10 Disturbing Reasons Why Sugar Is Bad For You

Summary:

In the article 10 Disturbing Reasons Why Sugar Is Bad For you by Kris Gunnars, sugar has numerous adverse effects on the human body. The author’s take is that sugar is the worst when added in large amounts in conventional modern foods. Therefore, the author lists ten reasons why sugar is bad to the human body. He notes that added sugar does not have any nutritive value and most importantly it is harmful to the teeth.The added sugar mostly comprises of fructose, a form that is not easily digested by the body. The liver is the main body organ that is actively involved in the breakdown of sugar through the production of bile juice. In this case, since the sugar has high levels of fructose, it can overload the liver. Consequently, when the liver is overloaded with fructose one is likely to develop non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. The non-alcoholic fatty liver disease results in the buildup of fat tissue and causes a wide range of conditions including total liver damage and cirrhosis. Besides, additional sugar in foodstuffs may cause insulin resistance and poor metabolism (Gunnars 1).Poor metabolism and insulin resistance often lead to the development of diabetes in the victim bodies since the body sugar levels are irregular.

On the other hand, too much sugar promotes cancer developmentthrough the growth of cancerous cells in the body organs with fat deposits moreover, the dopamine in sugar results in addiction. Also, the sugar affects the hormone levels in the body and therefore has a fat promoting effect. Furthermore, the weight gain associated with sugar may lead to heart diseases. Surprisingly, it is difficult for consumers of high sugar foods to reduce consumption. The behavior is a result of the dopamine contained in added sugar which causes addiction. The addiction to sugar is common in children than adults, and it’s the leading cause of obesity among children. Besides, added sugar raises the levels of cholesterol in the human body and could increase the risk of getting heart-related problems.

Part 1: Analyze each article and then answer questions 1-8below.

1. Source. What organization sponsors or pays for the Web site? What does this sponsor indicate about the credibility of the site?

Mediavine Food sponsors the website where this article was posted. The sponsor confirms that the website is an official site for journals on medicine and nutrition. However, the website is funded by other affiliate advertising websites.

1. Author. Who is the author? What qualifications does the author possess? (research this on the internet)

Kris Gunnars is the author of the article. Gunnars has a Bachelor’s degree in medicine. Additionally, theauthor is a nutrition researcher who has a passion for evidence-based nutrition which makes him credible for the research.

1. Timeliness. When this site was first published online? When it was last updated? Are its argument and information still timely?

August 18^th, 2016 was the first publication date of the article, but it was later updated on March 28^th, 2017

1. Evidence. Where does the author’s evidence come from? Does the evidence adequately support the author’s claims?

The author’s evidence comes from peer-reviewed journal articles and nutrition books. The journal article and books adequately support the author’s claim that sugar is bad for human health. The sources provide lists of the adverse effects of added sugar on the human body.

1. Bias. Can you detect particular biases of the author? How do the author’s biases affect his or her arguments and conclusions?

The author has a bias towards added sugar. He believes that sugar is the worst ingredient added in a modern diet. Therefore, his bias leads to invalid conclusions such as the estimate of weekly sugar consumption.

1. References. Are references provided for information given on the site? If so, who considers these references reputable?

The author has given references in the article posted on the website. The texts are peer-reviewed journal articles and nutrition books. The American Psychological Association considers the sources to be reputable.

1. Links. Are there links to additional information? Do the links work? Is the linked information reliable? Do these links offer further insight into the author’s biases?

The article has links to additional information. The links redirect to other sites with reliable information on the subject which offers further insight into the author’s bias.

1. Advertising. Is the Web site an advertisement for a product, place, or service? If so, how does this affect the credibility of the site?

The website is strictly an official site with no advertisements. There are no advertisements for products, places or services. It is, therefore, a credible site.

Part 2: After you answer the above questions 1-8 answer the following questions to determine the validity and usefulness of your information.

1. Should you use this source? If so, how will it support your project? What information will you use from this source and why will you use it?

The source contains critical information on the effects of added sugar. Therefore, the data will support my claim that sugar causes diseases to humans. I will use the examples of diseases listed associated with excess sugar consumption.

2. Will your audience find this source credible and persuasive? Why? How will the credibility of the author, his or her research, or the credibility of the site itself assist you in ensuring that the audience believes your research?

The audience will find the source to be credible. The author is a famous nutritionist and has done several works related to sugar consumption. Similarly, his education and practice, as well as the credibility of the site, will persuade the audience to believe in the research.

3. Is the credibility of this source suspect in any way? How?

The credibility of the source is not suspicious in any way. The author is a trained doctor and a practicing nutritionist. He, therefore, has knowledge on the subject of nutrition and health in general. Also, the website is an official site and does not contain any adverts of products.Therefore, the source does not arouse any suspicions.

