By Swathi Sevugan
“American adults consume an average of 17 teaspoons (85 grams) of added sugar every day, more than 2-3 times the recommended amount for men and women respectively” (American Heart Association). In general, the American diet contains more processed sugars than any other diet. This is due to the high intake of sweets and use of high fructose corn syrup in so many processed foods (Alexander, 2021). However, it is important to recognize that a high intake of processed sugars can lead to numerous health issues. It is important for everyone to be cognizant of the effects of high sugar consumption and understand how to tell which foods contain added sugars.
So, what even is processed sugar? Processed sugar is “sugar that’s extracted from foods like sugar cane or sugar beets, chemically produced and added to other foods” (Thurrott, 2023). They are empty calories and add no nutritional value (Frysh, 2023). Note that it is not necessary to completely cut out all sugars from our diets, because we do need sugar, such as carbohydrates, for energy. It is important, however, to be aware of how much added sugar we are consuming daily. Foods with lots of processed sugar exceed our daily added sugar value. For example, foods that contain 5% or less of our daily value (%DV) are a low source of added sugars, and foods with 20% or more %DV are a high source of added sugars (US Food and Drug Administration, 2023).
Processed sugar has many negative health effects besides having no nutritional value. It can cause inflammation which increases blood pressure and has been found to be a risk factor for depression (Rogers, 2023). High sugar consumption also can lead to obesity which is a risk factor for cancer, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease (Alexander, 2021). According to Wake Forest Baptist, “High sugar intake is also linked to increased risk for Alzheimer’s as “elevated blood glucose and elevated sugar intake can lead to the proliferation of amyloid plaques in the brain- a characteristic sign of Alzheimer’s” (Wake Forest Baptist, 2023).
Reducing processed sugar to about 25 grams a day has been shown to lead to better physical and dental health and also make people feel more energetic (Rogers, 2023). Twenty-five grams is the amount of sugar in 2 ½ chocolate chip cookies, 16 ounces of fruit punch and about 1 ½ tablespoons of honey (Rogers, 2023). By reducing sugar intake, consumers reduce the risk for obesity, heart disease, Alzheimer’s, cholesterol and triglycerides, etc. Many people who cut sugar out of their diets do initially note a feeling of “withdrawal” where all they want is sugar, but after some time begin to feel the benefits. Even reducing our sugar intake to the recommended amount will help us feel better and reduce our risk for some of these negative health effects.
While we know it is important to reduce our sugar intake. It can be challenging to identify what foods have added sugar when trying to reduce the amount of processed sugar we are consuming. Beware that there are multiple names for processed sugar, including added sugar and refined sugar. Additionally, ingredient labels will include terms like “corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, raw sugar, cane sugar, evaporated cane juice, dextrose, agave, brown rice syrup, coconut palm sugar, barley malt syrup” (Levey, 2023). When looking at a nutrition label, under total sugars, you can see how many grams of added sugar each serving contains (US Food and Drug Administration, 2023). For example, when I looked through my pantry, I found that Cheerios have 1g of added sugar, which makes up 2%DV and Cinnamon Toast Crunch has 12g of added sugar, which makes up 24%DV. There are also added sugars in foods other than ice-cream, cookies, soda, and candy, such as processed frozen foods, baby food, dried fruit, salad dressing, ketchup, barbeque sauces, pasta sauces, protein bars, and more (Levey, 2023). They can even be found in organic and “healthy” foods.
It may seem like processed sugar is surrounding us and unavoidable, however, just being cognizant of what foods do and do not contain these added sugars can help us work towards eating a healthier diet. There is no need to completely cut all sugar out of our diets; instead we should be aware of what is actually in the foods we eat to prevent subjecting ourselves to risk for disease.
References
Alexander, H. (2021, November 12). Natural versus refined sugar: What’s the difference? MD Anderson Cancer Center. Retrieved December 8, 2023, from https://www.mdanderson.org/cancerwise/natural-versus-refined-sugar–what-s-the-difference.h00-159465579.html
American Heart Association. (n.d.). How much sugar is too much? American Heart Association. Retrieved December 8, 2023, from https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/how-much-sugar-is-too-much#:~:text=American%20adults%20consume%20an%20average,%2Dpound%20bowling%20balls%2C%20folks
Frysh, P. (2023, August 28). What happens when you cut out added sugar? WebMD. Retrieved December 8, 2023, from https://www.webmd.com/diet/ss/slideshow-effects-cut-added-sugar
Levey, D. K. (2023, November 16). Which sugars are good for you — and which ones to avoid. Everyday Health. Retrieved December 8, 2023, from https://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-and-nutrition/diet/which-sugars-are-good-you-which-ones-avoid/
Rogers, K. (2023, April 5). Eating too much ‘free sugar’ has 45 negative health effects, study finds. CNN. Retrieved December 8, 2023, from https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/05/health/added-free-sugars-health-effects-study-wellness/index.html#:~:text=In%20a%20large%20review%20of,decay%2C%20depression%20and%20early%20death
Thurrott, S. (2023, April 7). Decrease your processed sugar intake with these 6 swaps. Banner Health. Retrieved December 8, 2023, from https://www.bannerhealth.com/healthcareblog/advise-me/decrease-your-processed-sugar-intake-with-these-six-swaps
US Food and Drug Administration. (2023, September 27). Added sugars on the nutrition facts label. US Food and Drug Administration. Retrieved December 8, 2023, from https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/added-sugars-nutrition-facts-label
Wake Forest Baptist. (2023, May 22). Scientists at Wake Forest University School of Medicine discover metabolic sensor may play role in Alzheimer’s disease. Wake Forest Baptist. Retrieved December 8, 2023, from https://newsroom.wakehealth.edu/news-releases/2023/05/metabolic-sensor-may-play-role-in-alzheimers-disease#:~:text=Now%2C%20scientists%20at%20Wake%20Forest,the%20risk%20of%20Alzheimer%27s%20disease
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