No matter what you call it … corn syrup, glucose, maltose, dextrin, sucrose, agave nectar … sugar is sugar, and sugar can mess with your health from head to toe. It’s a logical assumption that you already know this, and yet you’re probably still overdoing it. In fact, the American norm for sugar intake is more than 20 teaspoons per day! This is over 300 calories!
The World Health Organization (WHO), The American Heart Association (AHA), The American Cancer Society, and the current 8th edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans all consistently agree that the maximum daily intake of free sugars for adults and children should be less than 10% of their total energy intake. For the average adult male this works out to be less than 9 teaspoons of sugar per day (150 calories or 37.5 grams). The recommendation for the average adult woman, teenager, and child is less than 6 teaspoons of sugar per day (100 calories or 25.0 grams).
Free sugars refer to both monosaccharides and disaccharides (glucose, fructose, sucrose, or table sugar) added to food or drink by the manufacturer/cook/consumer and sugars naturally present in honey, syrups, and fruit juices. When choosing which sugars to consume, foods and drinks that naturally contain sugar (fruits and dairy products) are the healthier choice. While natural sugar consumption should still be monitored, these natural sugars are digested by your body at a slower rate making them a lasting source of energy. They also offer additional nutrients, fiber, and/or a range of vitamins and minerals. Food or drinks that contain added sugar are by far inferior nutritionally. Sugar is an empty calorie; adding it to foods and drinks significantly increases their calorie content WITHOUT adding any nutritional value. The body digests these products quickly meaning they are not a good source of energy. Typically, the more an individual consumes products with empty caloric value, the less they consume products with nutritional value that provide healthy benefits.
The largest contributor to added daily sugar intake are sugary drinks: sodas, juices, sweet teas, sports drinks, lemonades, flavored coffees, and alcoholic beverages. The Center for Disease Control and Prevention estimates that men consume an average of 178 calories from sugary drinks daily. This is well over the recommended maximum daily intake of free sugars. While some make the valid point that these types of drinks should not be a part of anyone’s diet; The AHA recommends that adults should consume NO MORE than 450 calories from these drinks in a week (less than 3 cans of soda) and children should consume NO MORE than ONE sugary drink (8oz) per week.
Desserts and sweets are an obvious contributor to added daily sugar intake. The following is a list of common products with high sugar content due to processing that might not be so obvious. Low-fat yogurt, BBQ sauce, condiments, salad dressings, spaghetti sauce, protein bars, protein powder, breakfast cereals, pre-made soups, canned fruits, canned baked beans, bread, peanut butter, jams and jellies, creamers, and pretty much low-fat everything.
Okay. Okay, Okay…. I think you get it; but WHY is sugar so nasty when it tastes SO good!? Sugar gives your brain a huge surge of dopamine, a feel-good chemical in your brain. Unfortunately, like a drug, the more you consume sugar the harder it is to get the same dopamine release so your body craves more sugar to acquire the same dopamine response, like an addiction. Also, sugar feeds yeast. The more sugar you consume the more of a robust yeast thriving environment you are creating for your body. Then the yeast wants more sugar to survive and tells your body, via cravings, to go find it. On top of that, sugar has been proven to alter moods, suppress the immune system, increase the risk of depression, increase systemic (full body) inflammation, increase the risk of rheumatoid arthritis, and may cause your liver to become insulin resistant making blood sugar control difficult and leading to Type II Diabetes. It also damages the collagen and elastin in your skin decreasing its youthful appearance, can lead to heart disease, heart attacks, stroke, pancreatic dysfunction, kidney disease and obesity. All of which are increased risk factors for cancer.
Wait! Don’t spit out that cupcake just yet. Life is full of balance. Begin by paying attention to your family’s daily sugar intake. Start by making healthier choices where you can. Choosing simple healthy sugar swaps can make a big difference (ie) plain yogurt with berries instead of flavored yogurt or vinaigrette instead of a salad dressing. One of the single most effective changes will be choosing to follow the dietary recommendations for sugary drink consumption! Being more aware of your daily food and drink choices will not only improve your health and well-being but it will allow you to feel less guilty about the occasional sweet treat when you know how to treat your body well.
Planning a healthy family dinner, especially during the work week, is tough enough. Worrying about added sugar makes it tougher. Not sure where to begin? Check out the following link. It will get you to a list of 25 healthy, easy to make, and sugar-free dinners. You’re welcome!
Written by Dr. Melissa Stangl
