Sugar is everywhere—especially in the packaged and processed foods that have become a staple of today’s American diet. Besides sugar, sweeteners lurk on many nutrition labels under the guises of brown rice syrup, fructose, glucose, corn sweetener, maltodextrin and evaporated cane juice, among others. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Americans today eat 43 pounds of caloric sweeteners per year—39 percent more than they did in the 1950s. Consumers should be aware that the absence of sugar on an ingredient list doesn’t mean it’s not there.
Because sugar consumption has been linked to weight gain and obesity, heart disease, Type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, depression and mood swings, watching one’s sugar intake can be essential to good health. According to the American Heart Association (AHA), common sources of sugar include candy, cookies and ice cream; less obvious sources include condensed milk, canned peaches and cinnamon raisin bagels. The AHA advises that for most men and women, sugar consumption should be capped at 150 and 100 calories per day, respectively. The AHA also advises people to be careful with beverage selection; although soft drinks are an obvious source of sugar, many “better for you” beverages—like sports drinks and fruit drinks—also sneak in sugar. The best thing to do is stick with water.
Given that humans don’t always make the best choices, there is another tool being developed that people with diabetes and pre-diabetes—as well as consumers concerned about high blood sugar or carbohydrate intake—should know about. It’s called PAZ320 and it’s a non-systemic, non-toxic, chewable drug candidate for people with Type 2 diabetes to better manage their blood sugar. The compound, which is currently undergoing testing in clinical trials, is being developed by Boston Therapeutics, Inc., a Manchester, NH pharmaceutical company.
David Platt, an expert in carbohydrate chemistry and CEO of Boston Therapeutics, says, “Everyone needs to make better nutritional choices, but being human, that is not always what happens. That’s where PAZ320 might help. Taken before meals, clinical studies show that 45 percent of the study group showed an average 40 percent reduction in blood glucose levels after meals.”
If it is approved by the FDA, PAZ320 might one day become an option to consider for people living with diabetes.
For more, visit www.bostonti.com.
