Sugar is sweet, but eating too much can sour your prospects for good health. Serious maladies such as hypertension, heart disease, obesity and stroke sometimes begin with a fondness for the sugar bowl, says the American Heart Association. In 2009, the agency issued specific upper limits regarding the daily intake of added sugar. Taming your sugar habit now can sweeten the deal for a healthier future.
Sugar Overload
Imagine eating a bowl of sugar every day -- for many people, this scenario is not such a stretch. Statistics from the 2001-04 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey reveal that the average American eats 22.3 tsp., or 355 calories, of added sugar daily. Most of this sugar is consumed in processed foods or added to foods at the kitchen table. Too much added sugar in the diet is identified as a major contributor to the obesity crisis, according to the American Heart Association. Naturally occurring sugar, such as that found in fruits and vegetables, is generally not a health concern.
Recommended Daily Intake
The American Heart Association recommends that women consume no more than 25 g of added sugar daily, or about 100 calories. Men should strive to keep added sugar consumption to 37.5 g, or 150 calories. This translates to about 6 tsp. of added sugar daily for women and 9 tsp. for men. Cutting back on sugar, which contributes calories but no nutrients to the diet, ensures you have plenty of room for nutrient-dense foods such as lean proteins, low-fat dairy, fresh fruits and vegetables that promote good health.
Forms of Sugar
While granulated and powdered sugars are widely familiar, other forms are not as well-known. Read food labels to identify added sugars such as fructose, sucrose, galactose, lactose and glucose, sometimes known as dextrose. Honey, molasses and syrups also are forms of sugar to be aware of when grocery shopping or preparing foods at home, says the Cleveland Clinic. The higher up in the ingredient list these additives appear, the more sugar the product contains.
Limiting Sugar Intake
Aside from putting the sugar bowl away, there are many ways to avoid exceeding the recommendations for daily sugar intake. If you regularly drink sodas, which the American Heart Association ranks as the No. 1 contributor of added sugars to the American diet, a switch to diet soda is in order. For every 12-oz. soda you don't drink, you save 8 tsp. of sugar, or 130 calories.
MayoClinic.com says to be choosier when it comes cereals. Resist kid pressure and forgo the frosted, sugary brands for unsweetened whole-grain varieties. If you must add sugar, do so sparingly or sweeten your cereal with fresh fruit. Snacking on whole-grain breads or crackers, vegetables, fruits and low-fat cheeses will likewise not introduce significant amounts of sugar into your diet.
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