my many years of studying obesity and related health conditions, I’ve observed that relatively little is said about two significant pieces of this very complex puzzle: lack of hydration and excessive salt intake. Both are known to contribute to obesity. </p>
<h2>Lessons learned from a desert sand rat</h2>
<p>Nature provides a clue to the role these factors play with the desert sand rat <em>Psammomys obesus</em>, a half-pound rodent with a high-pitched squeak that lives in the salty marshes and deserts of Northern Africa. It survives, barely, by eating the stems of <em>Salicornia</em> – the glasswort – a plant that looks a bit like asparagus. </p>
<p>Although low in nutrients, the glasswort’s fleshy, succulent sap is filled with water that’s rich in salt, at concentrations as high as what’s found in seawater.</p>
<p>Recent studies <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1713837115">have provided new insights</a> into why the desert sand rat might crave the salty sap of glasswort. Although this has not yet been proven specifically in the sand rat, it is likely that a high-salt diet helps the sand rat convert the relatively low amount of carbohydrates it’s ingesting into fructose, a type of sugar that occurs naturally in fruits, honey and some vegetables.</p>
<p>This <a href="https://doi.org/10.1111/joim.12993">helps the animal survive</a> when food and fresh water are sparse. This is because fructose activates a “survival switch” that stimulates foraging, food intake and the storage of fat and carbohydrates that protect the animal from starvation.</p>
<p>However, when the rat is brought into captivity and given the common rodent diet of about 50% carbohydrates, it <a href="https://doi.org/10.1152/ajplegacy.1965.208.2.297">rapidly develops obesity and diabetes</a>. But if given fresh vegetables low in starchy carbohydrates, the rodent remains lean. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471738/original/file-20220629-21-kvfn1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A desert sand rat, with prominent whiskers and a brown and white coat, takes a look outside its burrow." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471738/original/file-20220629-21-kvfn1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/471738/original/file-20220629-21-kvfn1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471738/original/file-20220629-21-kvfn1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471738/original/file-20220629-21-kvfn1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=433&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471738/original/file-20220629-21-kvfn1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471738/original/file-20220629-21-kvfn1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/471738/original/file-20220629-21-kvfn1y.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">The desert sand rat, also known as the fat sand rat, is actually a gerbil. It’s found in Asia as well as Africa.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/fat-sand-rat-emerging-from-burrow-in-coastal-royalty-free-image/617548398?adppopup=true">Kristian Bell/Moment via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://drrichardjohnson.com/books/">My research</a>, and the research of many other scientists over the decades, shows that many Americans unwittingly behave much like a captive desert sand rat, although few are in settings where food and water are limited. They are constantly activating the survival switch. </p>
<h2>Fructose and our diets</h2>
<p>As mentioned, fructose, a simple sugar, appears to have a key role in activating this survival switch that leads to fat production.</p>
<p>Small amounts of fructose, like that found in an individual fruit, are not the problem – rather it is excessive amounts of fructose that are problematic for human health. Most of us get our fructose from table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Intake of these two sugars <a href="https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2014/03/05/five-percent-of-calories-should-be-from-sugar/6097623/">totals approximately 15% of calories</a> in the average American diet. </p>
<p>These sugars encourage people to eat more, which can lead to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/s41574-021-00627-6">weight gain, fat accumulation and prediabetes</a>. </p>
<p>Our bodies also make fructose on their own – and experimental studies suggest it may be enough to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA118.006158">trigger the development of obesity</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468593/original/file-20220613-17-sgohui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A spoonful of sugar, surrounded by sugar cubes, on a wooden table." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468593/original/file-20220613-17-sgohui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/468593/original/file-20220613-17-sgohui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468593/original/file-20220613-17-sgohui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468593/original/file-20220613-17-sgohui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468593/original/file-20220613-17-sgohui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468593/original/file-20220613-17-sgohui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/468593/original/file-20220613-17-sgohui.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=579&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are two of the culprits that can cause weight gain and obesity.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/sugar-spoon-on-wood-royalty-free-image/681197933?adppopup=true">ATU Images/The Image Bank via Getty Images</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Since fructose is made from glucose, production of fructose increases when blood glucose levels are high. This process happens when we eat a lot of rice, cereal, potatoes and white bread; those are carbs that rapidly release glucose into the blood rapidly.</p>
<p>And notably, fructose production can also <a href="https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.RA118.006158">be stimulated by dehydration</a>, which drives fat production. </p>
<h2>Fat provides water</h2>
<p>Fat has two major functions. The first one, which is well known, is to store calories for a later time when food is unavailable. </p>
<p>The other major but lesser-known function of fat <a href="https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2015121314">is to provide water</a>. </p>
<p>To be clear, fat does not contain water. But when fat breaks down, it generates water in the body. The amount produced is substantial, and roughly equivalent to the amount of fat burned. It’s so significant that some animals <a href="https://doi.org/10.1681/ASN.2015121314">rely on fat to provide water</a> during times when it’s not available. </p>
<p>Whales are but one example. While they drink some seawater, they get most of their water from the foods they eat. And when they go for extended periods without food, they get their water <a href="https://doi.org/10.1242/jeb.204.11.1831">primarily by metabolizing fat</a>. </p>
<h2>Hold the fries</h2>
<p>The role of dehydration as a contributor to obesity should not be underestimated. It commonly occurs after eating salty foods. Both dehydration and salt consumption lead to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1713837115">the production of fructose and fat</a>. </p>
<p>This is why salty french fries are especially fattening. The salt causes a dehydration-like state that encourages the conversion of the starch in the french fry to fructose.</p>
<p>What’s more, studies show most people who are overweight or obese <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602521">don’t drink enough water</a>. They are far more likely to be dehydrated than those who are lean. Their salt intake is also very high compared with lean people’s. </p>
<p>Research shows that people with obesity frequently <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/ijo.2012.88">have high levels of vasopressin</a>, a hormone that helps the kidneys hold water to regulate urine volume. </p>
<p>But recent studies suggest vasopressin has another purpose, which is <a href="https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.140848">to stimulate fat production</a>. </p>
<p>For someone at risk of dehydration or starvation, vasopressin may have a real survival benefit. But for those not at risk, vasopressin could drive most of the metabolic effects of excess fructose, like weight gain, fat accumulation, fatty liver and prediabetes. </p>
<h2>Drinking more water</h2>
<p>So does this mean drinking more water can help us lose weight? The medical community has <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/17/well/live/how-much-water-should-I-drink.html">often scoffed at the assertion</a>. However, our research team found that giving mice more water slowed <a href="https://doi.org/10.1172/jci.insight.140848">weight gain and the development of prediabetes</a>, even when the mice had diets rich in sugar and fat. </p>
<p>There is also increasing evidence that <a href="https://doi.org/10.3390/nu14102070">most people drink too little water</a> in general, and increasing water intake may help people who are obese <a href="https://doi.org/10.1038/oby.2008.409">lose weight</a>. </p>
<p>That’s why I encourage drinking eight tall glasses of water a day. And eight is likely enough; don’t assume more is better. There have been cases of people drinking so much that “water intoxication” occurs. This is particularly a problem with people who have heart, kidney or liver conditions, as well as those who have had recent surgery or <a href="https://doi.org/10.1056/NEJMoa043901">are long-distance runners</a>. It’s always good to first check with your doctor about water intake. </p>
<p>For the desert sand rat, and for our ancestors who scavenged for food, a high-salt and limited-water diet made sense. But human beings no longer live that way. These simple measures – drinking more water and reducing salt intake – offer cheap, easy and healthy strategies that may prevent or treat obesity.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/184128/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Richard Johnson is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus who has received funding from the National Institutes of Health, Veteran's Health Administration, and Department of Defense to understand the role of fructose metabolism in a variety of metabolic disorders. He also has equity with Colorado Research Partners LLC that is developing inhibitors of fructose metabolism. He is also author of Nature Wants Us to Be Fat (Benbella books, 2022) that discusses the science of fructose and its role in obesity and metabolic disorders.</span></em></p>Studies show that most people who are overweight or obese are also chronically dehydrated.Richard Johnson, Professor of Medicine, University of Colorado Anschutz Medical CampusLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1876052022-07-29T00:31:04Z2022-07-29T00:31:04ZFood and drinks are getting sweeter. Even if it’s not all sugar, it’s bad for our health<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476012/original/file-20220726-26-fd3ast.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=26%2C35%2C5964%2C3952&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1527515545081-5db817172677?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=2070&q=80">Unsplash/Rod Long</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Humans have an evolutionary preference for sweetness. Sweet foods, like fruit and honey, <a href="https://theconversation.com/a-taste-for-sweet-an-anthropologist-explains-the-evolutionary-origins-of-why-youre-programmed-to-love-sugar-173197">were an important energy source</a> for our ancestors. </p>
<p>However, in the modern world, sweetened foods are readily available, very cheap and advertised extensively. Now, we are consuming too much sugar in foods and drinks – the kind that is added rather than sugar that is naturally occurring. Consuming too much added sugar is <a href="https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar#:%7E:text=%22The%20effects%20of%20added%20sugar,Hu.">bad news</a> for health. It is linked to <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/obr.12040">obesity</a>, <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/sacn-carbohydrates-and-health-report">type 2 diabetes and tooth decay</a>. </p>
<p>Because of these health concerns, manufacturers started using non-nutritive sweeteners to sweeten food as well. These sweeteners contain little to no kilojoules and include both artificial sweeteners, such as aspartame, and those that come from natural sources, such as stevia. </p>
<p>Our research, <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/global-trends-in-added-sugars-and-nonnutritive-sweetener-use-in-the-packaged-food-supply-drivers-and-implications-for-public-health/A6375EB569DCDA4899730EC40C69D1CC">published today</a>, shows the amount of added sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners in packaged foods and drinks has grown a lot over the last decade. This is especially true in middle-income countries, such as China and India, as well as in the Asia Pacific, including Australia. </p>
<h2>From lollies to biscuits to drinks</h2>
<p>Using market sales data from around the globe, we looked at the quantity of added sugar and non-nutritive sweeteners sold in packaged foods and drinks from 2007 to 2019. </p>
<p>We found per person volumes of non-nutritive sweeteners in drinks is now 36% higher globally. Added sugars in packaged food is 9% higher. </p>
<p>Non-nutritive sweeteners are most commonly added to confectionery. Ice creams and sweet biscuits are the fastest-growing food categories in terms of these sweeteners. The expanding use of added sugars and other sweeteners over the last decade means, overall, our packaged food supply is getting sweeter.</p>
<p>Our analysis shows the amount of added sugar used to sweeten drinks has increased globally. However, this is largely explained by a 50% increase in middle-income countries, such as China and India. Use has decreased in high-income countries, such as Australia and the United States. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476172/original/file-20220726-12-fkmr9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="group of kids eat icypoles" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476172/original/file-20220726-12-fkmr9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476172/original/file-20220726-12-fkmr9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476172/original/file-20220726-12-fkmr9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476172/original/file-20220726-12-fkmr9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476172/original/file-20220726-12-fkmr9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476172/original/file-20220726-12-fkmr9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476172/original/file-20220726-12-fkmr9e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Icecreams are among the foods increasing in sweetness the fastest.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/group-kids-eating-colorful-frozen-600w-1418895149.jpg">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p><a href="https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/added-sugar-in-the-diet/#:%7E:text=The%20AHA%20suggests%20a%20stricter,of%20sugar%20for%20most%20men.">It is recommended</a> men consume less than nine teaspoons of sugar a day, while women should have less than six. However, because sugar is added to so many foods and drinks, over half of <a href="https://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/lookup/4364.0.55.011main+features12011-12#:%7E:text=In%202011%2D12%2C%20Australians%20consumed,from%20honey%20and%20fruit%20juice.">Australians exceed recommendations</a>, eating an average of 14 teaspoons a day. </p>
<p>The shift from using added sugar to sweeteners to sweeten drinks is most common in carbonated soft drinks and bottled water. The World Health Organization is <a href="https://www.who.int/news-room/articles-detail/online-public-consultation-draft-guideline-on-use-of-non-sugar-sweeteners">developing guidelines</a> on the use of <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240046429">non-sugar sweeteners</a>. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476015/original/file-20220726-18-eepwwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="girls with soda bottle drinks through straw" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476015/original/file-20220726-18-eepwwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476015/original/file-20220726-18-eepwwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476015/original/file-20220726-18-eepwwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476015/original/file-20220726-18-eepwwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476015/original/file-20220726-18-eepwwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476015/original/file-20220726-18-eepwwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476015/original/file-20220726-18-eepwwv.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Drinks labelled ‘sugar-free’ might seem healthier, even if they’re not.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/drinks-people-lifestyle-concept-close-600w-677885284.jpg">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/sugar-detox-cutting-carbs-a-doctor-explains-why-you-should-keep-fruit-on-the-menu-173992">Sugar detox? Cutting carbs? A doctor explains why you should keep fruit on the menu</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Rich and poor countries</h2>
<p>There is a difference in added sugar and sweetener use between richer and poorer countries. The market for packaged food and beverages in high-income countries has become saturated. To continue to grow, large food and beverage corporations are <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/abs/10.1111/obr.13126">expanding into middle-income countries</a>.</p>
<p>Our findings demonstrate a double standard in the sweetening of the food supply, with manufacturers providing less sweet, “healthier” products in richer countries.</p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476013/original/file-20220726-25-nxdxfi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="spoonful of sugar with raspberry on top" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476013/original/file-20220726-25-nxdxfi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476013/original/file-20220726-25-nxdxfi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476013/original/file-20220726-25-nxdxfi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476013/original/file-20220726-25-nxdxfi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=383&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476013/original/file-20220726-25-nxdxfi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476013/original/file-20220726-25-nxdxfi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476013/original/file-20220726-25-nxdxfi.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=481&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Added sugar is bad but rules to cut it out can have unintended consequences.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://images.unsplash.com/photo-1628619876503-2db74e724757?ixlib=rb-1.2.1&ixid=MnwxMjA3fDB8MHxwaG90by1wYWdlfHx8fGVufDB8fHx8&auto=format&fit=crop&w=3010&q=80">Unsplash/Myriam Zilles</a>, <a class="license" href="http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/">CC BY</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/how-much-longer-do-we-need-to-wait-for-australia-to-implement-a-sugary-drinks-tax-162434">How much longer do we need to wait for Australia to implement a sugary drinks tax?</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Unexpected consequences of control</h2>
<p>To reduce the health harms of high added sugar intakes, many governments have acted to curb their use and consumption. Sugar levies, education campaigns, advertising restrictions and labelling <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/nutrition-research-reviews/article/abs/drivers-trends-and-dietary-impacts-of-nonnutritive-sweeteners-in-the-food-supply-a-narrative-review/32B903F1CAB239800F2C98279541B4C0">are among these measures</a>.</p>
<p>But such actions can encourage manufacturers to partially or completely substitute sugar with non-nutritive sweeteners to avoid penalties or cater to evolving population preferences. </p>
<p>In our study, we found regions with a higher number of policy actions to reduce sugar intakes had a significant increase in non-nutritive sweeteners sold in drinks. </p>
<p><div data-react-class="Tweet" data-react-props="{"tweetId":"1194398939383861248"}"></div></p>
<h2>Why is this a problem</h2>
<p>While the harms of consuming too much added sugar are well known, relying on non-nutritive sweeteners as a solution also carries risk. Despite their lack of dietary energy, recent <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240046429">reviews</a>, suggest consuming non-nutritive sweeteners may be linked with <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240046429">type 2 diabetes and heart disease</a> and can disrupt the <a href="https://academic.oup.com/advances/article/10/suppl_1/S31/5307224">gut microbiome</a>. </p>
<p>And because they are sweet, ingesting non-nutritive sweeteners <a href="https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789240046429">influences our palates</a> and encourages us to want more sweet food. This is of particular concern for children, who are still developing their lifelong taste preferences. Additionally, certain non-nutritive sweeteners are considered <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0147651318313368">environmental contaminants</a> and are not effectively removed from wastewater.</p>
