S U G A R

Erin Womboldt, Nutrition Leave a comment


There are two types of dietary sugar:3
  • Naturally occurring sugars 
    • Found naturally in foods such as
      fruit (fructose) and milk (lactose)
  • Added sugars 
    • This includes any sugars or
      caloric sweeteners that are added to beverages or foods during processing or
      preparation. Added sugars and sweeteners can include natural sugars such as
      white sugar, brown sugar, and honey. They can also contain chemically
      manufactured sweeteners, such as high fructose corn syrup.
Where added sugar is hiding:3
Nutrition facts panels of food
doesn’t make it easy to distinguish how much added sugar is in product. The
line for “sugars” includes both natural and added sugars. Products that contain
milk or fruit will contain some natural sugar (lactose or fructose). Reading
the list of ingredients on a processed food’s label can tell you if it contains
added sugars, but not the exact amount.
Names for added sugar:2,3
  • Brown sugar
  • Corn sweetener
  • Corn syrup
  • Fruit juice concentrates
  • High-fructose corn syrup
  • Honey
  • Invert sugar
  • Malt sugar
  • Molasses
  • Raw sugar
  • Sugar
  • Sugar molecules ending in “ose”
    (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose)
  • Syrup
How much is too much:2,3
According to the American Heart
Association, men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of added
sugar per day, and women should consume no more than 6 teaspoons or 21 grams.
For reference a 12oz can of Coke has 44 grams of sugar or 12 teaspoons.

 
Benefits of Naturally Occurring
Sugars:2
Most naturally occurring sugars
are found in fruits and vegetables, these plants have high amounts of fiber,
essential minerals, and antioxidants. The body digests these foods more slowly,
so the sugar offers a steady supply of energy to the cells. A high intake of
fruits and vegetables has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic disease such
as diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.

Tips to Decrease Your Added
Sugars:1
  • Choose water, unsweetened tea or
    coffee instead of soda or sweetened beverages
  • Choose fruit as a naturally sweet
    dessert or snack instead of foods with added sugars
  • Choose packaged foods that have
    less or no added sugars such as plain yogurt, unsweetened applesauce, or frozen
    fruit with no added sugar or syrup

Blog post by Erin Womboldt.
References
1. Added Sugars. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://www.choosemyplate.gov/eathealthy/added-sugars
2. Harvard Health Publishing. (n.d.). The sweet
danger of sugar. Retrieved from
https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar