Sugar is found in many processed convenience foods and drinks that are sold in stores and restaurants. Even though sugar is found naturally in some unprocessed foods such as fruits, vegetables, whole grains and dairy products, sugar itself has no nutritional value and is high in calories, making it a calorie-dense food. There is no health risk in eliminating sugar because your body does not need it to survive. A 2009 scientific statement from the American Heart Association says recent findings demonstrate excessive consumption of sugar has been linked to several adverse health conditions and metabolic problems. Therefore, the risk is not in cutting out sugar, but rather in overconsumption.
Sugar Recommendations
The 2005 USDA food guidelines recommend limiting discretionary calories, such as those from sugar, to 100 to 300 calories per day. The American Heart Association (AHA) found that the average American eats 22.2 teaspoons of sugar each day, which amounts to 355 calories, exceeding the USDA recommendations. Based on these findings, the AHA recommends reducing added sugar intake by half, limiting sugar calories to 100 per day for women and 150 per day for men.
Sugar Names
Recognizing added sugar can be confusing because many different names are used depending on its source. Common words for sugar include those ending in "ose," such as fructose, glucose and sucrose. Other words that indicate added sugar: high fructose corn syrup, malt syrup, molasses, honey and corn syrup. Even natural sugars such as honey and molasses are still sugars that are considered discretionary calories and should be counted just as any other added sugar.
Major Sources of Added Sugar
The AHA found that sugar-sweetened beverages were the No. 1 contributor of added sugar in the American diet. In just one 12-ounce can of regular soda are 40 grams of sugar, equal to 10 teaspoons of sugar. Beverages can be deceptive because you don't actually "eat" them. Some of the highest sugar content beverages include coffee drinks such as mochas, vanilla lattes and especially sweetened blended drinks. Other beverages to monitor are smoothies--even though they may sound healthy with their fruit content, they are often loaded with added sugar and can have as much sugar as a can of soda. Other common sources of added sugar are, of course, candy, cookies, pastries and other desserts.
Finding Added Sugar
Reading labels is one of the best habits to get into when shopping at the grocery store. Look at the nutrition facts label to see how many grams of sugar are in the product. A tip to remember is that 1 teaspoon of sugar is equal to 4g. Also read the ingredient list and look for those common names of sugar listed above. Ingredients are ordered from greatest to least, so sugars listed toward the beginning are in greater quantity than those further down the list. Some grocery stores also offer nutrition rating systems that can help rate products in terms of fat, calories, fiber and sugar.
How to Reduce Your Sugar Intake
If you are looking to reduce your sugar intake, cutting out sugary beverages such as soda, energy drinks, fruit punch, coffee drinks and smoothies can greatly reduce your sugar calories. When eating canned fruits, choose the variety canned in its own juice rather than those canned in syrup. Watch out for breakfast cereals, which can be full of added sugar, especially those geared toward children. Another way to reduce sugar intake is to try some of the sugar-free varieties of syrups, jams and artificial sweeteners to reduce your sugar intake. Keep in mind that even though it is sugar free, it is not necessarily calorie free.
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