{"id":422,"date":"2015-11-23T17:33:37","date_gmt":"2015-11-24T01:33:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/?p=422"},"modified":"2016-06-13T22:05:58","modified_gmt":"2016-06-14T05:05:58","slug":"can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar\/","title":{"rendered":"Can you be addicted to sugar?"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>Maybe you have heard that sugar is as addictive as cocaine. Well, don\u2019t sign up for rehab just yet! In this post, we will explore what the research says about the power of sugar and what we can do to reverse it\u2014so <em>we<\/em> have the power over sugar.<!--more--><\/p>\n<h3>Sugar Vs. Cocaine<\/h3>\n<p>In a recent documentary about the American diet (titled <em>Fed Up<\/em>), a featured doctor claims that food addiction is not a myth, but instead is very real. He says \u201cstudies show that your brain lights up with sugar just like it does with cocaine or heroin.\u201d He then goes on to say that sugar is <em>8 times more addictive than cocaine. <\/em>You can watch this <a href=\"https:\/\/youtu.be\/0EhwcSkShB8\">excerpt from the film<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><span class=\"embed-youtube\" style=\"text-align:center; display: block;\"><iframe loading=\"lazy\" class=\"youtube-player\" width=\"770\" height=\"434\" src=\"https:\/\/www.youtube.com\/embed\/0EhwcSkShB8?version=3&#038;rel=1&#038;showsearch=0&#038;showinfo=1&#038;iv_load_policy=1&#038;fs=1&#038;hl=en-US&#038;autohide=2&#038;wmode=transparent\" allowfullscreen=\"true\" style=\"border:0;\" sandbox=\"allow-scripts allow-same-origin allow-popups allow-presentation allow-popups-to-escape-sandbox\"><\/iframe><\/span><\/p>\n<p>This doctor makes it seem like regularly consuming sugar is as bad or <em>worse <\/em>than being a cocaine addict.<\/p>\n<p>But first, let\u2019s look at some major differences between sugar and cocaine:<\/p>\n<table>\n<tbody>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"221\"><strong>Sugar<\/strong><\/td>\n<td width=\"257\"><strong>Cocaine<\/strong><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"221\">Legal substance<\/td>\n<td width=\"257\">Illegal substance<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"221\">Required for human survival<\/td>\n<td width=\"257\">Not required for human survival<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"221\">Most everyone has tasted<\/td>\n<td width=\"257\">Many people have not tried (which is good!)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td width=\"221\">Very accessible and inexpensive<\/td>\n<td width=\"257\">Difficult to access and expensive (since it\u2019s illegal)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n<p>This clip is discussing <em>pure <\/em>sugar. Pure sugar, such as: granulated sugar, brown sugar, maple syrup, honey, corn syrup, dextrose, <a href=\"http:\/\/www.womenshealthmag.com\/sites\/womenshealthmag.com\/files\/2014\/11\/03\/sugar-names_0.png\">etc<\/a>. are simple sugars, and they are NOT required for human survival. But\u00a0what these sugars break down into\u2014<em>glucose\u2014<\/em>is required for our\u00a0survival.<\/p>\n<p>Our bodies derive energy from glucose. Glucose is the simplest form of sugar and the one we use to fuel our bodies. All foods we eat, even the ones\u00a0that don&#8217;t taste sweet, turn into glucose in our bodies at some point. Oatmeal, broccoli, salmon, chicken, black beans\u2014all eventually break down into glucose. \u00a0However, these foods take much longer to turn into glucose than simple sugars.<\/p>\n<h3>Sugar in Our Body<\/h3>\n<p>Sweet foods and drinks that are high in simple sugar are digested more easily in our bodies. Therefore, these foods\u00a0increase our blood glucose rapidly; making blood glucose levels very high.<\/p>\n<p>Whenever glucose rises to a certain level in the blood, our bodies (or more specifically, our pancreases) release a hormone called <em>insulin.\u00a0<\/em>Insulin removes a lot of this glucose from our blood and provides it to\u00a0the cells of our body that need the energy from glucose. Insulin\u2019s removal of glucose leaves our blood with a much lower level\u00a0of glucose\u2014all within only an hour&#8217;s time. When we eat foods high in simple sugars, our bodies go from a very high glucose level to a low glucose level, and\u00a0this quick switch can surprise our bodies.<\/p>\n<p>However, when we eat balanced meals and snacks\u00a0that aren&#8217;t too high in simple sugars, the switch from high to low glucose is not as abrupt. In this case, the blood doesn&#8217;t become\u00a0as high in glucose as quickly, so it is easier for insulin to provide our cells with glucose more steadily.\u00a0Our bodies prefer this more consistent supply of glucose.<\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">We feel better if our blood glucose level is more like this:<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"428\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/blood-glucose-levels-1.png\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/blood-glucose-levels-1.png\" data-orig-size=\"545,81\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"blood glucose levels-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/blood-glucose-levels-1-300x45.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/blood-glucose-levels-1.png\" class=\"size-full wp-image-428 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/files\/2015\/11\/blood-glucose-levels-1.png\" alt=\"Blood Glucose Levels normal\" width=\"545\" height=\"81\" srcset=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/blood-glucose-levels-1.png 545w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/blood-glucose-levels-1-300x45.