Sugar, a natural source our bodies need


Save Story
Leer en español

Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes

This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.

OGDEN — Walk down the aisles of any grocery store and you're surrounded. Sometimes you have to look for it while other times it's staring you right in the face. We're talking about sugar.

Whether it's natural or added, you can find it in just about everything we eat, but it's not all bad. In fact, our bodies actually need sugar according to registered dietitian Joy Musselman of McKay-Dee Hospital.

"Your brain, for instance, actually needs sugar to be able to function," Musselman said.

So how do we know where to draw the line? "You just want to get it from these naturally occurring sources, as opposed to this added sugar that manufacturers put into their food," Musselman said.

It's that added sugar that's adding to our waistlines. Once our bodies get what it needs the excess sugar is stored as unwanted fat. Musselman said the average American today consumes upwards of 20 teaspoons of added sugar every day; a daunting number that can leave us feeling overwhelmed when attempting to whittle it down. Musselman offers this advice.

"Moderation is key, so be very choosy about what you're using your sugar grams on," she said.

Cutting back on sugar intake allows the other flavors in our foods to stand out. "It can really bring more pleasure to the eating experience because it's not so focused on just this extreme sweetness," she said.

Get in the habit of reading the labels, practice mindful eating and choose your calories wisely.

"Sugar is ever prevalent, so you can say no now and it will still be an option later," Musselman said. Jenniffer is a Special Projects Producer who heads up the Your Life Your Health, Zero Fatalities and High 5 initiatives. For questions, feedback or possible story ideas, please email jmichaelson@ksl.com.

Most recent Your Life - Your Health stories

Related topics

Your Life - Your Health
Jenniffer Michaelson

    STAY IN THE KNOW

    Get informative articles and interesting stories delivered to your inbox weekly. Subscribe to the KSL.com Trending 5.
    By subscribing, you acknowledge and agree to KSL.com's Terms of Use and Privacy Policy.

    KSL Weather Forecast