How much sugar should you be having?
Sugar is heavily demonised in the media. And there is merit in the argument of reducing sugar, but it’s also not something to absolutely terrified of.
Why should you reduce your sugar intake?
Sugar is everywhere. There’s naturally occurring sugars in
fruit, vegetables, and milk. And there’s added sugar in cakes, confectionary,
and most ultra-processed foods. The sugars found naturally in foods aren’t
something to be concerned about as there are other nutrients in those foods
too. It’s added sugar that we need to be more mindful of.
We’re advised to have no more than 30g of added sugar a day.
But it’s been found that UK adults are having on average 50g each day.
Too much added sugar can lead to:
- Obesity: Foods high in sugar tend to be high in calories and excess calories leads to weight gain. Obesity comes with increased health risks of heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, and some cancers.
- Tooth decay: Excess sugar can also contribute to tooth decay and can mean you need a filling. This is because the bacteria in your mouth feed off the sugar and produce acid. This acid is then what damages your teeth.
- Poor blood sugar control: snacking on sugary foods throughout the day can mean your blood sugar levels rise and crash frequently. This can leave you feeling tired, hungry, and irritable.
Sugar in moderation is fine to have. But the key thing to
note is having excess sugar - if you’re having a lot of sugar regularly,
you should try to reduce this.
Tips to reduce your sugar intake:
Swap fizzy drinks to ‘diet’ versions: if you consume a lot
of fizzy drinks then you’ll be having lots of sugar. For example, a 330ml can
of coke has 35g of sugar. This is already over the recommended amount of 30g of
sugar a day. The occasional can would be okay but having it regularly will add
up. Swapping to the ‘diet’ or no added sugar versions will help cut down on
sugar.
Gradually reduce the amount of sugar you add to hot drinks: are you even British if you don’t drink tea? I enjoy a warm cup in the cold mornings but if you’re having multiple cups a day and adding sugar each time, then it can contribute a lot to your sugar intake. A teaspoon of sugar is about 4g and it can add up quick.
A useful way to reduce this is to wean yourself off
the sweet taste. You could start by halving the amount of sugar you add and
allowing yourself to get used to it, before halving again.
Get full fat versions of foods like mayo: low fat or
‘lite’ versions of things like mayo and yoghurt tend to be higher in sugar.
This is because fat is a great flavour carrier and so when you remove it, you
need to add something else to make up the taste. Sugar and salt are usually
added. The full fat versions are usually lower in sugar but it's worth checking the nutrition label.
Swap sugary breakfast cereals for others: cereal can be a
big source of sugar; a 40g serving of fruit and fibre has 10 grams of sugar. Swapping
your usual bowl for something like bran flakes, porridge, or Weetabix is a good
way to cut down on sugar. You can then sweeten it with fruit instead. I have a
whole blog about cereal here.
Read food labels for hidden sugars: sugar is often listed in a food label, but you may not realise it. Dextrose, fructose, maltose, sucrose, honey, syrups, fruit juice concentrate, molasses, agave nectar, evaporated cane juice, caramel, and treacle are all sugar but with different names.
Knowing all
the names for sugar can allow you to make more informed decisions when buying
things.
Don’t be fooled by ‘healthy’ sugars: things like coconut sugar, honey, maple syrup, and agave syrup have got such good press lately. I see so many health influencers making recipes with these instead of normal sugar as they’re ‘natural’ and ‘healthier’. But these are all forms of sugar and should be reduced. Your body will digest these sugars and common table sugar the same.
They may contain small amounts of nutrients, but you’d have to consume lots to get any benefits. You would have to eat 100g of honey to get 10% of your daily recommended amount of zinc for example. And at that point, all the sugar would negate the tiny bit of zinc you’re getting.
Try to make things from scratch when you can: cooking your own food means you’re in control of what goes into it. A lot of ultra-processed foods contain added sugars that you may not realise.
Foods like pasta sauces,
ready meals, and tinned products like baked beans all have sugar added. Making
your own gives you a chance to experiment in the kitchen and avoid the extra
sugar!
Key points:
- The government recommend no more than 30g of added sugar a day.
- Too much sugar can lead to diseases like obesity, tooth decay, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and heart disease.
- Ways to reduce sugar include: cooking meals from scratch, swapping fizzy drinks for the diet versions, reading food labels to check for added sugar, and cutting down on the sugar added to hot drinks.
I hope you enjoyed this blog post. I’d love to hear your
thoughts in the comments.
Bye for now! 👋
References:
https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/how-does-sugar-in-our-diet-affect-our-health/
UK sugar intake: https://www.actiononsugar.org/news-centre/sugar-in-the-news/2020/2020-stories/ndns-results-from-years-9-to-11-2016-to-2017-and-2018-to-2019.html
https://quadram.ac.uk/UKfoodcomposition/foods/honey/
Sugar and tooth decay: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33156952/
Sugar and obesity: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26376619/
and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29772560/
Obesity and risk of other health conditions: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12490658/
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