by Grenada Food & Nutrition Council
High-sugar diets have been associated with an increased risk of inflammation, high blood sugar and blood pressure levels, obesity and many chronic diseases like diabetes and some cancers.
Prolonged high-sugar consumption drives resistance to insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels. Insulin resistance is when your body produces insulin in response to blood sugar, but your blood cells do not respond to the insulin causing blood sugar and insulin levels to be higher than normal as the pancreas tries to lower the blood sugar level. This increases your risk of diabetes. Sugar levels that are too high can cause severe dehydration, which can be life-threatening. Over time, excess sugar in the body does serious damage to organs such as your heart, eyes, and nervous system.
Alarming rates of obesity worldwide are attributed to nutrient-poor “junk” food and excess consumption of added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages like sodas, juices, and sweet teas. Consider the amount of sugar you get from drinking one soda. A 16-ounce or 473-ml can of soda contains 52 grams or 13 teaspoons of sugar, which is more than 10% of your daily calorie consumption, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. This means that one sugary drink a day can already put you over the recommended daily limit for added sugar.
Eating excessive amounts of sugar may also increase your risk of developing certain cancers. A study in over 400,000 people found that added sugar consumption was associated with an increased risk of some types of cancer that includes cancer of the small intestine. Research shows that women who consumed sweet buns and cookies more than three times per week were more likely to develop cancer than women who consumed these foods less than occasionally. Excess sugar may also lead to kidney disease, tooth decay and dental cavities.
When trying to manage your sugar consumption, it’s important to know how to read food labels and identify added sugars because not all sweet foods contain the word “sugar” on their label.
The line for sugars on the nutrition facts include both added and natural sugars. Sugar is found in 74% of packaged foods in supermarkets and disguised in ingredient labels under at least 60 different names. When reading the ingredient list, look for these words: agave syrup, cane juice or cane syrup, corn sweetener and corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, sucrose, lactose, maltose, fruit juice concentrates, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, malt syrup, molasses, invert sugar, syrup, panela.
Some products may also include terms related to sugars. These include:
- Sugar-Free: Less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving
- Reduced Sugar or Less Sugar: At least 25% less sugar per serving compared to a standard serving size of the traditional variety
- No Added Sugars or Without Added Sugars: No sugars or sugar-containing ingredient such as juice or dry fruit is added during processing
- Low Sugar: Can be considered no more than 5 grams per 100 grams (3 ½ ozs) of food
There are hidden sugars in everyday foods and drinks like bread, alcohol, ketchup, salad dressing, breakfast cereals, energy drinks, packaged and dried fruit. Keep in mind that if the product has no fruit or milk products in the ingredients, all the sugars in the food are added sugars. If the product contains fruit or milk products, the total sugar per serving listed on the label will include added and naturally occurring sugars. It is recommended that men have no more than 150 calories or 9 teaspoons of sugar per day and for women, 100 calories or 6 teaspoons of sugar per day. Children up to age 8 should have no more than 4 teaspoons of added sugar per day, children ages over 8 and teenagers should have a limit of 5 to 8 teaspoons of added sugar per day. No sugar should be added for children before 2 years old.
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