<p>Non-nutritive sweeteners are only found in <a href="https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/public-health-nutrition/article/ultraprocessed-foods-what-they-are-and-how-to-identify-them/E6D744D714B1FF09D5BCA3E74D53A185">ultra-processed foods</a>. These foods are industrially made, contain ingredients you would not find in a home kitchen, and are designed to be “hyper-palatable”. Eating more ultra-processed foods is linked with more <a href="https://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/12/7/1955">heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and death</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://theconversation.com/ultra-processed-foods-are-trashing-our-health-and-the-planet-180115">Ultra-processed</a> foods are also <a href="https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lanplh/article/PIIS2542-5196(20)30177-7/fulltext">environmentally harmful</a> because they use significant resources such as energy, water, packaging materials and plastic waste.</p>
<p>Foods that contain sweeteners can receive a “health halo” if they don’t contain sugar, misleading the public and potentially displacing nutritious, whole foods in the diet. </p>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476014/original/file-20220726-12-tep7aj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="sugar and sweetener sachets" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476014/original/file-20220726-12-tep7aj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/476014/original/file-20220726-12-tep7aj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476014/original/file-20220726-12-tep7aj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476014/original/file-20220726-12-tep7aj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476014/original/file-20220726-12-tep7aj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476014/original/file-20220726-12-tep7aj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/476014/original/file-20220726-12-tep7aj.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Non-nutritive sweeteners can include those from artificial and natural sources.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://image.shutterstock.com/image-photo/close-selective-focus-different-colored-600w-695565067.jpg">Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<hr>
<p>
<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/poorest-americans-drink-a-lot-more-sugary-drinks-than-the-richest-which-is-why-soda-taxes-could-help-reduce-gaping-health-inequalities-142345">Poorest Americans drink a lot more sugary drinks than the richest – which is why soda taxes could help reduce gaping health inequalities</a>
</strong>
</em>
</p>
<hr>
<h2>Focus on nutrition</h2>
<p>When making policy to improve public health nutrition, it is important to consider unintended consequences. Rather than focusing on specific nutrients, there is merit in advocating for policy that considers the broader aspects of food, including cultural importance, level of processing and environmental impacts. Such policy should promote nutritious, minimally processed foods. </p>
<p>We need to closely monitor the increasing sweetness of food and drinks and the growing use of added sugars and non-nutritive sweeteners. It is likely to shape our future taste preferences, food choices and human and planetary health.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/187605/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Cherie Russell has received funding from an Australian Government Research Training Scholarship. The funder of the research was not involved in any aspect of the study. She is affiliated with the not-for-profit organisations Public Health Association of Australia and Healthy Food Systems Australia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Carley Grimes receives funding from the National Health and Medical Research Council and is affiliated with Dietitans Australia. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Mark Lawrence receives funding from the Australian Research Council. He is a Board member of Food Standards Australia New Zealand. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily reflect the positions of any organisation with which he is associated. </span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Phillip Baker receives funding from the Australian Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Rebecca Lindberg is affiliated with The Community Grocer. </span></em></p>There is more sugar and other sweeteners in our food and drinks globally than a decade ago, with manufacturers prioritising healthier options in richer countries.Cherie Russell, PhD Candidate, Deakin UniversityCarley Grimes, Senior Lecturer Population Nutrition, Deakin UniversityMark Lawrence, Professor of Public Health Nutrition, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin UniversityPhillip Baker, Research Fellow, Institute for Physical Activity and Nutrition, Deakin University, Deakin UniversityRebecca Lindberg, Postdoctoral research fellow, Deakin UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1834002022-06-07T10:54:32Z2022-06-07T10:54:32ZADHD: why it can make it harder to keep eating habits in check – and what you can do about it<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467442/original/file-20220607-31796-sj67lo.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C7%2C4992%2C3315&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">People with ADHD may tend to only eat a specific food or meal before eventually growing tired of it.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/displeased-businesswoman-having-lunch-break-work-1356947933">Drazen Zigic/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>People with ADHD know how much the condition can affect all aspects of their life – from how well they do in school to their relationships. But many people with ADHD may not be as aware of just how much the condition can influence their eating habits. And if left unchecked, these poor eating habits could eventually affect their <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3999164/">mental and physical health</a>.</p>
<p>Some of the most common problems are “hyperfixation” and binge eating. Hyperfixation is an <a href="https://totallyadd.com/hyperfixation-and-adhd/">intense fixation</a> on certain activities or interests, but can include eating habits, too. This means some people may only eat a specific food or meal for a while, before becoming tired of it and moving on to a different food or meal. </p>
<p>Studies have also shown an association between ADHD and <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17700082/">certain eating disorders</a>, with <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/articles/adhd-and-eating-disorders-what-you-need-to-know#:%7E:text=Researchers%20believe%20that%20ADHD%20symptoms,up%20or%20through%20excessive%20exercise">binge eating disorder</a> being one of the most common. Binge eating disorder is when people consume large amounts of foods over a short time, even when they’re not hungry. It’s estimated that almost a third of people in the US who have binge eating disorder <a href="https://researchblog.duke.edu/2018/03/13/binge-eating-disorder/">also have ADHD</a>. </p>
<p>Some experts believe that people with ADHD may overeat to satisfy their <a href="https://www.understood.org/en/articles/adhd-and-eating-disorders-what-you-need-to-know#:%7E:text=People%20with%20ADHD%20may%20not,to%20be%20a%20genetic%20link">need for stimulation</a>. Binge eating may also happen because ADHD makes it difficult for people to have self-control and self-regulation, meaning they may be more likely to overeat if they’re feeling sad or angry, and they may not find it as easy to know when they’re full.</p>
<p>Some evidence suggests that binge eating in people with ADHD may be attributed to a heightened <a href="https://www.mdedge.com/psychiatry/article/229104/adhd/binge-eating-adhd-may-not-be-impulsivity-related">neural-reward response</a> to food rather than impulsivity. This is when the brain is exposed to a stimulus that is rewarding and responds by releasing an increased amount of dopamine, a chemical in the brain associated with <a href="https://neuroscientificallychallenged.com/posts/know-your-brain-reward-system">reward and pleasure</a>. However, impulsiveness (another symptom of ADHD) may also lead people to overeat – especially foods that is unhealthy.</p>
<p>Some ADHD drugs can also <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/1941406414551202">suppress appetite</a> during the day. But as the drug’s effects wear off in the evening, appetite increases, which may lead to binge eating. </p>
<p><a href="https://www.additudemag.com/adhd-sensory-overload-spd-and-adhd-in-children/">Sensory issues</a> may also explain why some people with ADHD tend to eat or avoid certain foods. Certain textures or smells may cause sensory overload, making it difficult for people with ADHD to eat them – leading to avoidance of those foods or food groups altogether.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="A plate full of unhealthy, sugary foods – including chocolate bars, sweets and cookies." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467419/original/file-20220607-12-ogv3vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/467419/original/file-20220607-12-ogv3vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467419/original/file-20220607-12-ogv3vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467419/original/file-20220607-12-ogv3vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467419/original/file-20220607-12-ogv3vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467419/original/file-20220607-12-ogv3vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/467419/original/file-20220607-12-ogv3vb.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Dopamine may explain why people with ADHD prefer high-sugar foods.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/junk-food-sweets-unhealthy-eating-concept-425741359">Syda Productions/ Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>There’s also evidence that people with ADHD tend to gravitate toward junk foods, especially food that is <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4780667/">high in sugar</a>. This may be because high-sugar foods stimulate the release of dopamine.</p>
<p>People with ADHD have <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24259638/">lower levels of dopamine</a>. As such, they may be more “wired” to seek dopamine out. Since eating simple carbohydrates (such as high-sugar foods) triggers a <a href="https://theconversation.com/your-brain-on-sugar-what-the-science-actually-says-126581">rush of dopamine</a> in the brain, this may be why people with ADHD tend to hyperfixate or binge on these foods. </p>
