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Sugar tastes good and that's why so many of us love it. Added sugar is everywhere and it is possible (likely) you may not even realize when it’s there or how much you consume each day.
Sugar comes in a variety of forms. Some foods like fruits are sweet because sugar is a naturally occurring part of it’s nutrient composition. The sugar in a piece of fruit is native to the fruit and is not an added sugar. Fruit is healthy when it is in it's simplest state (not mixed with added sugars or syrups). Sugar naturally present in fruits, dairy, and some vegetables is different from added sugar.
Other foods and beverages have sugar added during manufacturing and processing. When sugar is added to a product it is considered "added sugar” because the sugar is an add-on. Sugar improves the taste, texture, feel, and smell of foods and drinks. It also acts as a preservative and increases the shelf life of some products. Manufacturers and consumers love sugar and that is why it is everywhere. It is very easy to consume more sugar than you realize.
Why care about too much added sugar?
We care about people consuming too much added sugar because excess added sugar increases the risk of gaining excess body weight, particularly in the form of fat, and developing chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
Food labels
In 2018, a change was made to the Nutrition Facts panel on products. Now, it is much easier to figure out how much added sugar ("included sugars") are in the foods we eat and beverages we drink. Take a look at the "added sugars" section. You can also see some other updates to the food label, what it means, and how to use food label information to make informed decisions based on your preferences and health goals.
Right now, our labels are in transition and you will still find products with the old Nutrition Facts panel. When that happens, it is necessary to be a detective to determine how much added sugar is in a product. To do that, look under "carbohydrates" and read the subheading called "sugar." the value in grams tells you how much total sugar is in the product (4 grams = 1 teaspoon). At this time manufacturers are only required to tell you about the total sugars in their product - that means the number on the label includes sugars that are inherent to the food combined with the added sugars. To find out if the "sugar" group includes added sugars, you'll need to read and decipher the ingredients list. That may get confusing because there are many names and types of added sugars. Here are a few examples of common added sugars:
raw sugar,
invert sugar,
corn syrup,
high fructose corn syrup,
brown sugar,
sugar,
glucose,
anhydrous dextrose,
confectioner's powdered sugar,
fructose,
honey,
malt syrup,
maltose,
maple syrup,
molasses,
nectar (all different kinds),
sucrose,
white granulated sugar, to name a few!
How much is too much?
There are 4 grams of sugar in 1 teaspoon. The typical American consumes about 23 teaspoons (92 grams) of added sugar every day. That is a lot of added sugar! It is recommended that women limit their added sugar intake to no more than 6 teaspoons a day (24 grams) and men to 9 teaspoons a day (36 grams). Here in the U.S., we have some work to do in order to cut down on our added sugars.
Here are some resources:
American Heart Association: https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/added-sugars
Center for Disease Control: https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/data-statistics/know-your-limit-for-added-sugars.html
National Institute of Digestive Disorders and Kidney Diseases: https://www.niddk.nih.gov/health-information/diabetes/overview/diet-eating-physical-activity
Today's Dietitian: https://www.todaysdietitian.com/newarchives/0416p30.shtml