Sugars exist naturally in nutritious foods such as milk, milk products and fruits. However, most sources of sugar in the standard American diet are actually added in to sweeten, preserve or alter foods' texture and appearance. Foods containing natural sugars tend to be more nutritious, and foods with added sugars can be detrimental to your body.
Tooth Decay
Both natural and added sugars increase your risk of tooth decay. Acid forms every time bacteria comes into contact with starches and sugars in your mouth and attacks your teeth for at least 20 minutes, according to the American Dental Association. This can lead to cavities, particularly if you don't floss and brush regularly. Drinking regular soft drinks can be especially damaging to your teeth because, in addition to decay-causing added sugars, they contain acids that erode tooth enamel.
Heart Disease
Eating large amounts of added sugar can increase your risk of heart disease by boosting your level of unhealthy blood fats called triglycerides, according to MayoClinic.com. Research also links dietary sugar with decreased levels of high-density lipoprotein, or HDL, also known as "good" cholesterol. HDL actually helps reduce "bad" cholesterol, or LDL, which can lead to plaque on your arteries, so a low HDL level can put you at greater risk for heart disease. A study published in the 2010 issue of "The Journal of the American Medical Association" found that women who ate diets high in sweets or highly processed sweets and starches were up to twice as likely to have heart disease than women who didn't.
Overweight and Obesity
Added sugars pile unnecessary calories into foods and drinks, and make up about 16 percent of calories in the average American diet, according to the "Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010." The calories from added sugars won't make you feel more satiated, because your body metabolizes them quickly. As a result, you're more likely to consume a larger amount of calories overall if you eat sweetened foods than if you eat unsweetened foods. You are at risk of gaining weight and becoming overweight or obese when you eat more calories than you can burn each day. Overweight and obesity increase your risk of a host of health problems, including diabetes, breathing problems, pregnancy complications, gallbladder disease, arthritis and certain cancers.
Recommendations
The "Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010" recommends limiting your intake of added sugars and fats to no more than 5 to 15 percent of your total daily calories. The American Heart Association specifically suggests limiting added sugars to about 100 calories or 6 teaspoons per day for women and 150 calories or 9 teaspoons per day for men. A 12 oz. can of regular cola contains about 150 calories, or 10 teaspoons, of sugar. If you eat a standard American diet, you have a lot of cutting back to do if you want to protect your health: most Americans consume more than 22 teaspoons, or 355 calories, of added sugar on a daily basis, according to MayoClinic.com.
References
- MayoClinic.com; Added Sugar: Don't Get Sabotaged by Sweeteners; April 2011
- U.S. Department of Agriculture and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services; Dietary Guidelines for Americans 2010; December 2010
- "The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition"; A Prospective Study of Dietary Glycemic Load, Carbohydrate Intake, and Risk of Coronary Heart Disease in US Women"; S. Liu, et al.; 2000
- American Academy of Family Physicians; Added Sugar: What You Need to Know; January 2010
- American Dental Association; Diet and Tooth Decay; April 2002
- "The Journal of the American Medical Association"; Caloric Sweetener Consumption and Dyslipidemia Among US Adults; J. Welsh, et al.; 2010
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