<h2>What about nutrition?</h2>
<p>Not having a varied diet or only eating foods that may be high in sugar can lead to a range of health problems from vitamin deficiencies to <a href="https://ajp.psychiatryonline.org/doi/10.1176/appi.ajp.2015.15020266">obesity</a>. High-sugar diets can also affect energy levels and mood.</p>
<p>Some preliminary research suggests that certain foods, for example, highly processed, additives and preservatives, may also change <a href="https://www.bda.uk.com/resource/diet-behaviour-and-learning-children.html">behaviour and cognitive development</a>.</p>
<p>Several studies have shown nutritional deficiencies can affect behaviour and cognitive function in people with ADHD. Vitamin D and magnesium in particular are important, with research showing they may <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7011463/">improve attention and decrease hyperactivity</a> somewhat. Vitamin D can also affect the way dopamine <a href="https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31269890/">forms in the brain</a>.</p>
<p>But even though ADHD can make it harder to keep eating habits in check, if you have ADHD there are things you can do to improve the situation. Here are some of them:</p>
<ul>
<li><p><strong>Plan:</strong> Shop and plan meals for the week ahead. Planning meals makes it easier to decide what and when to eat and may help you avoid buying or bingeing on unhealthy, processed foods. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>Eat small but nutritious meals throughout the day</strong>. If these are planned, it can help you avoid filling up on unhealthy snacks – and may also help you avoid evening binges if you’re someone who forgets to eat throughout the day. A balance of protein and complex carbohydrates (such as chicken, beans or whole grains) will help you get enough proper nutrients and vitamins, but will also help you feel fuller for longer and give you energy. </p></li>
<li><p><strong>Create a healthy food environment at home.</strong> This might involve not buying high-calorie snacks or replacing them with nutritious ones instead – such as fruit or vegetables, which may help improve your <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/1028415X.2022.2071805">attention</a>.</p></li>
<li><p><strong>Supplement certain vitamins and minerals.</strong> People with ADHD are more likely to be deficient in certain micronutrients including <a href="https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2955638/#:%7E:text=After%2012%20weeks%20of%20consumption,impulsivity%20assessed%20by%20SNAP%2DIV">omega-3, magnesium and zinc</a>. These nutrients are important for ensuring the brain, body and immune system all function at their best. </p></li>
</ul>
<p>While it may not always be easy to adjust your diet, working with a nutritionist or psychologist, getting help from a loved one, or even using a daily meal planner may all be useful in helping get on track. Even making just a few small changes to your daily eating habits can have a significant effect on your health in the long run.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/183400/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Hazel Flight does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Binge eating or hyperfixating on certain foods may be common in people with ADHD.Hazel Flight, Programme Lead Nutrition and Health, Edge Hill UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1792712022-05-16T12:14:46Z2022-05-16T12:14:46ZSome chocolate has a dark side to it – child labor<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462830/original/file-20220512-25-9m8o8u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=33%2C25%2C5567%2C3702&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Most of us love chocolates, but child labor has been found involved in some of the production.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.gettyimages.com/detail/photo/girls-pining-for-candy-in-display-case-royalty-free-image/85646291?adppopup=true">Jupiterimages/The Image Bank via Getty Images</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Chocolate makes for a perfect gift, a comforting snack and even a health food, thanks to its plentiful antioxidants. Rumor has it that it might even <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2006/07/18/health/18real.html">work as an aphrodisiac</a>. It is no surprise, then, that the chocolate industry <a href="https://www.iisd.org/system/files/publications/ssi-global-market-report-cocoa.pdf">garners billions of dollars each year</a>. </p>
<p>However, there is also a dark side to chocolate.</p>
<p>As a <a href="https://www.rit.edu/liberalarts/directory/rcugla-robert-ulin">cultural anthropologist</a> who has done years of research on food and drink in Europe and North America, I have come to understand the close relationship between culinary traditions and social inequality. </p>
<p>In a course I teach on the anthropology of food, chocolate is among the numerous food commodities that I cover in the course as an index for understanding social class relations locally and globally, including human trafficking. </p>
<p>Exploitative labor, especially child labor, is among the most troublesome ways in which global chocolate is tied to inequality.</p>
<h2>History of chocolate</h2>
<p>Chocolate can be <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/history-of-chocolate">traced to the Olmec civilization</a> of Mesoamerica. The Olmec were the first to transform the cacao plant into chocolate, around 1750 B.C. The Olmec used chocolate in religious rituals and as a medicine. It was also used, as anthropologists Sophie D. Coe and Michael D. Coe note, <a href="http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1085907808">by both the Maya and Aztecs throughout the 15th century</a>. </p>
<p>However, the chocolate used in ritual life was a far cry from the chocolates that we enjoy today. In fact, it was very bitter. Hernan Cortes, the famous Spanish explorer, is said to have brought cacao back to Spain in the early 16th century; <a href="https://doi.org/10.2307/282531">there it was mixed with sugar and honey as a drink</a>. It was <a href="https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/a-brief-history-of-chocolate-21860917/">not until the 17th century</a> that chocolate was consumed throughout Europe, initially among the aristocracy. </p>
<p>The invention of the cocoa press in the 19th century allowed manufacturers to combine sugar with the fatty butter extracted from the beans. The mixture was then poured into molds and sold, thus <a href="https://www.history.com/topics/ancient-americas/history-of-chocolate">ushering in chocolate’s popularity</a> among the European masses.</p>
<p>Sugar cane was cultivated by enslaved West Africans in the Caribbean and the Americas as part of the Atlantic trade. Refined sugar cane made its way to England, where it was consumed by the working class as a quick source of energy and a way to satiate hunger. </p>
<p>European goods then made their way to Africa in exchange for slaves, in what anthropologist <a href="https://sidneymintz.net/bio.php">Sidney Mintz</a> noted in his 1985 book “<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/322123/sweetness-and-power-by-sidney-w-mintz/">Sweetness and Power</a>” as a “triangle of trade.” It was Caribbean sugar produced by the enslaved West Africans in the 19th century that made chocolate palatable. The connection to slavery does not end here.</p>
<h2>Children as cheap slave labor</h2>
<figure class="align-center zoomable">
<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462838/original/file-20220512-19-8sqd72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="Three children walking on a dirt road carrying wood and other things on their heads." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462838/original/file-20220512-19-8sqd72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/462838/original/file-20220512-19-8sqd72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462838/original/file-20220512-19-8sqd72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462838/original/file-20220512-19-8sqd72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=443&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462838/original/file-20220512-19-8sqd72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=557&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462838/original/file-20220512-19-8sqd72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=557&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/462838/original/file-20220512-19-8sqd72.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=557&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Children living in a cocoa-producing village walk back from the fields on the outskirts of the town of Oume, Ivory Coast, on June 30, 2005.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://newsroom.ap.org/detail/IvoryCoastChocolate/178b2ffb0a9c493080af44c86f88b8f7/photo?Query=child%20labor%20chocolate&mediaType=photo&sortBy=&dateRange=Anytime&totalCount=3&currentItemNo=1">AP Photo/Schalk van Zuydam, File</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>During the early 19th century, a period marked by colonialism, the British introduced the cacao plants to West Africa, where the growing conditions were ideal. The plants require warmth and humid growing conditions that are common to the tropical forests of the Ivory Coast and Ghana. </p>
<p>The cacao farms are still operating there: mostly small, and with poor owners. Harvesting and processing cacao is labor-intensive and many of these indigent farmers simply do not have the financial means or adequate family labor to make cacao growing viable. And so to economize they turn to children – <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/graphics/2019/business/hershey-nestle-mars-chocolate-child-labor-west-africa/">often as young as 5 but more typically 10 to 12 years in age</a>. The beans are in pods that must be cut open with machetes, making the work quite dangerous, especially for children. </p>
<p>Legal scholar <a href="https://faculty.utah.edu/u0412260-ERIKA_GEORGE/hm/index.hml">Erika George</a> notes that the vast majority of the children <a href="https://jilp.law.ucdavis.edu/issues/volume-21-1/George.pdf">end up on the cacao farms through trafficking</a>. Not all but many of the children come from Mali, especially from very poor rural villages. <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/2007/mar/22/sarahleft">Reporters have found that many children are approached by traffickers</a> and told that they will earn good wages on the cacao farms. They agree to the work to help their families financially. </p>
<p>As journalist Miki Mistrati shows in the documentary “<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-ExSRR8jJg0">The Dark Side of Chocolate</a>,” the traffickers then take the children to the Ivory Coast or Ghana, where they are sold to the farmers. The traffickers themselves are aided by local militia. Children who end up on the farms often work 14- to 16-hour days. They are even expected to carry heavy sacks of beans and beaten if they stumble or collapse. </p>
