NUTRITION • SUGAR IN OUR BODY
9. Pass around the bottle and have each youth pour in about five tablespoons of corn syrup.
(You want the bottle to be half full of corn syrup by the end of the exercise so you may have
to adjust how much youth pour in depending on the size of the bottle).
10. Pause after each addition to explain the changes. When there is just a little corn syrup, but
the beads can still move, explain that this is what sugar in modification looks like. This is
what happens when we eat natural sugar and some sweet treats. Our body works alittle
bit harder, but the blood cells can still move easily. We’re still healthy. Oxygen can still get
to our brain.
11. After there is a lot of corn syrup (by the time it is half full of juice and half full of corn syrup),
show how hard it is to have the beads move. Note how hard our heart has to pump now to
move the blood through our body. This is what happens when we drink or eat too much
added sugar.
12. Have participants compare how fast the beads move through the bottle that is half corn
syrup compared to the bottle that is all juice. The beads move slower through the corn
syrup, just like our red blood cells move slower when there is too much added sugar in our
body. This makes it harder for oxygen to get to our brain and makes our hearts tired. When
our bodies have to work harder, this can lead to diseases like diabetes and heart disease.
13. Natural sugar works differently than added sugar inside of our bodies. For example, when
we eat an apple, which has natural sugar, the sugar is slowly released in our body, and the
fiber in the apple helps to push the sugar through our blood and out. So when we eat a
candy bar, it’s like we’re dumping corn syrup in our body all at once. But when we eat an
apple, because an apple has so many other good things in it, like fiber, which a chocolate
bar doesn’t have, our body responds differently.With an apple, it’s like we’re releasing
one drop of corn syrup at a time and constantly cleaning out the bottle and adding fresh
water. That won’t stop the beads the same way as a lot of candy bars.
14. Debrief - Engage in a conversation (5–10 minutes) asking the following questions:
a. How does seeing this difference make you feel?
b. What are some examples of foods with added sugar?
c. What are some examples of foods with natural sugar?
d. Do you have any questions about the way that sugar works in our bodies?
• Be prepared to explain the addictive power of sugar; the differences between
added refined sugar and sugar substitutes, like stevia; and how natural sugar works
to give our bodies energy. Depending on the scientific background of the students,
feel free to explain as little or as much of the science behind this experiment as you
feel comfortable.
GOOD FOOD PURCHASING PROGRAM • GOOD FOOD RISING
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