Sugar

This week's column turns to questions from readers.Q: I suspect that my sugar-sweetened breakfast cereal is the reason I'm yawning at the computer terminal in the morning. Without resorting to caffeine, what can I eat to help me stay alert and concentrate on my job?A: While there's no diet that can counteract the tedium of a repetitive task, what you eat can help determine whether you're awake or ready to fall asleep on the job.We know, for example, that large meals, or those high in sugar or fat, will encourage drowsiness.

A Beltsville company that is trying to develop a sugar substitute that can be easily used in baking took a step toward getting the product on the market yesterday by winning a key patent, but the company's chief executive said the product is still years from the market.Biospherics Inc. said it had won a patent for calcium tagatate, a compound it uses in a previously patented process for making D-Tagatose, an artificial sugar derived from whey, a dairy byproduct.The company's chief executive, Gilbert Levin, said the new patent helped intensify the company's talks with potential investors, which are major food companies that would add the sugar substitute to their products.

Bob Mould has no trouble describing the sound of the new Sugar album, "File Under Easy Listening.""It's ridiculously a guitar record," he says, over the phone from his Minneapolis home. "There is a lot of different textures going on that are just a lot of different layers and a lot of different harmonic treatments going on. With [the first album,] 'Copper Blue,' the guitars were a little restrained. On this record, they're wide open."That Mould likes his guitars loud will come as no surprise to his fans.

Sugar is trying to reclaim its sweet name. The sweetener, once known as "white gold" because only the wealthy could afford it, has been fending off challenges for a half-century, but none stiffer than the ones it faces now. Sales of sugar have declined for the past four years. Widening concern about health and obesity is pushing consumers and food manufacturers to look to alternatives. Sugar's national trade organization has taken the battle to court, suing the maker of substitute sweetener Splenda for misrepresenting its name and prompting a countersuit by Splenda.

Does sugar make kids hyperactive? Parents of young children never believe this, but the answer, at least according to some experts, is no. The American Academy of Pediatrics, in a book called The Official, Complete Home Reference Guide to Your Child's Nutrition, says that "when put to the test, the sugar-behavior link does not hold up." One study referenced by the doctors' group found "no effect on behavior or the ability to concentrate when sugar intake was far above normal, even among those whom parents identified as `sugar sensitive.

For most people, candy and desserts are sweet indulgences to be enjoyed anytime. But for those with diabetes, the sugary temptations can make them sick, very sick.This can be especially difficult for the parents of children with diabetes. They constantly have to monitor what their child is eating, especially during the holidays, when treats seem to be everywhere."It takes over your life," says Joyce Mason of Glen Arm, whose 9-year-old son, Tyler, was diagnosed with juvenile diabetes when he was 2. "You don't have a child with diabetes.

My brown sugar has turned rock-hard. What can I do to soften it without melting it? There are a number of popular tricks for softening brown sugar, and that's a good thing. Because brown sugar is much moister than granulated sugar, it dries out easily. If you have a couple of days, try placing a slice of apple and the hardened sugar in an airtight container. Check it after a day or so and see if the sugar is crumbly again. If you're in a hurry, put the brown sugar in a dish covered by two damp paper towels and a lid. Microwave it on high (100 percent)

What it is -- Bite-sized, chocolates sweetened with the popular sugar substitute maltitol What we like about it --As far as grocery-store chocolate goes, Dove makes some of the best. Rich, creamy, and with none of the bitter aftertaste of some sugar-free foods, these dark chocolates are great for chocolate lovers trying to cut sugar from their diets. Be sure to check out the saturated fat content before overindulging, though. What it costs --$2.79 for a 3.4-ounce package Where to buy --Available at convenience and grocery stores.

A Beltsville company that is trying to develop a sugar substitute that can be easily used in baking took a step toward getting the product on the market yesterday by winning a key patent, but the company's chief executive said the product is still years from the market.Biospherics Inc. said it had won a patent for calcium tagatate, a compound it uses in a previously patented process for making D-Tagatose, an artificial sugar derived from whey, a dairy byproduct.The company's chief executive, Gilbert Levin, said the new patent helped intensify the company's talks with potential investors, which are major food companies that would add the sugar substitute to their products.

NEW ORLEANS -- Alabama coach Gene Stallings said yesterday that the school is investigating an allegation by former Crimson Tide running back Gene Jelks that a businessman in his hometown co-signed a $13,000 loan during his senior season.In a published report Saturday, Jelks also said Harold Simmons, a businessman from Gadsden, Ala., paid two other ex-Alabama players, Stacy Harrison and Clyde Goode, to appear as grand marshals in a 1991 Christmas parade.Those are Jelks' first allegations of wrongdoing involving Alabama players since the arrival of Stallings and his staff at Alabama in 1990.