<p>It is hard to obtain exact figures on the numbers of children who have worked on the cacao farms. The International Labor Organization estimates <a href="https://www.ilo.org/global/about-the-ilo/newsroom/news/WCMS_574717/lang--en/index.htm">1.56 million in the Ivory Coast and Ghana alone</a> </p>
<p>Given the vast financial network involved in the chocolate trade, it is dangerous work for journalists. Mistrati used hidden cameras and passed himself and his companion off as tourists. He mentions a French journalist who disappeared pursuing the story of childhood slavery. </p>
<h2>Telling the story</h2>
<p>In 2021, six Malian men <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2021/feb/12/mars-nestle-and-hershey-to-face-landmark-child-slavery-lawsuit-in-us">filed a legal case</a> against Nestle USA and Cargill, claiming that they were trafficked from their villages and forced to labor on cacao farms. The case was brought to the United States Supreme Court with a majority ruling that chocolate companies <a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/world-us-canada-57522186">cannot be sued in the United States for abuse that happened elsewhere</a>, including for child slavery on African farms.</p>
<p>Large chocolate companies may not be participating in the trafficking of children directly, in that they purchase the cacao beans from merchant suppliers. Indeed, eight of the largest chocolate companies signed a protocol in 2001 <a href="https://www.ilo.org/washington/areas/elimination-of-the-worst-forms-of-child-labor/WCMS_159486/lang--en/index.htm">that condemned child labor and childhood slavery</a>. But it did not commit the industry to put an end to the practice. </p>
<p>Then there are organizations responsible for Fair Trade and the UTZ labels that seek to assure consumers of fair labor practices in the chocolate sector, although <a href="https://foodispower.org/human-labor-slavery/slavery-chocolate/">this is not an ultimate guarantee</a> that the children have not been exploited in the production process more generally. It should also be noted that the <a href="https://www.dol.gov/agencies/ilab/our-work/child-forced-labor-trafficking/child-labor-cocoa">United States Department of Labor has also taken a strong stand</a> against the exploitation of children on cacao farms. </p>
<p>There is a strong argument to be made here against the abuses of labor, especially when it involves children, and to that end we all bear some responsibility as consumers.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/179271/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Robert C Ulin receives funding from organization the Wenner Gren Foundation for Anthropological Research. On two occasions, the Winner Greg Foundation funded my research on French wine.</span></em></p>An anthropologist writes that despite best efforts, there is no guarantee that children may not have been exploited in the production process of chocolate.Robert C. Ulin, Professor of Anthropology, Rochester Institute of TechnologyLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1824862022-05-09T16:46:08Z2022-05-09T16:46:08ZUnlocking the secrets of maple syrup, one molecule at a time<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/461824/original/file-20220506-18-5xkyt0.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=42%2C67%2C5565%2C3665&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Maple syrup contains bioactive molecules whose benefits go far beyond the simple pleasure of a sweet treat.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Nature conceals a phenomenal number of molecules as varied as they are imperceptible. The plant kingdom is particularly chemically complex. </p>
<p>Plant evolution has taken place over hundreds of millions of years, giving plants the ability to respond to various environmental stresses and threats. Several species have developed an arsenal of molecules allowing them to adapt and to protect themselves against competitors and predators. Some of these molecules also have health benefits for the animals that consume them.</p>
<p>Advances in food science over recent decades show that many plants provide a wealth of benefits that, until recently, were largely unknown. Taken together, these discoveries support more than ever the fact that a varied and balanced diet offers benefits that go beyond simple energy intake. As a result, consumer demand for plant-based foods with higher nutritional value is currently at record highs. This trend has yet to run out of steam. At the same time, sugary foods are increasingly marginalized and categorized as unhealthy. </p>
<p>But in the realm of sweets, maple syrup is finally claiming its rightful place! Maple syrup is no longer only the jewel of Canada’s culinary heritage, its nutritional reputation is also improving. Because of its unique natural source and manufacturing process, maple syrup contains bioactive molecules whose benefits go far beyond the simple pleasure of a sweet treat.</p>
<h2>Benefits that go beyond energy intake</h2>
<p>In eastern Canada, March and April herald maple sugaring time. Higher temperatures cause <a href="https://doi.org/10.1139/b03-079">maple trees to convert their energy reserves (stored as complex carbohydrates) into soluble sugars</a> that mix with the water in the tree. Producers collect the flavoured sap by drilling holes in the trees.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Maple syrop in a bottle on a wooden table." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459344/original/file-20220422-18-zenfms.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/459344/original/file-20220422-18-zenfms.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459344/original/file-20220422-18-zenfms.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459344/original/file-20220422-18-zenfms.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=461&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459344/original/file-20220422-18-zenfms.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459344/original/file-20220422-18-zenfms.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/459344/original/file-20220422-18-zenfms.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=580&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Maple syrup, Canada’s liquid gold, contains bioactive molecules whose benefits go far beyond the simple pleasure of sweet treats.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>The sap is approximately 98 per cent water, and it takes about 40 litres of this maple water to generate one litre of syrup. During this concentration process, the levels of sugars and nutrients increase substantially. The high temperature that comes from boiling the sap causes a series of chemical reactions as the excess water evaporates.</p>
<p>The main components of maple syrup are sucrose and water. Glucose and fructose also contribute to the sweet taste of the syrup, but to a lesser extent. While these three simple carbohydrates are sources of energy, maple syrup is also an excellent source of manganese and riboflavin (vitamin B2), as well as a significant source of other <a href="http://www.internationalmaplesyrupinstitute.com/uploads/7/0/9/2/7092109/__nutrition_and_health_benefits_of_pure_maple_syrup.pdf">vitamins and minerals (zinc, potassium, calcium and magnesium)</a>.</p>
<p>The composition of phenolic compounds of maple syrup is even more impressive. Since the beginning of the 20th century, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodchem.2021.131817">researchers have discovered more than 100 of these molecules in plants</a>. Many of them are antioxidants, and contribute to the taste, aroma, colour of maple syrup. They are primarily responsible for its recent superfood status. </p>
<p>One of the most promising phenolic components (in terms of biological activities) is a molecule found nowhere other than in Canada’s most famous product.</p>
<h2>A molecule worthy of national pride</h2>
<p>Quebecol – named after the province where <a href="https://www.worldatlas.com/articles/the-world-s-top-producers-of-maple-syrup.html">the majority of the world’s maple syrup production originates</a> – is a polyphenolic compound (carrying several phenol groups), <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jff.2011.02.004">first isolated in 2011 by a team led by Navindra Seeram at the University of Rhode Island</a>. This compound is so exclusive to maple syrup that it is not even present in raw maple sap! Rather, current knowledge suggests that it is the product of chemical reactions that occur during the transformation of sap into syrup.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Molecular structure of quebecol" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/461819/original/file-20220506-22-8urv2e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/461819/original/file-20220506-22-8urv2e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461819/original/file-20220506-22-8urv2e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461819/original/file-20220506-22-8urv2e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=434&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461819/original/file-20220506-22-8urv2e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461819/original/file-20220506-22-8urv2e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/461819/original/file-20220506-22-8urv2e.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=546&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">Structure of quebecol [2,2,3-tris(4-hydroxy-2-methoxyphenyl)propan-1-ol], a molecule exclusively found in maple syrup whose secrets are just beginning to be revealed.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Sébastien Cardinal)</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Early laboratory studies, <a href="https://patents.google.com/patent/WO2012167364A1/en">quebecol inhibited cell proliferation of breast cancer and colon cancer cells</a>. But only a small quantity of polyphenol could be isolated, and these tests didn’t go beyond the preliminary stage. More than 20 litres of maple syrup is needed to isolate less than a milligram of quebecol.</p>
<p>Judging that this syrup would be of better use in kitchens than in laboratories, Normand Voyer, a chemistry professor at Laval University, and I (Sébastien) decided to tackle this supply problem. When I was a PhD candidate in 2013, <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tetlet.2013.07.048">we published a chemical synthesis pathway to build this natural molecule much more efficiently in the laboratory from simple precursors</a>. As this work made quebecol much more accessible, the investigation of its properties continued and deepened.</p>
