Track: High School / Middle School / Elementary (K-12) STEM Competition

Abstract

Abstract:

As middle schoolers, we were worried to see a trend of obesity and juvenile diabetes on raise at our school. We were puzzled with this epidemic and started doing research to understand the trend.

We spoke to several of our schoolmates to find out about their diet and life style. They all had a healthy diet and moderate exercise regimen. Their diets consisted of salads, yogurt, soup, fruit juice and oatmeal.

We quickly realized that hidden sugars were the real culprit. We were motivated to do more research and find a simple method to identify the amount of hidden sugars in the so called ‘Healthy Food’.

Sugar is a carbohydrate found naturally in a host of different foods, from lactose in milk to fructose in fruit and honey. A single food item can contain multiple kinds of sugar in it, and our bodies process these distinct types of sugars differently.

There are two types of sugars:

• Naturally occurring sugar (such as the lactose in milk)
• Hidden sugars that include refined table sugar (sucrose) as well as from concentrated sources like fruit juice, honey, and syrups.

An average adult living in the U.S consumes about 22 teaspoons of added sugars every single day, including hidden sugars from food types believed to be healthy. Consuming lots of added or hidden sugar has been found to be directly linked to well-known medical conditions, such as diabetes, heart disease, obesity, high blood pressure, and cognitive disorders, etc.

The purpose of our experiment was to determine the amount of hidden sugars in commonly conceived healthy foods. We investigated how sucrose is converted into glucose with the help of an enzyme called Invertase and measured the amount of sucrose converted into glucose in each of the food specimens (indicated below) using the glucose test strips.

After treating with Invertase, the test strip changes color based on the presence of glucose and the degree of color change depends on the concentration of glucose. Combining this with knowledge of enzyme kinetics, the amount of sucrose in each food item and amount of glucose that may end up in the body can be calculated.

We found fruit Juice had the highest sucrose concentration around 75%. Fruit Juice, Granola Bar, Dried fruits and Ketchup were the top 4 food items that had the highest Sucrose concentrations. Almond Milk, Almond Butter and Flavored Soy Milk had the lowest Sucrose concentrations.

Ketchup and Fruit Juice had the highest Glucose concentration before Invertase enzyme was added. Agave had the same Glucose levels, before and after invertase activity as its primary sweetening agent is Fructose.

Conclusion

Our Hypothesis was partially right. Flavored Yogurt, Dried Fruits had high concentration of Sucrose. Agave on the other hand did not have high concentration of sucrose.

A diabetic must avoid fruit juices as it might spike their blood glucose levels immediately. They can substitute with options that are lower in Sucrose like Soy Milk, Almond Milk. Fruit Juices may be excellent source of sugar for someone with low blood sugar levels. It will quickly provide the 4 grams of Sucrose needed to balance the blood sugar levels. Homemade soups, sauces without added sugars will help us lead healthier lifestyles.

Eating fresh fruits are recommended over dried ones as taking out the water in dried fruits result in high concentration of both nutrients and sugars.

References

1. www.education.com
2. www.hsph.harvard.edu
3. www.health.harvard.edu
4. Sugarscience.ucsf.edu
5. www.heart.org