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 545px) 100vw, 545px\" \/><\/p>\n<p style=\"text-align: center\">than this:<\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"429\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/blood-glucose-levels-2.png\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/blood-glucose-levels-2.png\" data-orig-size=\"509,240\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"blood glucose levels-2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/blood-glucose-levels-2-300x141.png\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/blood-glucose-levels-2.png\" class=\"size-full wp-image-429 aligncenter\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/files\/2015\/11\/blood-glucose-levels-2.png\" alt=\"Blood glucose levels roller coaster\" width=\"509\" height=\"240\" srcset=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/blood-glucose-levels-2.png 509w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/blood-glucose-levels-2-300x141.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 509px) 100vw, 509px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p>When our blood glucose level\u00a0plunges\u00a0abruptly (as in the second line), our bodies tend to <em>crave more sugar <\/em>to get those glucose levels back to where they just were. This is why sugar is described as addictive. Our bodies are more stable and experience fewer sugar cravings when our blood glucose levels look like the first line.<\/p>\n<p>As mentioned, a great way to get our blood glucose levels to look like the first line is simply to eat fewer concentrated sweet foods (soda, candy, cookies, ice cream)\u00a0and eat more balanced meals and snacks. Balanced meals contain a variety of food groups and provide much more than just sugar. The digestion of these meals is more complex,\u00a0so the blood glucose doesn&#8217;t rise as quickly.\u00a0For example, eating a sandwich with turkey breast, lettuce, and tomato on whole grain bread creates a flatter, more desirable line because of the mixture of foods\u00a0(protein, starch, and vegetables)\u00a0and lack of simple sugars.<\/p>\n<h3>Here are some tips for maintaining more <em>stable<\/em> blood glucose levels:<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nlm.nih.gov\/medlineplus\/ency\/patientinstructions\/000193.htm\">Eat fiber-rich foods<\/a>\n<ul>\n<li>Vegetables, fruits, grains, and legumes<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Eat consistent meals and snacks\n<ul>\n<li>Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and 2-3 snacks in between<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li>Include some protein at each meal and snack\n<ul>\n<li>Nut butter, seeds, fish, chicken, Greek yogurt, cheese, eggs<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h3>So can I ever have ice cream again?<\/h3>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"425\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-1.jpg\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-1.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"300,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-1\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-1.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-1.jpg\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-425\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/files\/2015\/11\/Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-1.jpg\" alt=\"sugar cubes\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-1.jpg 300w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-1-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/>Yes! Following these tips doesn\u2019t mean that you have to abstain from sugar. Completely cutting sweets and sugar out of our diets is a very difficult thing to do. We\u2019ve all had sugar before and know it tastes great and brings us pleasure. And sweet foods are everywhere: at the work potluck, our friend\u2019s birthday, holiday parties. Having something sweet every once in a while, or even a little every day, is just fine.<\/p>\n<p>Contrary to the featured doctor\u2019s claims, the research on so-called \u201csugar addiction\u201d is not at all conclusive. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/21768998\">A 2009 research article from the Journal of Addictive Medicine<\/a> does indeed state that, \u201crepeated, excessive sugar intake can lead to changes in brain and behavior that are remarkably similar to the effects of drugs of abuse.\u201d However, much of the research that shows that sugar can be addictive is from studies using rats, not humans. This study included. Humans are much more complex than rats, so for us, many additional factors play a part other than how the brain lights up.<\/p>\n<p><strong>By considering the typical model of substance addition, a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/40894500_The_plausibility_of_sugar_addiction_and_its_role_in_obesity_and_eating_disorders._Clin_Nutr\">2009 Journal of Clinical Nutrition literature review<\/a> found no evidence from human studies linking sugar to physical addiction.<\/strong><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li>Addiction would mean that abstaining from a substance creates an increase in craving. But with sugar, abstaining leads to a decline in craving rather than an increase.<\/li>\n<li>Substance addiction develops when the consumption of the substance is limited. However with food, avoiding or reducing consumption is not associated with cravings.<\/li>\n<li>Addictions involve a need for the active chemical content of a drug. But with food, humans respond to and crave the taste and texture of foods more than the chemical content.<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p>Most sugar-consuming humans are not trying to get potent C<sub>6<\/sub>H<sub>12<\/sub>O<sub>6<\/sub> (glucose) in any form they can get their hands on. Instead of snorting sugar or injecting it into our blood, humans prefer to get sugar from foods and drinks that provide other desirable flavors and textures. Cakes, cookies, ice cream, and even sodas are much more than just straight glucose. With addictive drugs, other \u201cingredients\u201d are usually looked down upon since they decrease the strength of the active chemical. This is not true with food. The other ingredients in sweet foods and drinks are often just as or more important than the sugar component.