Sugar is one of the most common seasonings in the world.It is considered an essential commodity since ancient times, and till now, it is used to flavor foods all around the world.
Sugar is one of the main cause of obesity and diabetes, howbeit, it possesses elements to cure common health disorders and other health concerns.
Here are interesting facts about Sugar.
* In the 16th century, a teaspoon of sugar cost the equivalent of five dollars in London.
* The word “sugar” originates from the Sanskrit word sharkara, which means “material in a granule form.” In Arabic, it is sakkar; Turkish is sheker; Italian is zucchero.
* The American Heart Association recommends that adult women eat no more than 24 grams, or 6 teaspoons, of added (beyond naturally occurring sugar) sugar and men no more than 36 grams, or 9? teaspoons, per day. The current average is over 30 teaspoons of sugar per day.
* The only taste humans are born craving is sugar.
* Too much sugar can increase the overall risk for heart disease. In fact, sugar actually changes the muscle protein of the heart as well as the pumping mechanics of the heart.
* Christopher Columbus introduced sugar cane seeds to the New World, specifically to Hispaniola, on his second voyage in 1493.
* Excess sugar consumption has been linked to cancer production. Studies have found that high sugar intake negatively affects the survival rates in both breast cancer patients and colon cancer patients.
* Sugar and alcohol have similar toxic liver effects. Additionally, liver damage can occur even without excess calories or weight gain. A 2009 study found that glucose consumption accelerated the aging of cells in the body. Additionally, a 2012 study found that excess sugar consumption was tied to deficiencies in memory and overall cognitive processing.
* Sugar is found in unlikely places, such as tonic water, marinades, crackers, bread, fat-free dressing, and tomato sauce. A 2013 study found that at least 180,000 deaths worldwide are linked to sweetened-beverage consumption.
* While foods rich in fiber, fat, and protein help make a person feel full, sugar does not create feelings of satiety.
* Lemons have more sugar than strawberries.
* Sugar has been associated with several conditions and diseases, including type 2 diabetes, arthritis, acne, heart disease, depression, thrush/yeast infections, and cancer.
* The sweetest compound known is called lugduname. It’s over 20,000 times sweeter than sugar.
* Sugar is everywhere. It is the building blocks of carbohydrates, the most abundant type of organic molecules in living things.
* Researchers note that sugar is not necessarily a health problem, but the amount of sugar we consume.
* One teaspoon of white sugar has 15 calories and one teaspoon of corn syrup (a type of sugar) has 20 calories.
* The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends people consume less sugar than is found in one regular soda per day. Just one 12 oz. can of soda a day adds enough sugar to a person’s diet to boost their odds of developing heart disease by one third.
* Brazil is the world’s largest producer of sugar cane.
* India is the world’s largest consumer of sugar.
* Sugar is useful in cooking: it helps cakes and bread rise, prevents food from spoiling, keeps the color of fruit by holding water, and brings out the flavor in many different foods.
* The sugar trade is one of the most complex in the world and involves price controls, quotas, subsidies, and preferential arrangements.
* There are at least 115 names for sugar in its many forms and for other types of sweeteners. To avoid listing “sugar” as the first ingredient, food manufactures may use a different name.
* Until the late 1500s, sugar was called “White Gold,” and European nobility used it to display their social standing. After about 1600 on, technological improvements and New World sources helped turn sugar into a bulk commodity.
* Ralf Schroder of Germany holds the Guinness World Record for the largest collection of sugar packets as of May 14, 2013. He owns 14,502 different sugar packets, the oldest of which dates back to the 1950s.
* Originally, people would chew sugar cane raw for its sweetness. Indians were the first to crystallize sugar during the Gupta dynasty around A.D. 350.
* Crusaders were the first to introduce sugar to Europe after they encountered caravans carrying “sweet salt.”
* When the body cannot clear glucose, or sugar, quickly enough, sugar destroys tissue. This is basically what diabetes is: the inability to eliminate glucose.
