How Much Added Sugar is In Your Diet?

The World Health Organization created quite a stir recently when they announced we should cut our added sugar intake to only 5% of our daily calories (WHO | Draft Guideline: Sugars intake for adults and children).    Sounds easy?  Not really as manufacturers sneak added sugar into almost every food we eat.   The WHO focused on all sugars, but in this blog I will focus on ADDED sugar, what manufacturers add in processing.  Added sugars are not sugars naturally present in foods like fructose in an apple or lactose in milk.  
So what did the WHO propose and why? 
Currently, WHO recommends added sugars should make up less than 10% of our daily calories.
WHO Draft guidelines:  Sugar should be less than 10% of our total calories with even more health benefits if we reduce sugars to less than 5% of our daily calories.
What is 5%?   This means reducing our sugars to about 25 grams a day or 6 teaspoons for adults. 
Most of us enjoy our sugary treats whether it is Girl Scout cookies this time of year, ice cream or other desserts which, of course, would have added sugars.   But manufacturers put added sugars in almost everything.  My husband read the WHO article and then went into our kitchen and found added sugars in many foods.
  • 1 slice whole wheat bread  3 grams sugar
  • 1 serving instant oatmeal apple, cranberry  12 grams sugar
  • Catsup 1 T.  4 grams sugar
  • Salad Dressing 2 T.  5 grams sugar
  • Prego Spaghetti Sauce – ½ cup 7 grams sugar 
Look through your cupboards to find all the hidden added sugar in our foods.  That is before we even get to our desserts.
Then there are the culprits we expect to be loaded with sugars and they are:
  • Soda – sugared 12 ounce  39 grams sugar
  • Red Bull one can 27 grams sugar
  • Iced Tea – sugared 8 ounces   24 grams sugar
  • Capri Sun one pouch – 18 grams sugar

Yes, one sugared soda and you are over your daily limit of sugar. 
You really can’t tell if a food has added sugar by reading the “sugars” on the food label.  You need to look at the ingredients.  For example, milk notes it has “Sugars 12 grams” on the food label, yet the ingredients are only Milk, vitamins A and D.  No sugar is added.  The “sugars” in milk are lactose, a naturally present sugar. Not something added by the manufacturer.  Very confusing to those wanting to cut back on “added sugars”
I enjoy my dark chocolate, Girl Scout cookies and other treats and I know these foods have added sugars.  But I really don’t appreciate manufacturers sneaking added sugars into every food under the sun.  I don’t need added sugars in my bread, in spaghetti sauce, and in my catsup. 

Sources: Image source:  http://foodbeverage.about.com/b/2012/04/25/new-product-launch-of-trop50-juice-with-tea-50-fewer-calories.htm WHO | WHO opens public consultation on draft sugars guideline, How Much Sugar in Sodas and Beverages?   


Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

How does coffee and tea affect blood sugar?

Image
Who doesn’t love some morning coffee?   Or, on cold days, a nice hot cup of tea.   Does drinking coffee or tea affect one’s blood glucose levels?    Should healthy adults be concerned about coffee or tea and blood glucose levels?   The Mayo Clinic says that for healthy adults, caffeine will probably have no noticeable effects on their blood sugar or blood glucose levels.   Studies have found that up to 400 milligrams of caffeine is safe for most of us.   A cup of coffee has about 120-180 milligrams of caffeine and most adults drink about 2 cups of coffee a day.   FDA says healthy adults can consume up to 400 mg of caffeine a day which equates to about 4-5 cups of coffee a day, or 10 cans of soda , or 2 “energy shot” drinks.   (See:   Caffeine – good or bad for your health? )     Can drinking coffee or tea reduce chances of getting type 2 diabetes? Some studies have found that coffee, tea, and other drinks with caffeine can lead to weight loss and a lower body mass index (BMI
Read more

Are there drinks that will help lower your blood pressure?

Image
According to the University of Southern California , almost half of Americans over the age of 20 have high blood pressure.   This means an astounding 122 million Americans.   Unfortunately, as you get older it is more likely to have blood pressure increase.   Many people don’t even know they have high blood pressure or hypertension.   The American Heart Association notes at first there are “no obvious symptoms to indicate something is wrong, but HBP can lead to heart attack, stroke, and kidney failure.”    A relative was asking what they could do diet wise to help lower their blood pressure.   We had already discussed the DASH diet (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension).   (See:   Best Diets for Healthy Eating in 2024 .) and physical activity.    Diet wise, they were cutting back on sodium and increasing potassium foods but were wondering if there were anything else like any drinks that could help lower blood pressure?   The Cleveland Clinic talked to cardiologist , Luke Laffin,
Read more

How to eat for better sleep

Image
Having trouble sleeping?   Are there foods you can eat that would help you sleep?   My husband sent me an interesting article, 8 Eating Habits That Actually Improve Your Sleep . According to CDC , “about 1 in 3 adults in the United States reported not getting enough rest or sleep every day.”   A lot of Americans have problems sleeping, about 50-70 million Americans.   You probably heard that drinking warm milk before bed helps one sleep?   Is this true?   What eating habits really do help you get to sleep and stay asleep? Sleep and hunger Did you know that getting a good night’s sleep affects hunger hormones in your body?   A good night’s sleep can lead to less snacking the next day as it keeps hunger at bay.   A professor of nutrition at Columbia University, Marie-Pierre St-Onge, says, “If you eat better, you sleep better and be more refreshed.   And that helps you make better decision for your diet.”      Some tips to eating habits for better sleep:         Focus on tryptopha
Read more