Sugar is equal to ENERGY, right?! Not quite. Although a lot of people out there think that an excess of sugar gives you a “sugar high,” or makes you extremely hyper, did you know too much sugar actually makes you feel tired?
What are the symptoms of a sugar crash?
Sugar molecule:
Yes, we do need some amount of sugar to keep our bodies running. The problem with sugar is that people these days eat TOO MUCH of it. While it is definitely okay to eat foods with natural sugars such as fruit or indulge in your favorite ice cream or candy once in a while, watching your sugar intake could help you lead a healthier, more enjoyable lifestyle!
Why? An excess of sugar could increase your risk of obesity, diabetes, and tooth decay. Cutting back on your sugar intake may help you avoid these risks. Some people even feel addicted to sugar. The more you eat sugar, the more you crave it.
How much sugar is in your favorite soda? Drinking less soda is a great way to lower your sugar intake. Everyone knows that soda has a lot of sugar in it--but just how much sugar are we talking? Let’s find out!
YOU WILL NEED:
- Can of soda
- Pot
- Stove
- Adult
- Teaspoon
HERE’S WHAT TO DO!
- Pour a 12-oz can of your favorite soda into a pot.
- Put the pot on a stove burner.
- Turn the stove burner up to medium heat.
- Let the soda boil. Once the water has evaporated, you will be left with a gooey substance. That gooey syrup is the sugar!
- How much sugar is there? Measure it out with a teaspoon.
- You should have discovered that there were about 7-8 teaspoons of syrup left after the liquid in the soda evaporated. Jeez, that’s a lot of sugar!
- Try dissolving 2 teaspoons of sugar into a 12-oz glass of water. Can you taste the sugar? Now, try dissolving 7 teaspoons of sugar into a 12-oz glass of water. You’ll be amazed at how sweet it tastes! Can you believe one can of soda has that much sugar?!
- Try this same experiment (steps 1-5) with other drinks! Boil down fruit juice or other sodas with different amounts of sugar. Which drink had the most sugar?
- Make a chart to track which drinks have the most sugar.
In case you need help, here’s a video example of how you might complete this experiment! (He uses a scale to measure the sugar, which we didn’t use today. If you have a scale at home, you could certainly use it!)
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