Most people realise certain foods are high in sugar; cakes, sweets, chocolate.... all sorts of tasty treats are obviously high in sugar, that’s what makes them taste so damn good! However, sugar can also be found lurking in our diets in all sorts of foods you wouldn’t expect.
What is Sugar?
Well in nutritional terms sugar is a carbohydrate.
What forms does sugar take?
The most common form is white sugar frequently used in baking and as a sweetener for hot beverages. This bad guy is also known as sucrose.
Along with sucrose there are other simple sugars lurking in our everyday diet these include glucose, maltose, honey, molasses, syrups, cane sugar and dextrose.
This type of sugar is sometimes referred to as an anti-nutrient, it provides energy but nothing else; it is packed full of calories but lacks any vitamin or mineral content.
It’s not all bad! Sugars are also found naturally in foods. Lactose is found in milk. Fructose is found in foods such as fruit, dried fruit and fruit juices. These natural forms of sugar do provide a whole host of vitamins and minerals as well as fibre and starch.
How much should be in our diets?
Studies indicate an adult diet should contain no more than 60g of added sugars from food and drinks. Should intake be as high as 200g per day undesirable rises in blood levels of glucose, insulin and lipids can occur.
Natural sugars found in milk (lactose) and fruit (fructose) need not be restricted.
How much is in our diets?
Well studies out this week have reported that many people are unknowingly consuming up to 46 teaspoons of sugar in their diets*. This is equivalent to approximately 186g of sugar and contains a whopping 690kcals.
Every teaspoon adds up to 15 calories for a level teaspoon (and as much as 25 for a heaped teaspoon).
Below is a table that shows a few examples of sugar lurking in everyday foods that you may not even associate with sugar!
| Food | Teaspoons of sugar |
| 50g Kellogg’s Coco-Pops + Milk | 6.6 |
| Sugar Puffs 30g | 3 |
| Can of Coke | 8.75 |
| Jam 2 Teaspoons | 2 |
| 1 Large Tablespoon Ketchup | 1 |
| Tomato Soup 1 Can | 4 |
| Mug of hot chocolate | 4.5 |
| Large glass of wine | 1 |
NB: Total sugar content may vary from brand to brand these are approximate figures only
What are the risks of too much sugar?
Well clearly there is the weight issue. All those empty calories providing energy but no nutrients, what a waste! Being overweight brings with it a host of other problems including heart disease, high blood pressure, diabetes and certain other diseases.
A diet too high in sugar increases the production of insulin thus contributing to adult onset diabetes.
Recent reports [i] also suggest a diet high in sugar carries with it an increased risk of heart disease. Sugar raises the ‘bad’ cholesterol levels in the body just the same way a diet high in fat does.
Sugar leads to tooth decay. Cutting down on sugary foods can help keep your pearly whites in good condition.
As I previously mentioned sugar is an anti-nutrient and contains no vitamins or minerals. Ironically though, for the body to make use of sugar it requires B vitamins, phosphorous and magnesium. So in order to utilise the sugar you snaffle down the body actually has to rob its existing stores of these nutrients thus creating nutritional deficiencies. Sugar is a nutrient thief!
What is the best way to reduce sugar intake?
· Cut down the amount you add to your hot drinks such as tea and coffee
· Reduce intake of sweets and chocolate and cakes
· Avoid sugary cereals
· Snack on raw veggies or unsalted nuts and small amounts of dried fruit rather than sugary snacks
· Read food labels and avoid foods with hidden sugars.
Tip: look under the carbohydrates and the amount of sugars will be listed as a sub-category underneath.
To conclude
Sugar tastes good, that I don’t dispute!
However it has loads of calories and no nutritional value and is an addictive substance that we have got far too used to adding to our diets.
Cut it down and you will lose the craving for it until gradually you can more or less cut it right out of your diet...excluding the odd treat of course, after all a little of what you fancy does do you good!
[i] April Edition of the Journal of the American Medical Association
*Daily Mail Wednesday 21st April 2010
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