SWEET TALK
Sugar may be the sweetest nutritional pariah, but pore over our quiz and you can sate your desires without getting your just desserts
Think you’ve got sugar sussed? Come on, then – prove it
Q1 SUGAR HAS BEEN SHOWN TO _______ YOUR MEMORY
Answer: A and C. According to the University of Barcelona, combining your daily caffeine hit with sugar jump-starts your mental dexterity. Best save it for those painfully early morning meetings, though: over time, a sugary diet hinders learning and memory, UCLA reports, damaging communication between brain cells.
Q2 BY HOW MANY YEARS CAN SUGARY DRINKS ACCELERATE CELL AGEING?
Answer: B. A sweet tooth can add years as well as pounds. Research in the American
Journal Of Public Health found that people who have a can of sugary drink per day experience DNA changes typical of cells 4.6 years older – similar changes as those you’d see due to smoking.
Q3 EXCESS SUGAR CAN MAKE YOUR PMS STRUGGLES EVEN MORE REAL
Answer: A. If you won’t cut back on Minstrels for your teeth, do it for your monthly cramps. The British Dietetic Association points to diet as a starting point to reduce PMS symptoms and suggests basing meals and snacks around low-gi carbs (not sugary bakes, sweetened drinks and processed treats) to guard against inflammation.
Q4 WHICH OF THESE CAN MAKE YOUR PUDDING TASTE SWEETER, WITHOUT ADDING EXTRA CALORIES?
Answer: A and C. As well as encouraging you to eat more slowly, sampling food from a smaller spoon makes it taste sweeter, according to a study in the journal Flavour.
Want to further enhance your sensory experience? A study by Yale University found we enjoy indulgent food more when sharing it with another person. Best order big then.
Q5 WHICH OF THESE IS MORE ADDICTIVE?
Answer: B. If food is your drug of choice, you can consider sugar a class A. Research published in the American Journal Of
Clinical Nutrition found that the substance lights up the brain’s pleasure system in a way other foods do not, increasing the urge to overindulge. Abstaining from your after-dinner tiramisu in favour of the cheeseboard is an enjoyable way to go clean. Pass the pickle.
YOUR ‘ADDED SUGARS’ LIMIT IS EQUIVALENT TO HOW MANY GLASSES OF APPLE JUICE?
1 A❏
2 B❏
4 C❏
Answer: B. The NHS limit of added sugars is 30g a day (the sugars in milk and whole fruits and vegetables don’t count). That’s equivalent to two 150ml glasses of apple juice, three scoops of salted caramel ice cream or a loaf of white bread. A balanced diet indeed.