<p>In particular, Normand Voyer, Daniel Grenier and their teams, in the faculty of dentistry of Laval University, published two studies <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmc.2017.01.050">demonstrating the molecule’s anti-inflammatory properties</a>. This research also made it possible to <a href="https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bmcl.2015.11.096">determine the active portion of the molecular structure</a>.</p>
<h2>A compound still relevant today</h2>
<p>Our 2021 study showed that quebecol’s <a href="https://doi.org/10.1021/acsomega.1c03312">anti-inflammatory properties may benefit periodontal disease</a>, a severe infection of the gums. We expect additional studies to be published this year, including one showing that quebecol might help with the treatment of a skin condition.</p>
<p>Although the evidence of biological activity of quebecol has been limited to in vitro experiments, these results certainly encourage further study in more complex systems. It is also important to note that the results came from using the isolated pure molecule. </p>
<p>These studies do not propose using pure maple syrup as a medicinal agent against different conditions. Given the quantity of maple syrup one would have to eat to get the necessary dose of quebecol, the harms from a massive ingestion of sugar would obscure any benefit. It’s also difficult to establish the distribution of the molecule in the human body when it’s taken orally.</p>
<p>In any case, these discoveries once again highlight the uniqueness of maple syrup and help to strengthen its status as a singular food. Perhaps it contains other equally promising molecules just waiting to be discovered. Let’s bet that this local treasure has not yet revealed all its secrets!</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/182486/count.gif" alt="La Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Les auteurs ne travaillent pas, ne conseillent pas, ne possèdent pas de parts, ne reçoivent pas de fonds d'une organisation qui pourrait tirer profit de cet article, et n'ont déclaré aucune autre affiliation que leur organisme de recherche.</span></em></p>Apart from being a jewel of Canada’s culinary heritage, maple syrup has a complex chemical constitution.Sébastien Cardinal, Professeur en chimie organique, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)Amy McMackin, Candidate MSc Chimie, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)Licensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1769382022-02-22T14:39:58Z2022-02-22T14:39:58ZHow potato milk measures up against other plant-based milk alternatives<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/447788/original/file-20220222-15-1knbs3c.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C5089%2C3245&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A one-litre carton contains the equivalent of one small potato.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/vegan-potato-milk-glass-bottle-sweden-2120229008">Evgeniy Lee/ Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>It seems like almost every plant-based food is being turned into “milk” these days, the latest being potato milk. </p>
<p>It’s not surprising that potatoes have been chosen to be the latest plant-based milk. After all, potatoes have many <a href="https://theconversation.com/six-reasons-why-potatoes-are-good-for-you-160889">health benefits</a> because they’re full of important vitamins and nutrients. But how do they measure up to other popular plant-based milks?</p>
<p><strong>Protein content</strong></p>
<p>No matter the type of plant-based milk, they only contain a fraction of the ingredient they’re derived from. For example, only 10% of the volume of a carton of rice or oat milk comes from these grains. Soy drinks contain between 5%-8% of the actual soya bean, and almond milks contain as little as 2% of the actual nut. Since coconut uses the cream or milk from the fruit, it contains between 5%-13%, depending on how creamy the product is. And based on the current potato milk products out there, a one-litre carton only contains around 60g of an actual potato – a small potato.</p>
<p>The problem with this is that these milks now contain far fewer vitamins and nutrients than the raw ingredient would. This may make them less nutritious than they would be if you ate the ingredient whole. </p>
<p>Take protein, for example. Ingredients like almonds are naturally great sources of protein containing over 20g of protein per 100g of almonds.</p>
<p>But after processing, 100 millilitres of almond milk only contains around one gram of protein. This is actually the same amount of protein you’d find in the same amount of oat milk – even though oats contain far less protein (13.5g per 100g). </p>
<p>Soya milk is better as it contains more of the soya beans compared with almond milk. In fact, soya milk gives around 3-3.5g of protein per 100ml. This is about as much protein as you get in the same amount of cow’s milk. And like cow’s milk, soya milk contains essential amino acids which our body isn’t able to naturally produce. Amino acids are important as they ensure our body works properly – such as by helping our muscles keep moving. </p>
<p>Potatoes are already low in protein. This means that after processing, potato milk contains about as much protein as coconut and rice milk – less than 0.5g of protein per 100ml. But some potato milk brands do supplement with pea protein, which makes a 100ml serving have around 1.3g of protein. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Five jugs of plant-based milks, including almond, rice, coconut, oat and soy." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/447790/original/file-20220222-25-l7y8gx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/447790/original/file-20220222-25-l7y8gx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447790/original/file-20220222-25-l7y8gx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447790/original/file-20220222-25-l7y8gx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=363&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447790/original/file-20220222-25-l7y8gx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447790/original/file-20220222-25-l7y8gx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447790/original/file-20220222-25-l7y8gx.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=456&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">If protein is what you’re after, soya milk is probably your best bet.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/various-vegan-plant-based-milk-alternatives-1757536496">beats1/ Shutterstock</a></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>So if you’re choosing your plant-based milk for protein content, you might be best sticking with soya or almond milk over potato milk.</p>
<p><strong>Added sugars</strong></p>
<p>As with cow’s milk, plant-based milks can also contain added sugars. We are encouraged to limit our added sugar intake to <a href="https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/769482/Why_5__-_The_Science_Behind_SACN.pdf">no more</a> than five to six teaspoons a day. This is because eating too much sugar is linked to an increased risk of obesity as well as tooth decay. But given many products sell both sweetened and unsweetened versions, it’s easier for someone to buy a product that contains no sugar.</p>
<p>Sweetened potato milk contains about 1.8g of sugar per 100ml. This is a little less than other plant-based milks which contain around 2 to 3.5g of added sugar per 100ml. So in this category, potato milk comes out on top. Although some plant-based milk uses natural sugars from fruit, this is still considered added sugar and should be limited.</p>
<p><strong>Fat content</strong></p>
<p>Since potatoes are naturally low in fat, potato milk would have a texture more akin to water. This is why extra fat is added to it. A similar thing is done with rice and oat milk, where oil (such as sunflower oil) is added. This brings the fat content up so that it’s closer to semi-skimmed milk (about 1.5g per 100ml). For potato milk, rapeseed oil is added. Almond and soya both tend to contain fat already, so no additional oil is added.</p>
<p>This means that compared with other plant-based milks, potato milk is higher in monounsaturated fats, which are thought to be better for <a href="https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/nejm199711203372102">your heart</a>. They’re also lower in saturated fats than cow’s milk, which is thought to be less healthy for our hearts. </p>
<p>A “barista version” of milk alternatives needs to contain a combination of both protein and fat in order for the milk to foam, so have slightly more fat added to them.</p>
<p><strong>Added vitamins</strong></p>
<p>When it comes to vitamins and minerals, many plant-based milks have these added to them, as they simply don’t have as many as cow’s milk naturally does.</p>
<p>Vitamins like riboflavin, B12 and D alongside calcium are added to potato milks. The same is also true for other plant-based milks – although organic versions may not have added vitamins often due to organic food rules and trying to keep the label clean of additives. </p>
<p>As many of us struggle to get enough vitamin D – which is essential for healthy bones and immune system – and many vegans and vegetarians can have <a href="https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/71/2/110/1940320?login=false">low B12 levels</a> (which is needed to keep our blood cells and nerves healthy) going for milk alternatives with these added vitamins and minerals can be a good idea. </p>
<p>Potato milk is yet another option for those wanting an alternative to cow’s milk or other plant-based milks, or those looking for a more <a href="https://theconversation.com/which-milk-is-best-for-the-environment-we-compared-dairy-nut-soy-hemp-and-grain-milks-147660">environmentally friendly</a> milk product. Nutritionally, it may not contain the protein of soya milk, but many products are fortified, so they still contain important vitamins and minerals. </p>
<p>But since it contains several refined ingredients, such as oils and protein isolates (proteins extracted from foods), it may technically count as an <a href="https://www.fao.org/3/ca5644en/ca5644en.pdf">ultra-processed food</a>. There are some concerns about ultra-processed foods, which have been linked to <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/365/bmj.l2289">chronic disease</a> – so it is yet to be seen whether potato milk has similar risks.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/176938/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Duane Mellor is a member of the British Dietetic Association </span></em></p>Potato milk may not be the most nutritious plant-based alternative – but it still has some benefits.Duane Mellor, Lead for Evidence-Based Medicine and Nutrition, Aston Medical School, Aston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1773012022-02-18T14:08:17Z2022-02-18T14:08:17ZTwo glasses of wine might add more sugar to your diet than eating a doughnut<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/447051/original/file-20220217-19-8q023u.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Flamingo images/Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Soft drinks have been the focus of the UK government’s attempts to curb people’s sugar intake in recent years, but the same approach has not yet been applied to the sugar content in alcoholic drinks. </p>
