The normal daily sugar consumption of many Americans is far greater than it should be, according to a August 2009 MSNBC Nightly News report. Sugar that's added to food to enhance its taste -- not the natural-occurring sugar found in fruit, vegetables and other foods -- is the problem. Consuming a lot of sugar on a daily basis can lead to a host of health problems, including weight gain and obesity.
Sugar and Americans
Most American adults eat an average of 22 tsp. of sugar a day, while teenagers consume 34 tsp. These amounts range from two to seven times the amount of added sugar the American Heart Association (AHA) recommends for adult men and women. This rise in sugar intake didn't go unnoticed by the Center for Science in the Public Interest, or CSPI. In 1999, the CSPI noted that sugar consumption in America had increased 28 percent since 1983. The rise in sugar consumption is largely attributed to soft drinks such as colas, sodas and sugar-sweetened fruit drinks.
Sugar Facts
Added sugar is a simple carbohydrate, and it does give you calories for energy. However, it's otherwise nutritionally valueless. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention place treats made with refined grains and added sugar -- cakes, cookies and pies -- on the list of "bad carbs." If you want to know if the food you purchase contains added sugar, look at the Nutrition Facts label. Added sugar goes by other names, including brown or raw sugar, corn syrup or corn sweetener, fruit juice concentrate, honey, molasses, high-fructose corn syrup and syrup or malt syrup. Look for ingredients that end in "-ose:" fructose, dextrose, lactose, glucose, maltose and sucrose.
Sugar Hazards
When you consume a diet high in sugar in lieu of more nutritious foods, you aren't just adding empty calories to your diet. According to the CSPI, extra sugar can contribute to cancer, osteoporosis and heart disease. Consuming added sugar also promotes tooth decay.
AHA Recommendations
If you're an average American that lives a healthy lifestyle, you don't have too many calories to spend on added sugar. The AHA advises that women consume no more than 100 calories from added sugar per day. Men can have slightly more: 150 calories. This translates into an upper daily limit of 25 and 37.5 grams (6 and 9 tsp.) of added sugar for men and women, respectively. One 12-oz. can of regular soda pop contains 8 tsp. of added sugar.
References
- MSNBC Nightly News; Cut Back, Way Back, on Sugar, Says Heart Group; August 2009
- American Heart Association: Sugars and Carbohydrates; October 2010
- Center for Science in the Public Interest: America: Drowning in Sugar; August 1999
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: Nutrition for Everyone -- Carbohydrates; February 2011
- Mayo Clinic: Added Sugars -- Don't Get Sabotaged by Sweeteners; April 2011
