Submitted By: Amy Sercel
Edited By: Marcia Bristow MS RDN CSSD CD
The average American eats about 88 grams of
added sugar per day – far above the recommended 36 grams for men and 24 grams
for women. Eighty-eight grams of added sugar
provides about 350 empty calories, or calories that don’t contribute any
vitamins, minerals, fiber, or other nutrients.1 These empty calories can lead to weight gain and obesity. On top of that, a high intake of added sugar
is “significantly” associated with the development of heart disease, type 2
diabetes, high blood pressure, and elevated cholesterol.2 With all of the negative health impacts, you may think that you
should give up sugar completely!
However, not all sugar is created
equal, and cutting out all sugar would make it nearly impossible to
maintain a healthy lifestyle.
Sugar is found in all carbohydrates, including fruits, vegetables, and dairy. It is impossible to give up all sugar without
eliminating these nutritious food groups, too. Any carbohydrate you consume is made up of chains
of sugar molecules. Longer chains are
known as complex carbohydrates and are
found in dairy, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains; these take more
time to digest and tend to raise blood sugar more slowly than shorter chains of
sugar. Simple sugars, on the other hand, are short chains of sugar
molecules that are digested very quickly and will result in a spike in blood
sugar.3
Both complex and simple sugars occur
naturally in dairy products, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts, and grains. If you were to cut out all sugar from your
diet, you would remove the important vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that these
foods provide! You’d also miss out on fiber,
protein, and healthy fat. These
nutrients prevent simple sugar from being absorbed too quickly and spiking
blood sugar.3 The naturally occurring sugar in these foods also supplies
important fuel for your brain and muscles.
Added sugar, on the other hand, is simple
sugar that has been added to processed foods to improve their flavor.4 Added sugar only provides sweetness and empty calories without
any other nutritional benefits.4,5 The foods highest in added sugar include soda, sweetened juice,
breakfast cereals, and desserts like ice cream, cookies, candy and cakes.1,4 Added sugar, not
naturally occurring sugar, is associated with the development of obesity and
chronic diseases.1,2 To promote health, rather than saying you will remove all sugar
from your diet, take a more realistic and nutritious approach by limiting your
intake of added sugar from processed foods.
Unfortunately, sugar is added to bread,
tomato sauce, soups, and many other unexpected foods, and the current nutrition
facts label does not differentiate between the amounts of naturally occurring
and added sugar in foods. To find added
sugar, look for one of its many names on the package’s ingredients list. Some of the names that signify added sugar include
sucrose, maple syrup, high fructose corn syrup, or honey. Choosing whole, unprocessed foods will also
help you limit your intake of added sugar.
Finally, remember that you should never try to remove all sugar from
your diet. The naturally occurring sugar
in dairy products, fruits, vegetables, beans, nuts and whole grains comes with
many nutrients and is an essential part of a healthy eating pattern!
So if you’re thinking of saying, “I’m giving
up sugar,” consider this statement instead: “I’m going to try to limit the intake
of added sugar in the foods I choose.”
This statement proves you are an educated, realistic consumer who is
interested in improving the quality of your food intake.
References:
1. Added Sugar in the
Diet – The Nutrition Source – Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
http://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/carbohydrates/added-sugar-in-the-diet/.
Accessed May 11, 2016.
2. Yang Q, Zhang Z, Gregg EW, Flanders W, Merritt R, Hu FB.
ADded sugar intake and cardiovascular diseases mortality among us adults. JAMA
Intern Med. 2014;174(4):516-524. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13563.
3. Good & Bad Sugars.
http://healthyeating.sfgate.com/good-bad-sugars-7608.html. Accessed May 11, 2016.
4. What are added sugars? Choose MyPlate.
http://www.choosemyplate.gov/what-are-added-sugars. Published February 27,
2015. Accessed May 11, 2016.
5. What Are Simple Sugars? | LIVESTRONG.COM.
http://www.livestrong.com/article/379749-what-are-simple-sugars/. Accessed May
16, 2016.
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