<p>The government introduced “sugar taxes” on soft drinks in 2018, meaning manufacturers are charged a levy of up to 24p per litre of drink if it contains eight grams of <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/soft-drinks-industry-levy-comes-into-effect">sugar per 100 millilitres</a>. This was done in order to attempt to reduce the public’s sugar intake in light of increases in childhood obesity.</p>
<p>But a new report from <a href="https://ahauk.org/news/sugar-content-in-wine-revealed-health-experts-deem-alcohol-labelling-woefully-inadequate/">Alcohol Health Alliance UK</a> has suggested that just two glasses of wine contains enough sugar to meet the maximum recommended daily intake level – even <a href="https://www.krispykreme.co.uk/original-glazed.html">more than a glazed doughnut</a>.</p>
<p>The report found that some bottles of wine contain as much as 59 grams of sugar per bottle. A standard bottle of wine contains 750 millilitres, which is equivalent to three large glasses of wine. This means in some cases a single large glass of wine can contain just under 20 grams of sugar, almost twice the sugar content of that glazed doughnut. So, when it comes to alcoholic drinks, how much sugar do they contain?</p>
<p>Consumption of sugar-sweetened drinks has been linked to an increased risk of <a href="https://academic.oup.com/ajcn/article/84/2/274/4881805?login=true">weight gain and obesity</a>, and associated conditions such as <a href="https://www.bmj.com/content/351/bmj.h3576">type 2 diabetes</a>. Most research into sugary drinks has focused on soft drinks, such as colas. Alcohol, or ethanol to give it it’s proper name, is itself calorific. </p>
<p>Alcohol is second only to fats in terms of its calorie <a href="https://theconversation.com/think-before-you-drink-alcohols-calories-end-up-on-your-waistline-37403">content per gram</a>. On top of this potentially significant calorie content is the sugar that is contained in many alcoholic drinks. This includes the non-fermented starches and sugars found in beers and wines, or sugars added to some drinks such as cocktails or mixers to add flavour. It is unsurprising therefore that alcohol consumption has been associated <a href="https://academic.oup.com/nutritionreviews/article/69/8/419/1827829?login=true">with weight gain</a>. </p>
<h2>Sugar levels in cocktails</h2>
<p>Surveys have reported that alcoholic drinks account for 10% of daily intake of added sugar in the UK for 29 to 64-year-olds, and 6% for <a href="https://www.drinkaware.co.uk/facts/health-effects-of-alcohol/effects-on-the-body/alcohol-and-sugar">the over 65s</a>. This difference may be explained by the alcoholic drinks chosen by these different age groups.</p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="Four different cocktails of different colours." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/447071/original/file-20220217-23-9ae358.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/447071/original/file-20220217-23-9ae358.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447071/original/file-20220217-23-9ae358.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447071/original/file-20220217-23-9ae358.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447071/original/file-20220217-23-9ae358.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447071/original/file-20220217-23-9ae358.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/447071/original/file-20220217-23-9ae358.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Cocktails have high levels of sugar.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Cabeca de Marmore/Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>Near the top of the list of sugary drinks is likely to be the recent phenomenon of pre-made cocktails in a can, with some containing a staggering 49 grams of <a href="https://www.actiononsugar.org/media/actiononsugar/Alcohol-Survey-Report.pdf">sugar per serving</a>. Other more traditional cocktails also fare poorly when scrutinised for sugar content, a summer fruit cup cocktail, for example, may contain more than 25g of <a href="https://thehospitalgroup.org/latest-news/summer-swaps-healthy-food-and-drink-switches/">sugar per serving</a>. This figure could be higher at home, depending on who makes the drink, and what is considered a serving. Having several of these cocktails won’t just make you merry, but will also provide more sugar than eating <a href="https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/cadbury-chocolate-bars-most-sugar-9782263">several chocolate bars</a>.</p>
<p>Wine can vary dramatically in sugar content, with the seemingly healthier lower strength alcohol wines often having more sugar and therefore not necessarily being healthier. In general, dry wines or red wines generally have lower <a href="https://home.binwise.com/blog/how-much-sugar-in-wine#toc-how-much-sugar-is-in-a-glass-of-wine-">sugar levels</a>.</p>
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Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-science-of-sugar-why-were-hardwired-to-love-it-and-what-eating-too-much-does-to-your-brain-podcast-175272">The science of sugar: why we're hardwired to love it and what eating too much does to your brain – podcast</a>
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<p>For those of us who enjoy beers and ciders, these drinks can contain even more sugar per serving than wine. A pint of cider, for example, contains more than <a href="https://drinkwelluk.com/blogs/news/how-much-sugar-is-in-cider">25g of sugar</a>, with some ciders containing an eye watering 46g of sugar per serving.</p>
<p>Because spirits such as gin, vodka, whisky and rum are highly distilled their sugar content should be negligible. Without mixers, these drinks are clearly the healthiest in terms of both sugar and calorie content. The mixers they come with can however be sugar-sweetened so if you want to avoid sugar, having your gin neat or on the rocks is the best way forward.</p>
<h2>Better labelling</h2>
<p>It is clear that more can be done to alert people to the sugar content of alcoholic drinks. The first step would be to mandate that alcohol producers accurately label their products, not just with alcohol content by volume, but also sugar and calorie content, so consumers can make informed choices. Equally, altering the sugar levy to target alcoholic drinks more specifically would likely cause drinks manufacturers to alter their recipes to have less sugar content. </p>
<p>The levy on soft drinks has shown this can work, with significant reductions in consumption of sugar-sweetened <a href="https://bmcmedicine.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12916-019-1477-4">non-alcoholic drinks</a> since 2018. The government claimed that the tax <a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/news/soft-drinks-industry-levy-comes-into-effect">on soft drinks</a> resulted in more than 50% of manufacturers reducing sugar content in drinks between March 2016, when it was announced, and its introduction in 2018.</p>
<p>In the UK more than 20% of people regularly drink alcohol at levels that increase <a href="https://alcoholchange.org.uk/alcohol-facts/fact-sheets/alcohol-statistics">their health risk</a>. People should also be aware of the less obvious risks posed by drinking alcohol, including the sugar content, and take this into account when choosing their tipple, especially if they are trying to lose weight.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/177301/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>James Brown has previously received funding from the EU Horizon 2020 scheme to study personalised approaches to food choices.</span></em></p>Alcoholic drinks have high levels of sugar that could be driving up people’s weight.James Brown, Associate Professor in Biology and Biomedical Science, Aston UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1741142022-02-02T13:08:37Z2022-02-02T13:08:37ZHow 18th-century Quakers led a boycott of sugar to protest against slavery<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443056/original/file-20220127-7574-v5e3rd.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=12%2C7%2C722%2C567&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">English Quakers on a Barbados plantation.</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://digitalcollections.nypl.org/items/78bd1744-d78b-dd15-e040-e00a18064d92">Image courtesy of New York Public Library</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>Buying items that are fair trade, organic, locally made or cruelty-free are some of the ways in which consumers today seek to align their economic habits with their spiritual and ethical views. For 18th-century Quakers, it led them to abstain from sugar and other goods produced by enslaved people.</p>
<p>Quaker Benjamin Lay, a former sailor who had settled in Philadelphia in 1731 after living in the British sugar colony of Barbados, is known to have <a href="https://www.swarthmore.edu/bulletin/archive/winter-2018-issue-ii-volume-cxv/fearless-and-fiery.html">smashed his wife’s china</a> in 1742 during the annual gathering of Quakers in the city. Although Lay’s actions were described by one newspaper as a “publick Testimony against the Vanity of Tea-drinking,” Lay also protested the consumption of slave-grown sugar, which was produced under horrific conditions in sugar colonies like <a href="http://www.beacon.org/The-Fearless-Benjamin-Lay-P1357.aspx">Barbados</a>.</p>
<p>In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, only a few <a href="https://yalebooks.yale.edu/book/9780300180770/peace-freedom">Quakers protested African slavery</a>. Indeed, individual Quakers who did protest, like Lay, were often disowned for their actions because their activism disrupted the unity of the Quaker community. <a href="https://www.routledge.com/Quakers-and-Their-Allies-in-the-Abolitionist-Cause-1754-1808/Jackson-Kozel/p/book/9781138058651">Beginning in the 1750s</a>, Quakers’ support for slavery and the products of slave labor started to erode, as reformers like Quaker John Woolman urged their co-religionists in the North American Colonies and England to bring about change.</p>
<p>In the 1780s, British and American Quakers launched an extensive and unprecedented propaganda campaign against slavery and slave-labor products. Their goal of creating a broad nondenominational antislavery movement culminated in a boycott of slave-grown sugar in 1791 <a href="https://doi.org/10.1080/0144039X.2014.927988">supported by nearly a half-million Britons</a>. </p>
