Unit 5 Discussion – Sugar and Nutrition
Instructions
In Unit 5 we discuss digestion and metabolism which includes carbohydrate metabolism and more specifically glucose metabolism. Glucose is a type of simple sugar that our cells primarily use to make energy or ATP. In a lot of the food products that we consume, there are naturally occurring sugars as well as added sugars. A large portion of the added sugars that we ingest comes from the drinks we consume like soft drinks, energy drinks, and flavored waters as well as processed foods like cookies, cakes, and candy. According to the Dietary Guidelines 2015-2020, added sugars should account for less than 10% of our daily total caloric intake and are currently averaging 13%. The added sugar intake in our diets has been linked to some disease processes like obesity and cardiovascular disease.
Please complete the following steps for your discussion post and response.
Watch the video, Sugar: Hiding in Plain Sight – Robert Lustig (estimated time to complete 4:03 minutes).
After the video, complete the following:
o Briefly explain the normal process of digestion of sugar in the body.
o Reflect on and report on the last meal you consumed before watching this video.
o Determine the approximate amount of sugar ingested with that one meal.
Research a disease process that is linked to increased sugar intake.
Explain the research findings.
Discussion: Sugar and Nutrition
Introduction-
Sugar is the form of simple carbohydrates which comes from the consumption of different food items and provides us energy. Mainly Glucose and Fructose are used by the animals are having carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen as their chemical compositions (Amoutzopoulos,2020,p.40).
Process of Digestion of Sugar in the Body-
The process of sugar digestion begins in the mouth and different enzymes present in the small intestine break the sugar down into glucose and fructose (Faridah & Samsudin,2021,p.615). Glucose can be metabolized by all organisms but Fructose is formed primarily in the liver and excess fructose is converted into fat in the body (good housekeeping. com,2020).
Before watching the video, I have taken-
Lunch which includes Rice, Vegetables, Pulses, Chicken Curry, and Fruits.
Amount of Sugar ingested in one meal-
1. Rice- approx. 100 grams
2. Pulses- approx. 5-6 grams.
3. Chicken curry-approx. 200 grams
4. Fruits- approx. 20 grams
Increased Sugar Level and Intake Causes–
Hyperglycemia or Diabetes.
Hyperglycemia or Diabetes is caused by increased sugar levels in our body and the pancreas is unable to produce more hormone known as insulin (Frizzera et al,2020, p.594). Hyperglycemia or Diabetes is of two types- Type -1 (Juvenile diabetes or insulin-dependent diabetes) and Type-2 (Non-insulin-dependent Diabetes)
Symptoms of Hyperglycemia or Diabetes are-
- Tiredness
- Weakness
- Dryness of Mouth or Excessive Thirst
- Blurred Vision
- Urination is very frequent.
- Headache
- Hunger is Excessive.
References-
Faridah, U., & Samsudin, A. (2021, March). The Influence of Nutrition on Blood Sugar Level in Diabetes Mellitus Type 2. In 1st Paris Van Java International Seminar on Health, Economics, Social Science and Humanities (PVJ-ISHESSH 2020) (pp. 615-618). Atlantis Press.
Frizzera, D., Del Fabbro, S., Ortis, G., Zanni, V., Bortolomeazzi, R., Nazzi, F., & Annoscia, D. (2020). Possible side effects of sugar supplementary nutrition on honey bee health. Apidologie, 51(4), 594-608.
goodhousekeeping.com,2020, All of the Nutrition Facts You Need To Know about the sugar , https://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/diet-nutrition/a34536840/sugar-nutrition-facts/
Amoutzopoulos, B., Steer, T., Roberts, C., Collins, D., & Page, P. (2020). Free and added sugar consumption and adherence to guidelines: the UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey (2014/15–2015/16). Nutrients, 12(2), 393. Retrieved on https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s13592-020-00745-6 [Retrieved from 05th December,2021]