<\/p>\n<p>In addition, a <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/25205078\">2014 article from the Journal of Neuroscience and Biobehavioral Reviews<\/a> suggests calling food cravings \u201ceating addictions\u201d rather than \u201cfood addictions.\u201d Because with food, the \u201caddiction\u201d is more related to the overall behavior of eating rather than simply the food itself.<\/p>\n<p>Even though there is some research that shows that sugar may be physiologically addictive, many other human factors play a part in keeping us from having to be worried about becoming true sugar addicts.<\/p>\n<h3>Good to hear, but I still feel like I\u2019m constantly craving sugar!<\/h3>\n<p>It\u2019s best to avoid having large amounts of sugar very frequently. For example, having a doughnut, soda, or Frappuccino every day greatly increases our blood glucose on a daily basis, which makes us accustomed to consuming large amounts of sugar. It\u2019s at this point that we start to experience cravings towards sugar.<\/p>\n<p><em>But cutting back on this sugar can help these cravings. We can retrain our palates to crave less sugar, simply by having less of it. <\/em><\/p>\n<p>Distinct from cocaine, sugar is pretty easy to give up. As previously stated, it goes against the typical addiction model, so abstaining from sugar creates a decrease, rather than an increase, in craving.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" data-attachment-id=\"426\" data-permalink=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-2.jpg\" data-orig-file=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-2.jpg\" data-orig-size=\"300,300\" data-comments-opened=\"1\" data-image-meta=\"{&quot;aperture&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;credit&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;camera&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;caption&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;created_timestamp&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;copyright&quot;:&quot;Moyan Brenn&quot;,&quot;focal_length&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;iso&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;shutter_speed&quot;:&quot;0&quot;,&quot;title&quot;:&quot;&quot;,&quot;orientation&quot;:&quot;0&quot;}\" data-image-title=\"Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-2\" data-image-description=\"\" data-image-caption=\"\" data-medium-file=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-2.jpg\" data-large-file=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-2.jpg\" class=\"alignright size-full wp-image-426\" src=\"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/files\/2015\/11\/Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-2.jpg\" alt=\"sugar spelled in spilt sugar\" width=\"300\" height=\"300\" srcset=\"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-2.jpg 300w, https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-2-150x150.jpg 150w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 300px) 100vw, 300px\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Maybe you put 4 packets of sugar in your coffee. If you try, you may be able to get it down to 3 packets of sugar. Try to stick to this for a few weeks. Then, maybe challenge yourself again to reduce the packets to 2. Try this for a few more weeks. Eventually, try putting only 1 packet in your coffee. By this point of this slow transition, you may realize that you no longer crave all 4 packets of sugar. In fact, it\u2019s likely that if you put in all 4 packets after weaning yourself down to 1 packet, you would not even enjoy all that sugar anymore. You may find it too sweet for your liking.<\/p>\n<p>Also, by the time you\u2019re down to 1 packet, your body won\u2019t be accustomed to such high blood glucose levels anymore. So, simply by consuming less sugar, you\u2019ll crave less sugar throughout the day, and notice fewer cravings!<\/p>\n<h3>So I don\u2019t have a sugar addiction?<\/h3>\n<p>Though sugar and cocaine may create some similar brain patterns when consumed, they <em>do not<\/em> create synonymous addictive tendencies. You do not need to go to rehab because you crave sugar. While complete abstinence is necessary to be cured of a drug or alcohol addiction, complete abstinence is never necessary for sugar. A sugar detox would likely decrease calorie intake and would help with weight loss, but detoxing is not necessary. And for most of us, completely eliminating sugar from our lives is very unrealistic. If you feel like you are \u201caddicted\u201d to sugar, don\u2019t fret! Slowly reducing the amount of sugar in your diet can greatly lessen these cravings over time.<\/p>\n<div class=\"well well-small\">\n<h3>References<\/h3>\n<ul>\n<li>Benton D. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.researchgate.net\/publication\/40894500_The_plausibility_of_sugar_addiction_and_its_role_in_obesity_and_eating_disorders._Clin_Nutr\">The plausibility of sugar addiction and its role in obesity and eating disorders.<\/a> <em>Clin Nutr <\/em>2010;29: 288-303.<\/li>\n<li>Hebebrand J, Albayrak O, Adan R et al. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/25205078\">\u201cEating addition\u201d, rather than \u201cfood addiction\u201d, better captures addictive-like eating behavior<\/a>. <em>J Neu Bio Rev<\/em> 2014;47:295-306.<\/li>\n<li>Hoebel BG, Avena NM, Bocarsly ME, &amp; Rada P. <a href=\"http:\/\/www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov\/pubmed\/21768998\">A behavioral and circuit model based on sugar addiction in rats.<\/a> <em>J Addict Med<\/em> 2009;3: 33-41.