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About The Siuslaw news. (Florence, Lane County, Or.) 1960-current | View Entire Issue (Jan. 3, 2015)
SIUSLAW NEWS ❚ SATURDAY, JANUARY 3, 2015 J OEL F UHRMAN , MD Are all sugar alternatives healthful? Added sugars come in several forms other than sugar, evaporat- ed cane juice and high fructose corn syrup. Calorie-containing sweeten- ers such as maple syrup, honey, agave and coconut sugar are marketed as “natural” and often touted as healthier alternatives to regular sugar. Is there any truth to these claims? Similar to sugar, these are low-nutrient concentrated sweet- eners; they add substantial calo- ries to the diet while contributing very little nutritional value. Maple syrup and honey elevate blood glucose similarly to sugar Buying or Selling? I can help. Amanda DeTar Broker 541 999-4285 5811 Mercer Creek Dr – Location, location! This home is wind protected with great sun exposure, perfect for gardening. 1200 sq. ft. open floor plan makes this cabin-like home a perfect weekend getaway or full time retirement living. $165,000. #2225-13151051 1749 Highway 101 • 541-997-1200 (sucrose), leading to disease- causing effects in the body. Agave and coconut sugar rank lower on the glycemic index, but are still empty calories and may have other negative effects. Repeated exposure to these excessively sweet tastes dulls the taste buds to the naturally sweet tastes of berries and other fresh fruits, which perpetuates crav- ings for sweets and can under- mine weight loss. Since some natural sweeten- ers undergo fewer processing steps than sugar, they may retain some phytochemicals from the plants they originate from1, but their nutrient-to-calorie ratio is still very low, and they contain minimal or no fiber to slow the absorption of their sugars. The negative health effects of added sugar and high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) are well-doc- umented, including increased risk of weight gain, diabetes, cardiovascular disease and can- cers. Agave nectar is marketed as a low-glycemic sweetener, due to its high fructose content (agave is approximately 90 percent fructose). Sucrose is half fruc- tose and half glucose, made up of one fructose molecule linked to one glucose molecule. HFCS contains 55 percent fructose and 42 percent glucose. All sweeteners (and fruits) contain some combination of glucose, fructose, and the two bound together as sucrose. Maple syrup contains about 90 percent sucrose, so it is very similar to regular white sugar. Coconut sugar contains 70 to 80 percent sucrose, and honey con- tains 49 percent fructose and 43 percent glucose. Fructose and glucose are bro- ken down differently by the body. When fructose is absorbed, it is transported direct- ly to the liver, where it is broken down to produce energy. Fructose itself does not stimulate insulin secretion by the pan- creas. However, much of the fruc- tose is actually metabolized and converted into glucose in the liver, so it does raise blood glu- cose somewhat (although not as much as sucrose or glucose). Despite its low glycemic index, added fructose in the form of sweeteners still poses health risks. Fructose stimulates fat production by the liver, which causes elevated blood triglyc- erides, a predictor of heart dis- ease. Elevated triglycerides have been reported in human studies after consuming fructose-sweet- ened drinks, and this effect was heightened in the participants who were insulin-resistant. Fructose, when used as a www.shoppelocal.biz sweetener, also seems to have effects on hunger and satiety hormones that may lead to increased calorie intake in subse- quent meals. When you ingest any caloric sweetener, you get a mix of dis- ease-promoting effects: the glu- cose-elevating effects of added glucose and the triglyceride-rais- ing effects of added fructose. Sweeteners, unlike whole fruits, are concentrated sugars without the necessary fiber to regulate the entry of glucose into the bloodstream and fructose to the liver. All caloric sweeteners have effects that promote weight gain, diabetes and heart disease, regardless of their ratio of glu- cose to fructose, or what type of plant they originate from. Dr. Fuhrman is a New York Times best-selling author and board-certified family physician. Visit his website DrFuhrman .com, or submit questions and comments to newsquestions@ drfuhrman.com. I N BRIEF Dems meet today Florence Area Democratic Club will meet today, Jan. 3, at 11 a.m., in the Siuslaw Public Library’s Conference Room. Guest will be Jessica Lloyd- Rogers of KXCR Community Radio. The meeting is open to the public. SSWCD meeting set for Monday The Siuslaw Soil and Water Conservation District will hold its regularly scheduled board meeting Monday, Jan. 5, at the new district office, 1775 Laurel Place, Suite No. 4, in Florence. The meeting will begin at 6:30 p.m. For more informa- tion, call the district office at 541-997-1272. Port sets special meeting for Thursday The Port of Siuslaw Board of Commissioners will hold a special meeting on Thursday, Jan. 8, at 9 a.m., at the port office, 100 Harbor St. This meeting is a work ses- sion to review and discuss the 2013-18 Strategic Business Plan. Port meetings are open to the public. For more informa- tion, call 541-997-3426. Women veterans to meet Friday The January 2015 Coastal Women Veterans will have its monthly luncheon at the Surfside Restaurant at Driftwood Shores, 88416 First Ave., on Friday, Jan. 9, at 11:30 a.m. All military veterans are invited to attend. RSVP to Terri Pennington at 541-999-2400, or email Terri32dunes@oregonfast.net. Food co-op hosts recycling Jan. 9-16 Recycle almost anything that plugs in or runs on batter- ies at the Real Food Co-op between Friday, Jan. 9, and Friday, Jan. 16. NextStep Recycling in Eugene will place a large box outside of the co-op at 1379B Rhododendron Drive for anyone to leave donations of unwanted electronics. Visit nextsteprecycling.org for a complete list of items that can be donated. For more information, call Real Food Co-op at 541-997-3396. PFLAG to discuss ‘Hot Topics’ Jan. 13 PFLAG Florence presents “Hot Topics” on Tuesday, Jan. 13, at the Fellowship Hall of Florence United Methodist Church, 333 Kingwood Ave. The meeting begins at 6:30 p.m. The public is invited and refreshments will be served. 7 A