Added Sugar

Did you know that added sugar can significantly impact your health?

Many foods and drinks we consume daily, like sweets and soft drinks, contain added sugar. While it adds a sweet taste, excessive consumption is linked to health risks such as obesity and diabetes.

In this article, we'll explore the types of added sugar, its sources, and its effects on our health. Ready to learn how to reduce your added sugar intake and improve your health? Let’s dive in!

Types of Sugar

Foods contain two types of sugar: naturally occurring and added.

• Naturally occurring sugars are found in foods like fruits (fructose) and milk (lactose).

• Added sugar includes any sugar or sweetener added during the processing or preparation of food or drinks, such as adding sugar to your coffee or cereal. This category includes white sugar, brown sugar, honey, and chemically manufactured sweeteners like high-fructose corn syrup.

  
  

Why Should You Be Aware of Added Sugar?

Many people consume more sugar than they realize. Our bodies don’t need added sugar to function properly. In fact, it provides no nutritional benefit and often contributes extra calories that can lead to weight gain or obesity.

Think of your calorie needs as a budget. You should "spend" most of your calorie budget on essential nutrients and limit the "extras," such as foods and drinks with added sugar.

How Can You Identify Added Sugar?

To check if a product contains added sugar and how much, read the Nutrition Facts label. Look for "added sugars" under "total sugars." Remember, there are four calories in one gram of sugar. So, if a product has 15 grams of sugar per serving, that's 60 calories from sugar alone.

If there's no Nutrition Facts label, review the ingredient list. Sugar has many different names. Besides names ending in “-ose,” such as maltose or sucrose, sugar can appear as corn syrup, honey, fruit juice concentrate, molasses, cane sugar, raw sugar, and corn sweeteners.

How Much Sugar is Allowed?

Added sugar should make up no more than 5% of your daily calorie intake. This translates to:

• Adults: Less than 30 grams per day (about 2 tablespoons)

• Children aged 7 to 10: Less than 24 grams per day (less than 2 tablespoons)

• Children aged 4 to 6: Less than 19 grams per day (about 1 tablespoon)

  
  

For example, a single can of soda may contain 39 grams of added sugar, equaling 10 teaspoons, which exceeds the daily limit for adults. Remember, this amount is just from the soda, and other foods consumed throughout the day may add even more sugar.

Sugar and Tooth Decay

Sugar is a leading cause of tooth decay. To reduce the risk, limit sugary foods and drinks, like chocolate, cakes, biscuits, sweetened cereals, jams, honey, fruit smoothies, and dried fruits, to mealtimes.

Sugars naturally found in whole fruits and vegetables are less likely to cause decay because they're contained within the food’s structure. However, when fruits or vegetables are juiced or blended, the sugars are released and can damage teeth.

To minimize the risk, limit fruit juice or smoothies to 150 ml per day and drink them with meals. Sugary drinks, soft drinks, and juice drinks should not be part of a child’s daily diet. If you're caring for children, replace sugary beverages with water, low-fat milk, or sugar-free drinks.

How to Reduce Added Sugar Intake

In Drinks:

• Instead of sugary soft drinks or beverages, choose water, low-fat milk, or sugar-free options.

• Limit unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies to 150 ml per day.

• If you enjoy fizzy drinks, try diluting sugar-free juice with sparkling water.

• Gradually reduce sugar in hot drinks or cereals until you can cut it out completely.

In Foods:

• Swap high-sugar jams, chocolate spreads, or honey for lower-fat alternatives, low-sugar jams, fruit spreads, banana slices, or low-fat cream cheese.

• Check nutrition labels to choose products with less added sugar, or go for low-sugar versions.

• Reduce the amount of sugar used in recipes, where possible.

• Choose whole-grain cereals without added sugar, chocolate, or honey coatings.

• Add natural sweetness to cereals by including fruits like banana slices, dried fruit, or berries.

  
  

By making these small changes, you can significantly reduce your added sugar intake and improve your overall health.