Sugar is added to foods to make them taste good and to preserve them, however it can also add a lot of calories to the diet. In addition, too much sugar can lead to tooth decay. While sugar alone does not cause diabetes, it can contribute to higher blood sugar levels and needs to be consumed in moderation. To help prevent complications, there is a daily recommended allowance of sugar for both children and adults.
Identification
Sugar is a sweetener that can occur naturally in foods or can be added to them. Dairy products, such as milk and yogurt, contain lactose and fruits contain fructose, both of which are naturally occurring sugars. Even though these foods do contain sugar, they should be included as part of a healthy diet. The goal is to spot added sugar. The American Dietetic Association suggests learning to read food labels. Reduce intake of products that contain brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, invert sugar, lactose, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, sucrose, syrup and table sugar. In addition, ingredients are listed by highest concentration first, so steer clear of products that list one of these ingredients near the top of the list.
Daily Allowance
Too much sugar can also contribute to heart disease, warns the Cleveland Clinic. A diet high in sugar contributes to weight gain, diabetes and high blood pressure, all of which raise the risk of heart disease. Any sugar consumed, that is not immediately used for energy, is converted into triglycerides. High triglyceride levels can increase the risk of heart disease. To reduce the risk of disease, women should eat no more than 25 grams or 6 teaspoons of sugar a day. Men should limit intake to 37.5 grams or 9 teaspoons a day. Children should also keep sugar intake to 6 grams or less per day. Those with known health problems may need to go even lower.
Solution
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, most of the extra sugar in the diet comes from drinking sugar-sweetened beverages. This includes carbonated soft drinks, fruit drinks, punches, sports drinks, coffee and tea with sugar added and milk products that are flavored. Sugar is also found in cake, ice cream, jelly, cookies, fruit packed in syrup and baked goods. Other sources include tomato sauce, pasta sauce, barbecue sauce, applesauce, jello, pudding, granola bars, breakfast cereals and many more. Be careful with foods that are labeled as fat free because they may be loaded with sugar instead. The best bet is to read the nutrition label.
Considerations
When trying to reduce sugar intake, go for artificial sweeteners because most have no calories and they do not raise blood sugar levels. However, they should still be used in moderation. In addition, it is not any healthier to eat honey, molasses, maple syrup or other "natural" products, because they have the same vitamin and mineral content as sugar, reports MayoClinic.com. Even natural sugars are eventually concerted into glucose and then triglycerides.
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