Sugar is a sweetener you can use to flavor foods and drinks, but it is also a high-calorie food source that is best kept to a minimum no matter which diet plan you choose. Sugar can come in various forms--white, brown, cane, corn syrup--and is found in most types of baked goods, prepackaged foods, and naturally in fruits and some vegetables. A sugarless diet can help you lose weight by focusing on nutritionally-dense foods and eliminating unhealthy, sugary calories.
The Basics
Sugar is not a necessary part of a healthy diet, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture and Department of Health and Human Services' Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2005. In fact, this report says the average adult woman and man should be consuming 18 and 14 fewer teaspoons of sugar each day respectively. Sugar is added to many prepackaged foods as a sweetener or preservative. It may appear on a nutritional label as sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, corn syrup and honey, among other forms.
Significance
A diet that greatly limits, or eliminates, sugar can help you lose a significant amount of weight. Because the USDA and other health organizations recommend that most people reduce or eliminate the amount of sugar in their diets, it's also a safe dieting approach. The reason that sugar may contribute to obesity is because of its empty calories, or calories containing little or no nutritional value. Basically, most of these calories get stored as fat in the body.
Nutritional Value
Sugary foods and drinks can cause blood sugar spikes, which are followed by periods of low energy, and these scenarios can be unhealthy over time. Table sugar contains only trace amounts of calcium and potassium, according to CalorieKing.com, so most of sugar's calories contain no nutritional value. Each tablespoon of sugar contains 46 calories, which can add up fast throughout the day. For instance, a 20-oz. soda may contain more than 60 g of sugar, which equates to more than 250 calories.
Types
Several healthy dieting choices are available to greatly limit the amount of sugar you consume or completely eliminate it altogether. Although your body needs sugar to function, it can get it from fruit, vegetables and other healthy foods. These foods get converted into the sugar, or glucose, your body needs to function properly. Three healthy diet programs that are proven to help you lose weight and improve your overall health include the MyPyramid Plan, DASH Diet and Mayo Clinic Diet. The MyPyramid Plan focuses on well-balanced meals rich in vitamins and nutrients and low in sugar. The DASH Diet is a low-salt, low-sugar diet designed for use by people with high blood pressure. The Mayo Clinic Diet is also a nutritious approach that allows you to eat an unlimited amount of fruit and vegetables to help you get an all-natural sugar fix.
Sugar and Obesity
Several studies have linked sugar consumption to an increased risk of obesity, such as a report published in the October 2006 issue of the Harvard Health Letter. Harvard researchers say women who drink one or more sugar-sweetened drinks per day, such as soda, were 83 percent more likely to gain weight and be at an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes. Harvard also points out that the average American consumes about 100 lbs. of sweeteners per year, which has increased dating back to the late 1980s, with obesity rates increasing during that same time frame.
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