While sugar is naturally found in healthy foods like fruits and milk, most of the sugar in the American diet comes from foods with added sugar, which supply calories with very little nutrition. To help balance your calorie and improve your nutrient intake, you should limit the amount of food with added sugar in your diet.
Structure and Function
Sugar is a type of carbohydrate, and are your body's preferred source of energy. Sugar in food, whether natural or added, is considered a simple carbohydrate made up of one or two molecules. As a simple carbohydrate, your body is able to metabolize it quickly and use it as a quick source of energy.
Types
There are several different types of sugars, each with a different chemical structure. Fructose is a single sugar molecule found in fruit. Lactose is double sugar molecule consisting of glucose and galactose, and is the sugar found in milk. Sucrose, better known as table sugar, is also a double molecule sugar consisting of glucose and fructose. While your body uses the sugars in fruit and table sugar in the same manner, fruit and milk, in addition to acting as a source of energy, also supply essential nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, protein and fiber. Sucrose supplies only energy, or calories.
Recommendations
The 2010 U.S. Department of Agriculture's dietary guidelines recommends you limit your intake of foods with added sugar and solid fat, foods high in saturated fat and trans fat, to 5 to 15 percent of your daily calorie intake. If you follow a 2,000-calorie diet, your intake of foods made with sugar and solid fat should be less than 300 calories a day. The American Heart Association offers stricter guidelines, recommending men limit their intake of foods with added sugar to no more than 150 calories a day, and women no more than 100 calories a day.
Sources
Foods with added sugars contribute about 16 percent of the calories in the average American diet, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Most of these calories come from soda, juice, energy drinks, cakes, cookies and candy. Reading food labels can help you identify foods with added sugars. Added sugars include high fructose corn syrup, corn syrup, corn syrup solids, malt syrup, liquid fructose, anhydrous dextrose, crystal dextrose, honey, white sugar, brown sugar and maple syrup.
Benefits
Limiting your intake of foods with added sugar can help reduce your overall calorie intake without sacrificing nutrition. In addition, reducing your calorie intake can help you lose weight.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Healthy Diet: End the Gueswork with These Nutritional Guidelines; Feb. 22, 2011
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010: Foods and Food Components to Reduce
- U.S. Department of Agriculture: Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010: Balancing Calories to Manage Weight
- MedlinePlus; Carbohydrates; Linda Vorvick; May 13, 2010
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