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Sugar Facts

Sugar Facts
Sugar is a sweet, soluble carbohydrate, derived from plants such as sugar cane and sugar beet. The first historical reference to sugar dates back to the 8th century BC in Chinese manuscripts. Sugar was imported into Europe in the 1st century CE as medicine. The Indians discovered how to turn the juice of sugar cane in granulated crystals, called khanda (which is the original source of the word candy). Sugar cane was brought to the New World in 1492 by Christopher Columbus. In 1501 the first sugar cane harvest took place in Hispaniola. Until the 1700s sugar was a luxury in Europe. By the 1800s it was a necessity. The chronic consumption of sugar is associated with many health problems such as diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Interesting Sugar Facts:
People used to chew sugar cane before they knew how to process it into granules.
In the 1500s one teaspoon of sugar in London, England would have cost $5 by today's standards.
Most people today consume 30 teaspoons of sugar a day. Women should eat no more than 6, and men no more than 9.
Sugar is the only taste that humans are born to naturally have a craving for.
1 tablespoon of Heinz ketchup contains 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Consuming too much sugar has been linked to cancer and eating it when one has breast cancer or colon cancer can decrease the chances of survival.
Sugar has a toxic effect on the liver, even when enough is not consumed to cause weight gain.
1 Monster Energy drink contains 54 ounces of sugar. This is the same amount of sugar found in 3.5 cups of Frosted Flakes cereal.
It is believed that sugar consumption contributes to acne.
Sucralose (Splenda) was created when scientists were trying to create an insecticide.
Americans only consumed 2 pounds of sugar each year on average 200 years ago but today consume about 152 pounds a year.
Consuming one can of soda a day equals more sugar than a person should eat in one day.
Sugar is found as an ingredient under many names and forms including fructose, lactose, and sucrose. There are a total of 115 names used for sugar when including it as an ingredient in food.
The largest producer of sugar cane in the world is Brazil.
The international sugar trade is controlled by the World Trade Organization.
High fructose corn syrup is replacing sugar in many processed foods and soda and other beverages in Japan and in the United States. High fructose corn syrup is believed to be more dangerous to the human body than refined sugar.
Some scientists believe sugar is addictive and some even think it is just as addictive as cocaine or heroin.
Some children are believed to be more hyperactive when they consume sugar.
It is believed that the consumption of sugar leads to tooth decay and cavities.
Brown sugar is a form of granulated sugar that has molasses added or residual molasses remaining from processing.
The biggest sugar producers are Brazil, India, The European Union, China, and Thailand.


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