<p>How did the movement against slave-grown sugar go from the actions of a few to a protest of the masses? As a scholar of Quakers and the antislavery movement, I argue in my book “<a href="https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501748493/moral-commerce/">Moral Commerce: Quakers and the Transatlantic Boycott of the Slave Labor Economy</a>” that the boycott of slave-grown sugar originated in the actions of ordinary Quakers seeking to draw closer to God by aligning their Christian principles with their economic practices.</p>
<h2>The golden rule</h2>
<p>Quakerism <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-quakers-a-very-short-introduction-9780199206797?cc=us&lang=en&">originated in the political turmoil</a> of the English civil war and the disruption of monarchical rule in the mid-17th century. In the 1640s, George Fox, the son of a weaver, began an extended period of spiritual wandering, which led him to conclude the answers he sought came not from church teaching or the Scriptures but rather from his direct experience of God. </p>
<p>In his travels, Fox encountered others who also sought a more direct experience of God. With the support of Margaret Fell, the wife of a wealthy and prominent judge, Fox organized his followers into the Society of Friends in 1652. Quaker itinerant ministers embarked on an ambitious program of mission work traveling throughout England, the North American Colonies and the Caribbean.</p>
<p>The restoration of the British monarchy in 1660 and the passage of the Quaker Act in 1662 brought religious persecution, physical punishment and imprisonment but did not dampen the religious enthusiasm of Quakers like Fox and Fell.</p>
<p>Quakers believe <a href="https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p083471">that God speaks to individuals personally and directly</a> through the “inward light” – that the light of Christ exists within all individuals, even those who have not been exposed to Christianity. As Quaker historian and theologian <a href="https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/staff/profiles/tr/dandelion-ben.aspx">Ben Pink Dandelion</a> <a href="https://global.oup.com/academic/product/the-quakers-a-very-short-introduction-9780199206797?cc=us&lang=en&">notes</a>, “This intimacy with Christ, this relationship of direct revelation, is alone foundational and definitional of [Quakerism]. … Quakerism has had its identity constructed around this experience and insight.” </p>
<p>This experience of intimacy with Christ led Friends to develop distinct spiritual beliefs and practices, such as an emphasis on the golden rule – “Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them” – as a fundamental guiding principle. </p>
<p>Quakers were to avoid violence and war-making and to reject social customs that reinforced superficial distinctions of social class. Quakers were to adopt “plain dress, plain speech and plain living” and to tell the truth at all times. These beliefs and practices allow Quakers to emphasize the experience of God and to reject the temptations of worldly pleasures.</p>
<h2>Stolen goods</h2>
<p>In slave traders’ and slave holders’ minds, <a href="https://www.boldtypebooks.com/titles/ibram-x-kendi/stamped-from-the-beginning/9781568585987/">racial inferiority</a> justified the enslavement of Africans. By the 18th century, the slave trade and the use of slave labor were integral parts of the global economy. </p>
<p>Many Quakers owned slaves and participated in the slave trade. For them, the slave trade and slavery were simply standard business practice: “God-fearing men going about their godless business,” as historian <a href="https://doi.org/10.3828/quaker.12.2.189">James Walvin observed</a>.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.press.uillinois.edu/books/?id=p083471">Still, Quakers were far from united in their views about slavery</a>. Beginning in the late 17th century, individual Quakers began to question the practice. Under slavery, Africans were captured, forced to work and subjected to violent punishment, even death, all contrary to Quakers’ belief in the golden rule and nonviolence. </p>
<p>Individual Quakers began to speak out, often linking the enslavement of Africans to the consumption of consumer goods. </p>
<p>John Hepburn, a Quaker from Middletown, New Jersey, was one of the first Quakers to protest against slavery. In 1714, he published “The American Defence of the Christian Golden Rule,” <a href="https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501748493/moral-commerce/">which cataloged</a>, as no other Quaker had done, the evils of slavery. </p>
<p>Although the publication of Hepburn’s book coincided with statements issued by the London Yearly Meeting, the primary Quaker body in this period, warning of the effects of luxury goods on Quakers’ relationship with God, “The American Defence” did not result in any significant outcry among Quakers against slavery. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443195/original/file-20220128-15-1iby0jy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="A portrait of man with a white beard, wearing a hat and a long coat." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443195/original/file-20220128-15-1iby0jy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/443195/original/file-20220128-15-1iby0jy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443195/original/file-20220128-15-1iby0jy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443195/original/file-20220128-15-1iby0jy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=544&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443195/original/file-20220128-15-1iby0jy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=684&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443195/original/file-20220128-15-1iby0jy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=684&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/443195/original/file-20220128-15-1iby0jy.jpeg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=684&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">Portrait of Benjamin Lay.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://npg.si.edu/object/npg_NPG.79.171">National Portrait Gallery, Smithsonian Institution; this acquisition was made possible by a generous contribution from the James Smithson Society</a></span>
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<p>Quaker Benjamin Lay also <a href="http://www.beacon.org/The-Fearless-Benjamin-Lay-P1357.aspx">published his thoughts about slavery</a>. He also refused to dine with slaveholders, to be served by slaves or to eat sugar. Lay also dressed in coarse clothes. When smashing his wife’s dishware, he claimed that fine clothes and china were luxury goods that separated Quakers from God. Lay’s actions proved too much for Philadelphia Quakers, who disowned him in the late 1730s.</p>
<h2>Quaker antislavery and sugar</h2>
<p>Like Lay, Woolman too <a href="https://www.upenn.edu/pennpress/book/14993.html">was shocked when he saw the conditions</a> of enslaved people. For Woolman, the slave trade, the enslavement of Africans and the use of the products of their labor, such as sugar, were the most visible signs of the growth of an oppressive, global economy driven by greed, an evil that threatened the spiritual welfare of all. Consumed most often in tea, sugar symbolized for Woolman the corrupting influence of consumer goods. Soon after his travels through the South, Woolman, who was a merchant, stopped selling and consuming sugar and sugar products such as rum and molasses.</p>
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<p>The sweetness of sugar <a href="https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501748493/moral-commerce/">hid the violence of its production</a>. Caribbean sugar plantations were infamous for their high rate of mortality and deficiencies in diet, shelter and clothing. The working conditions were brutal, and tropical disease contributed to a death toll that was 50% higher on sugar plantations than on coffee plantations. </p>
<p>Until his death in 1772, Woolman worked within the structure of the Society of Friends, urging Quakers to abstain from slave-grown sugar and other slave-labor products. In his writings, Woolman envisioned a just and simple economy that benefited everyone, freeing men and women to “<a href="https://www.cornellpress.cornell.edu/book/9781501748493/moral-commerce/">walk in that pure light in which all their works are wrought in God</a>.” If Quakers allowed their spiritual beliefs to guide their economic habits, Woolman believed, the “true harmony of life” could be restored to all.</p>
<p>Eighteenth-century Quakers’ attempts to align religious beliefs and economic habits continued into the 19th century. Woolman, in particular, influenced many who believed it possible to create a moral economy. His <a href="https://quakerbooks.org/products/the-journal-and-major-essays-of-john-woolman-3533">journal</a>, published in 1774, is an important text about religiously informed consumer habits. </p>
<p>In the 1790s and again in the 1820s, British consumers, Quaker and non-Quaker alike, organized popular boycotts of slave-grown sugar. Although the boycott of sugar and other products of slave labor did not bring about the abolition of slavery on its own, the boycott did raise awareness of the connections between an individual’s relationship with God and the choices they made in the marketplace.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439239/original/file-20220103-48418-1p7tcpi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/439239/original/file-20220103-48418-1p7tcpi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439239/original/file-20220103-48418-1p7tcpi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439239/original/file-20220103-48418-1p7tcpi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439239/original/file-20220103-48418-1p7tcpi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439239/original/file-20220103-48418-1p7tcpi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/439239/original/file-20220103-48418-1p7tcpi.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em>This article is part of a series examining sugar’s effects on human health and culture. <a href="https://theconversation.com/us/topics/sugar-2022-114641">Click here to read the articles on TheConversation.com.</a></em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/174114/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Julie L. Holcomb does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>Eighteenth-century Quakers attempted to align their religious beliefs with what they purchased. These Quakers led some of the early campaigns against sugar being produced by enslaved people.Julie L. Holcomb, Associate Professor of Museum Studies, Baylor UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.