* The percentage of total calories from added sugars decreases linearly with increasing income for men and women. In other words, people living in poverty are more likely to eat more added sugar than their wealthier counterparts.
* SUGAR WAS ONCE CONSIDERED A SPICE, NOT A SWEETENER.
When sugar was first introduced to England in the twelfth century, it was grouped with other tropical spices like ginger, cinnamon, and saffron, and used by the very wealthy to season savory dishes.
* IT WAS USED AS A MEDICINE FOR CENTURIES.
The use of sugar as a medicine dates back at least as far as ninth century Iraq, where it was combined with fruits and spices to make medicinal syrups, powders, and infusions. Centuries later, British doctors prescribed sugar to cure a range of diseases—one 18th century physician even suggested blowing sugar powder into the eyes to cure eye ailments and irritations.
* IN EUROPE, IT STARTED AS A LUXURY …
Initially, sugar was so rare and expensive only royalty could afford it—and in very small quantities at that.
* SUGAR CANE WAS FIRST DOMESTICATED IN NEW GUINEA AROUND 8000 BCE.
It was later carried to the Philippines and India—in fact, the first written mention of sugar may be in The
Mahabhashya of Patanjali, a study of Sanskrit written around 400-350 BCE.
* EATING SUGAR CAN GIVE YOU WRINKLES.
It’s common knowledge that eating too much sugar can cause weight gain, but few people know it can also affect the elasticity of your skin. It turns out, overconsumption of sugar causes glycation—a process in which the sugar in your bloodstream binds to proteins, forming molecules that make the collagen in your skin more brittle—which, in turn, causes wrinkles.
* IT CAN BE USED AS A FOOD PRESERVATIVE.
Sugar has been used as a preservative for hundreds of years, and now scientists understand why: high sugar concentrations cause bacteria to lose water through a process called osmosis—and without water, bacteria can’t grow or divide.
* DOGS HAVE A SWEET TOOTH, BUT CATS DON'T.
Scientists are still studying why some animals have a preference for sweet foods and others don’t. They’ve found, for example, that dogs enjoy sweet foods while cats and other felines don’t have sweetness receptors in their brains. They’ve hypothesized that sweetness receptors are unnecessary for carnivorous animals, as well as for animals that tend not to chew their food at all, such as dolphins and sea lions.
* THERE ARE MANY DIFFERENT KINDS.
The three main categories of sugar are monosaccharides, disaccharides, and polyols. Monosaccharides are single molecule sugars, while disaccharides are made up of two linked monosaccharides—both are found in a range of products, from fruits and table sugar to milk. Polyols, meanwhile, aren’t true sugars—they’re found in many sugar-free sweeteners.
* SUGAR CAN BE USED AS FUEL.
Sugar is a main component in “rocket candy”—a popular form of model rocket fuel. Scientists are still working on making a practical sugar-based car fuel.
* SUGAR IS ADDICTIVE.
Quitting sugar abruptly can cause pain, nausea, and flu-like symptoms. According to brain scans, sugar is as addictive as cocaine.
* According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, sugarcane is the world’s largest crop. 168 million tons of sugar were produced around the world in 2011. 80% of the world’s sugar production comes from sugarcane, while the other 20% comes from sugar beets.
* A spoonful of sugar can stop hiccups.
* Sugar heals the wound faster. African tribes used to rub sugar into their wounds to treat their wounds.
* A teaspoon of sugar can kill the burning sensation when eating spicy food. That explains why desserts are served last.
* Popcorn rose to fame during The Great Depression when there was heavy shortage of sugar. Sugar was sent overseas to the military while salt and kernel were abundant during WW II, thus popcorn was born to provide food for people who went to theatres and get entertained.
* Urine from a diabetic person with high level of sugar can be turned into whisky. Now you know where to get some whiskeys if you are running out of whiskey, and money to buy one.
* Pregnant women who loves to eat sugar food are more likely to have a male child.
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