Surprising Fast-Food Items that Contain a Shocking Amount of Hidden Sugar

Summary:

In the article Surprising Fast-Food Items that Contain a Shocking Amount of Hidden Sugar by Marina Nazario and Hollis Johnson, numerous food items contain very high amounts of sugar. Therefore, the authors believe sugar to be a problem rather than an ingredient in the diet. The authors give a list of various foods with the amount of sugar in grams. Some of the foods are considered meals by a significant number of Americans. The authors note that Americans now consume 30% more sugar in a day than they used to in three decades ago.However, the world health organization recommends a maximum daily sugar consumption of about 25 grams. It is, however, difficult to cut sugar consumption since the majority of fast foods and meals have incredibly high sugar content. Snacks such as cheeseburgers and burritos contain above six grams of sugar per piece. The authors recommend a reduction of sugar consumed by at least 50% (Nazario and Johnson 1). Additionally, sandwiches include about 20 grams of sugar per slice.

Moreover, abacon and cheese whopper contains approximately 9 grams of added sugar which way above the daily recommendation for a single meal. Surprisingly, the authors also listed fruit salads among the foods with high sugar content. Anartisan grilled chicken sandwich, for instance, contains 11 grams of sugar while the recommended percent of daily sugar consumption is 44%. However, a medium sweet tea and a pizza contain about 32 grams of sugar thus exceeding the daily recommended sugar intake by over 100%. Others such as chocolate creams and baked beans were listed to contain over 200% of the total recommended daily sugar consumption. Therefore, the authors conclusively recommend that people should avoid such foods or reduce the level of sugar in the preparation of the items.

Part 1: Analyze each article and then answer questions 1-8 below.

1. Source. What organization sponsors or pays for the Web site? What does this sponsor indicate about the credibility of the site?

The business insider pays the website where this article was posted. The organization is a news company which uses the site for advertising business, political and industry news. The organization, however, affirms that the information contained in the website is credible.

1. Author. Who is the author? What qualifications does the author possess? (research this on the internet)

Marina Nazario and Hollis Johnson wrote the article. Nazario is a retail intern for Business Insider. She has a degree in communications and political science from the University of Michigan. Johnson is a photo editor with the Business Insider. He has a degree in photography. However, Johnson has been a health journalist for several years with the organization.

1. Timeliness. When this site was first published online? When it was last updated? Are its argument and information still timely?

The first publication date of the article wasJanuary 27^th, 2016 and has not been updated.

1. Evidence. Where does the author’s evidence come from? Does the evidence adequately support the author’s claims?

The authors do not specify the sources of their evidence.Therefore, one cannot establish whether the evidence supports their claim.

1. Bias. Can you detect particular biases of the author? How do the author’s biases affect his or her arguments and conclusions?

The authors of the article have a bias towards junk foods. Most of the foods analyzed are snacks, and therefore the bias leads to the conclusion that the foods have high sugar content.

1. References. Are references provided for information given on the site? If so, who considers these references reputable?

The article has only one reference included. The text provided is a peer-reviewed journal article. The American Psychological Association considers such sources to be reputable.

1. Links. Are there links to additional information? Do the links work? Is the linked information reliable? Do these links offer further insight into the author’s biases?

The article has links to additional information. However, the links redirect to other sites with information unrelated to the subject. Therefore, the links do notoffer further insight into the authors’ bias.

1. Advertising. Is the Web site an advertisement for a product, place, or service? If so, how does this affect the credibility of the site?

The website is a news site and therefore has many advertisements. The information in the ads is not credible since it aims to influence certain individuals or groups to purchase the advertised products. The posters reduce the credibility of the source.

Part 2: After you answer the above questions 1-8 answer the following questions to determine the validity and usefulness of your information.

1. Should you use this source? If so, how will it support your project? What information will you use from this source and why will you use it?

The source is essential in the speech since it gives insight into the kind of foods that are likely to have higher sugar content. Therefore, the information will support my argument that many foods contain a lot of sugar. The examples of foods given in the site will form the examples of my speech.

1. Will your audience find this source credible and persuasive? Why? How will the credibility of the author, his or her research, or the credibility of the site itself assist you in ensuring that the audience believes your research?

The audience will find the source to be credible. The qualifications of the authors as journalists, however, will cast doubt on the credibility of the research. However, due to much existing research on the subject with similar results, the audience will believe in the study.

1. Is the credibility of this source suspect in any way? How?

The credibility of the source is suspicious due to the number of advertisements on the site. Similarly, the authors are journalists, and therefore they lack credibility to research food content.

7 Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Sugar

Summary:

In the article 7 Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Sugarby Karen Cicero, reducing the sugar consumption habit is beneficial to the body. According to Cicero, individuals consume 300 calories of added sugar on average in a day. However, about 20% of Americans consume more than 700 calories in a day which is way too much above daily recommendation. The excess sugar does not only come from sweetened foods such as cakes and soda but also healthy diets such as fruit and vegetable diets. She names seven things that happen to the human body once they minimize the amount of sugar intake in a day. However, the experience and results observed after cutting sugar consumption depend on the previous level of sugar consumption and the amount of sugar an individual cuts from their daily diet. For instance, reducing sugar intake reduces the risk of dying from a heart-related sickness or diabetes. Added sugar increases the levels of insulin in the body activating the sympathetic nervous system. Therefore, the blood pressure and heart rate of the victim increases exposing them to both diabetes and cardiac arrests.