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Maybe you have heard that sugar is as addictive as cocaine. Well, don\u2019t sign up for rehab just yet! In this post, we will explore what the research says about the power of sugar and what we can do to reverse it\u2014so we have the power over sugar. <a href=\"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar\/\">Continue reading <span class=\"meta-nav\">&rarr;<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":7108,"featured_media":427,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[210674,210675],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-422","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-food","category-nutrition"],"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/11\/Can-you-be-addicted-to-sugar-2-large.jpg","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p3sAX3-6O","jetpack_likes_enabled":true,"jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":533,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/processed-vs-natural-sugar\/","url_meta":{"origin":422,"position":0},"title":"Processed Sugars vs. Natural Sugars: What\u2019s the Difference?","author":"Rachel Elzinga","date":"March 1, 2017","format":false,"excerpt":"Added sugars are not the devil. That being said they still don\u2019t have much nutritional value and should be eaten less than the average American typically consumes, no matter the claims they contain. Though 6 to 9 teaspoons may sound like a lot, added sugars are in more places than\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Food&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Food","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/category\/food\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"candy hearts","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2017\/03\/sugar1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2017\/03\/sugar1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2017\/03\/sugar1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2017\/03\/sugar1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":411,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/artificial-sweeteners-put-to-the-test\/","url_meta":{"origin":422,"position":1},"title":"Artificial sweeteners put to the test","author":"cronkhia","date":"June 23, 2015","format":false,"excerpt":"Artificial sweeteners, or non-nutritive sweeteners (NNS) are a low calorie alternative to other sweeteners such as sugar, honey or agave. How are they different? Are they safe?","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Food&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Food","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/category\/food\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"artificial sweeteners vs sugar","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2015\/06\/sugar-vs-nns.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":347,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/everything-need-know-yogurt\/","url_meta":{"origin":422,"position":2},"title":"Everything you need to know about yogurt","author":"Stephanie Moore","date":"November 5, 2014","format":false,"excerpt":"For a long time, yogurt has been touted for its health benefits. However, yogurt can be chock-full of sugar. Knowing how to read a nutrition label can help you decide which yogurts to buy and which ones to leave out of your shopping basket.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Food&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Food","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/category\/food\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"Yogurt","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2014\/10\/yogurt-3.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200},"classes":[]},{"id":456,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/choosing-healthy-beverages\/","url_meta":{"origin":422,"position":3},"title":"Choosing Healthy Beverages","author":"Brianne Ivey","date":"March 15, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"Let\u2019s clear up some of the confusion around these promoted-to-be healthy drinks and give you some tips to choose your beverages wisely.","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Food&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Food","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/category\/food\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"juice glasses","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2016\/03\/Beverages-Juice.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2016\/03\/Beverages-Juice.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2016\/03\/Beverages-Juice.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2016\/03\/Beverages-Juice.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":481,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/do-you-need-a-detox\/","url_meta":{"origin":422,"position":4},"title":"Do you need a detox?","author":"Dawn Phillips","date":"June 2, 2016","format":false,"excerpt":"It\u2019s all too common to just not feel very good. We\u2019re stressed and tired, our backs hurt. A lot of us are carrying around extra weight. We have headaches and heartburn. Stomach troubles are always lurking. And there is a weird dry patch on your elbow. Yeah, a detox sounds\u2026","rel":"","context":"In &quot;Food&quot;","block_context":{"text":"Food","link":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/category\/food\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"juice shots","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2016\/06\/to-detox-or-not-main.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2016\/06\/to-detox-or-not-main.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/osu-wams-blogs-uploads.s3.amazonaws.com\/blogs.dir\/1552\/files\/2016\/06\/to-detox-or-not-main.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x"},"classes":[]},{"id":18,"url":"https:\/\/dev.blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/milk-and-milk-alternatives-how-do-they-compare\/","url_meta":{"origin":422,"position":5},"title":"Milk and Milk Alternatives: How Do They Compare?","author":"Julie Thomas","date":"February 1, 2013","format":false,"excerpt":"Instead of putting cow\u2019s milk on their oatmeal in the morning, more and more people are switching to nondairy milk alternatives, such as soy, almond, and rice milk. 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