Studies

Sweeteners, Soda, and Appetite: The Debate Continues

BY Jessica Fishman Levinson, MS, RD, CDN ON February 22, 2013

Over the years, caloric sweeteners, particularly those in sodas or soft drinks, have taken the brunt of the blame for the obesity epidemic. Recently the argument about sweeteners and appetite has come to the forefront again, leaving people to once again question whether sweetened foods, juices, and sodas are responsible for our insatiable appetites.Many of the studies around sweeteners and satiety focus on pure glucose or pure fructose.a large sundae, fountain type glass filled with fountain soda (root beer?), soda straw (Photo credit: Wikipedia)In general, it’s important to keep in mind that... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Experts, Nutrition, Research, Studies, Uncatergorized

How to Better Understand Scientific Research: Interview with Rosanne Rust, MS, RD, LDN

BY Therese Pompa ON October 22, 2012

English: Flowchart of the steps in the Scientific Method (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Prior to starting here at the CRA, I mostly depended on experts and science writers to explain scientific studies appearing in the media. I accessed studies and read them, but truly did not understand how to look for methodology errors or how to evaluate conclusions.Since working at CRA, I have learned the media often times does not get the science right. Although I know more now than I did before about analyzing studies, I still don’t have the expert-level understanding that researchers, registered dietitians (... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Research, Experts, Studies

Weight Gain: What’s Sugar Got to Do With It?

BY Dr. Susan Mitchell ON September 20, 2012

Weight and height are used in computing body mass index, an indicator of risk for developing obesity-associated diseases. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)Have you looked in the mirror lately and found a fat roll starting to protrude around your middle? Maybe you’ve spent way too many hours in what I refer to as the ‘bubble butt’ chair. I felt this way last week and yes, lately I’ve been logging way too many hours in screen time. What makes us develop the hated muffin top and potbelly anyway? Is it sugar, fructose, fat, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or maybe…overconsumption of calories and the... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Experts, In the News, Studies

New Study Shows Added Sugars Are Equal When It Comes to Counting Calories

BY Shannon McNamara ON August 14, 2012

By moderating our consumption of added sweeteners, we can reduce the amount of calories we consume. That’s common sense. But common sense doesn’t always win out when dealing with an emotionally charged issue such as obesity or when we ourselves are undertaking a lifestyle change to reduce weight and get healthier. Common sense approaches can get muddled by misinformation – like the myth that high fructose corn syrup makes you gain more weight than sucrose (a myth that was fueled by a flawed study out of Princeton). Understanding that there isn’t a magic bullet is just as, or even more,... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Studies

Response to UCLA Rat Study

BY Therese Pompa ON May 17, 2012

You can see our response at http://www.sweetsurprise.com/press/response-ucla-rat-study. It is also important to note that the UCLA news release was corrected to clarify that this study was on fructose, not high fructose corn syrup. With that said, you will see in our response that sweetener expert John S. White, Ph.D. notes that for the levels of fructose that were used in this study, “A consumer would have to eat 66 apples or drink 51 cans of soda per day to reach that level…” There have also been third parties that have weighed in on the study: “The implication in most of the articles... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Studies, Responses

Is High Fructose Corn Syrup Responsible For A Dramatic Spike In Autism Rates?

BY Shannon McNamara ON May 4, 2012

A review of existing research published in Clinical Epigenetics last month has generated quite a stir of dramatic headlines like “New Study Links Autism To High-Fructose Corn Syrup” and “High Fructose Corn Syrup And Maternal Obesity: Autism Causes?” Having a son in the autism spectrum disorder and working for the Corn Refiners Association made the news a real attention grabber for me and I’m sure for anyone else who is personally connected to autism. It’s very important that we try to understand the variables that we can modify in our lives and environment to reduce risks of autism and... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Experts, In the News, Responses, Studies

What You Need to Know About High-Fructose Corn Syrup and Weight

BY Stasha Kucel ON February 23, 2012

1. High-fructose corn syrup is the same as sucrose when it comes to weight management.HFCS has the same effect on the body as sucrose. Substituting cane sugar-sweetened products for HFCS-sweetened products does not offer a health benefit since they are both about half glucose and half fructose. The effect of HFCS on the human body’s leptin, ghrelin, insulin, and glucose level is the same as sucrose. Here is a link to a study published in the 2007 issue of Nutrition, and it found "no differences in the metabolic effects of HFCS and sugar."So, as you can see, the type of sugar that you eat is... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Experts, Nutrition, Studies

Response to: “5 Reasons High Fructose Corn Syrup Will Kill You.”

BY Therese Pompa ON June 8, 2011

Refuting Dr. Mark Hyman’s Extreme Views about High Fructose Corn Syrup. “In seeking truth you have to get both sides of a story.”Walter Cronkite Mark Hyman, M.D., recently wrote an article in The Huffington Post about the “5 Reasons High Fructose Corn Syrup Will Kill You.” The article was picked up on other sites with the title, “The Not-So-Sweet Truth About High Fructose Corn Syrup.” While I do agree with Dr. Hyman that the current media debate is missing the bigger picture, I also believe it is important to give both sides of the story. What Dr. Hyman says: Expert Studies Have Shown:HFCS... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Experts, Responses, Studies

Perspective: recommended added sugar intake, how much we are actually consuming

BY Therese Pompa ON November 29, 2010

Scientists are interesting, aren’t they? They constantly feed us new information to ponder and lead us to discoveries that help shape our future. I see them as inquisitive, analytical – always theorizing what is, and what can be. Because of them, we will always have new data, new results to consider and this helps us make the best decisions for our family.The confusing part comes when there is conflicting information and we are being led in different directions. This is relevant when talking about added sugars.New Research indicates that we can eat added sugars in moderation without... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Experts, In the News, Nutrition, Studies

How much fructose is in our soft drinks?

BY Therese Pompa ON October 27, 2010

A study published in the journal, Obesity, authored by researchers at the University of Southern California Childhood Obesity Research Center analyzed the sugar profiles of 23 popular sodas and appears to have made miscalculated claims that the fructose in certain beverages may be up to 65%. We understand that there may be concerns after reading this study, and we want to address those concerns. It is important to see both sides of a story and to have the opportunity to have your questions responded to. It seems as if there were a few errors in the analysis of the sugar content in many of the... Continue Reading

CATEGORIES: Experts, In the News, Studies

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