Additionally, added sugar triggers systemic inflation resulting in acne and rashes on the skin. However, cutting sugar consumption results in healthier skin. The skin becomes smooth, and acne fades due to a reduction in systemic inflammation triggered by sugar (Cicero 1).Furthermore, added sugar is mostly fructose which cannot be digested by the liver. Therefore, excessive consumption of sugar leads to fatty deposits around the liver of the consumer. The deposits cause insulin resistance thus undermining the insulin production by the pancreas. However, reducing high sugar diets prevents the development of type 2 diabetes. Also, low sugar consumption reduces anxiety and mood swings as well as allowing people to get sleep at night.The high sugar triggers the release of ahormone called cortisol. The hormone interferes with the sleeping behavior causing people to be awake at night and feel sleepy during the day.Reducing sugar also plays a significant role in weight loss for obese individuals.The weight loss results due to a reduction in the number of calories consumed in a day. The author also notes that low sugar consumption boosts memory.

Part 1: Analyze each article and then answer questions 1-8 below.

1. Source. What organization sponsors or pays for the Web site? What does this sponsor indicate about the credibility of the site?

The Hearst Digital Mediasponsors the website where this article was posted. The company gets paid to post some information on their website. The sponsor indicates that the site contains credible information.

1. Author. Who is the author? What qualifications does the author possess? (research this on the internet)

Karen Cicero is the author of the article.Karen has a degree in journalism. She is acontributing nutrition editor and freelance writer. She has been writing articles on nutrition for reputable publishers. The author’s education and experience qualify her to write about the subject.

1. Timeliness. When this site was first published online? When it was last updated? Are its argument and information still timely?

The article was first published online on August 31^st, 2015 and has not been updated since then.

1. Evidence. Where does the author’s evidence come from? Does the evidence adequately support the author’s claims?

Cicero’s evidence comes from other external websites and peer-reviewed journal articles. The evidence supports her claims on the benefits of reducing sugar consumption. The sources give examples of gains achieved through cutting the sugar in the daily diet.

1. Bias. Can you detect particular biases of the author? How do the author’s biases affect his or her arguments and conclusions?

The author is biased towards too much sugar consumption. The biases, however, play a significant role in concluding the benefits of low sugar in foods. Therefore, she advocates for low sugar consumption.

1. References. Are references provided for information given on the site? If so, who considers these references reputable?

The author has provided references for the research on the website. The references providedare peer-reviewed journal articles and credible sites. The American Psychological Association considers the sources to be reputable.

1. Links. Are there links to additional information? Do the links work? Is the linked information reliable? Do these links offer further insight into the author’s biases?

The article has links to additional information. The links redirect to other sites with more details on the effects of sugar on the body. The information in the links offers further insight into the author’s bias on stopping sugar consumption.

1. Advertising. Is the Web site an advertisement for a product, place, or service? If so, how does this affect the credibility of the site?

The website is not an advertisement for a product. However, it is a news site and therefore has severaladvertisements. The organization gets a commission on the editorial selection of information posted on its website. Some of the information displayed on the website are adverts that target a specific audience. Thus, the credibility of the source is adversely affected by the adverts.

Part 2: After you answer the above questions 1-8 answer the following questions to determine the validity and usefulness of your information.

1. Should you use this source? If so, how will it support your project? What information will you use from this source and why will you use it?

The source is not vital in the research since other sources capture the information gained from the site. However, the data from the article may be crucial in explaining to the audience the benefits of low sugar. Thus, the source is necessary for the speech. The speech will need the specific benefits of cutting sugar consumption listed in this source such as weight loss and healthy skin.

1. Will your audience find this source credible and persuasive? Why? How will the credibility of the author, his or her research, or the credibility of the site itself assist you in ensuring that the audience believes your research?

The source will be credible and persuasive to the audience. It shows the short term and long-term effects of using low amounts of sugar to the body. Furthermore, the author has a long history writing about nutrition, and therefore her research is credible. Thus, the author’s credibility will assist in making the audience believe in the study.

1. Is the credibility of this source suspect in any way? How?

The credibility of this source is not suspicious in any way. The author of the article is qualified to do the research, and the site does not have any advertisements. The website’s goal is to inform since it is a news site and therefore the article does not arouse suspicions.

 

Works Cited

Cicero, Karen. “7 Things That Happen When You Stop Eating Sugar.” Prevention (2016). Retrieved from http://www.prevention.com/health/what-happens-when-you-stop-eating-sugar.

Gunnars, Kris. “10 Disturbing Reasons Why Sugar Is Bad For You.” Authority Nutrition (2016). Retrieved fromhttps://authoritynutrition.com/10-disturbing-reasons-why-sugar-is-bad/.

Nazario, Marina, and Johnson, Hollis. “Surprising Fast-Food Items that Contain a Shocking Amount of Hidden Sugar.” Business Insider (2016). http://www.businessinsider.com/sugar-in-fast-food-2016-1/#burger-king-bacon-and-cheese-whopper-3.