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How much added sugar is in my food?
04/30/2024 Natural food guide
Sugar is added to many foods and beverages during the manufacturing process to improve taste, texture or shelf life. This can be in the form of various types of sugar, including sucrose (table sugar), fruit sugar (fructose), glucose-fructose syrup or high-fructose corn syrup. Because sugar is so cheap, it is found in many foods where you would not expect it, such as bread or sausage. So we are constantly – consciously or unconsciously – consuming added or other easily digestible free sugars and this is not without consequences.
Consuming large amounts of added sugar is a cause for concern for a number of reasons. If you don’t pay attention you consume more calories than you actually want. Many processed foods and drinks contain a high proportion of 'empty calories', which provide energy but are very low in nutrients (see table 1). This can lead to weight gain in the long term. In addition, excessive intake of added sugars can lead to a number of health problems, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
▲ Table 1: Overview of the amount of added sugar in selected foods.
Sugars are very commonly added by food manufacturers or consumers during processing or preparation. However, easily available sugars that occur naturally in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates fall into the same category. These so called free sugars cause the blood sugar levels to rise rapidly, too. Added or free sugars are nutritionally much more problematic than sugars that are embedded in a fiber matrix and released much more slowly in the digestive tract, as is the case with fruit or vegetables.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that added sugars should not account for more than 10% of total daily calorie intake. For an adult with a normal body mass index (BMI), this corresponds to around 50 grams or 12 teaspoons of sugar per day.
This value is to be seen as an upper limit and not to be confused with a recommended amount. According to the WHO, a further reduction to 5% of the daily calorie intake promises additional health benefits. The reduced intake of free sugars has no disadvantages – quite the opposite. The lower the proportion of free or added sugars in the diet improves the nutrition quality significantly.
With our dietary profile for added sugars, you can easily follow the WHO recommendation. The app knows the proportion of added sugars in all foods and the diary helps you track your daily intake and stick to the maximum recommended amount.
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References:
Guideline – Sugars intake for adults and children, World Health Organization, Geneva (2015)
Image:
Foto by oning on Unsplash
Excessive sugar consumption due to added sugars
Consuming large amounts of added sugar is a cause for concern for a number of reasons. If you don’t pay attention you consume more calories than you actually want. Many processed foods and drinks contain a high proportion of 'empty calories', which provide energy but are very low in nutrients (see table 1). This can lead to weight gain in the long term. In addition, excessive intake of added sugars can lead to a number of health problems, including type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
| Food (per portion) | Added sugar |
|---|---|
| Cola (1 large glass) | 52.5 g |
| Cornflakes (frosted) | 29 g |
| Energy drink (1 can) | 26.4 g |
| Milk chocolate | 23 g |
| Hazelnut cocoa spread (2 tbsp) | 20.4 g |
| Strawberry yoghurt (1 cup) | 10.2 g |
| Banana | 0 g |
What are free or added sugars?
Sugars are very commonly added by food manufacturers or consumers during processing or preparation. However, easily available sugars that occur naturally in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates fall into the same category. These so called free sugars cause the blood sugar levels to rise rapidly, too. Added or free sugars are nutritionally much more problematic than sugars that are embedded in a fiber matrix and released much more slowly in the digestive tract, as is the case with fruit or vegetables.
What are the recommendations for intake of added sugars?
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that added sugars should not account for more than 10% of total daily calorie intake. For an adult with a normal body mass index (BMI), this corresponds to around 50 grams or 12 teaspoons of sugar per day.
This value is to be seen as an upper limit and not to be confused with a recommended amount. According to the WHO, a further reduction to 5% of the daily calorie intake promises additional health benefits. The reduced intake of free sugars has no disadvantages – quite the opposite. The lower the proportion of free or added sugars in the diet improves the nutrition quality significantly.
With our dietary profile for added sugars, you can easily follow the WHO recommendation. The app knows the proportion of added sugars in all foods and the diary helps you track your daily intake and stick to the maximum recommended amount.
Want to learn more about the added sugar content?
Our app "Natural Food Guide" contains detailed information about the content of EPA, DHA and ALA and the omega-6 to omega-3 ratio. Check it out on the App Store!
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References:
Guideline – Sugars intake for adults and children, World Health Organization, Geneva (2015)
Image:
Foto by oning on Unsplash