Too much added sugar can be one of the greatest threats to cardiovascular disease. Here's how to curb your sweet habit.
Sugar has a bittersweet reputation when it comes to health. Sugar occurs naturally in all foods that contain carbohydrates, such as fruits and vegetables, grains, and dairy. Consuming whole foods that contain natural sugar is okay. Plant foods also have high amounts of fiber, essential minerals, and antioxidants, and dairy foods contain protein and calcium.
Since your body digests these foods slowly, the sugar in them offers a steady supply of energy to your cells. A high intake of fruits, vegetables, and whole grains also has been shown to reduce the risk of chronic diseases, such as diabetes, heart disease, and some cancers.
Consuming too much sugar
However, problems occur when you consume too much added sugar — that is, sugar that food manufacturers add to products to increase flavor or extend shelf life.
In the American diet, the top sources are soft drinks, fruit drinks, flavored yogurts, cereals, cookies, cakes, candy, and most processed foods. But added sugar is also present in items that you may not think of as sweetened, like soups, bread, cured meats, and ketchup.
The result: we consume way too much added sugar. Adult men take in an average of 24 teaspoons of added sugar per day, according to the National Cancer Institute. That's equal to 384 calories.
"Excess sugar's impact on obesity and diabetes is well documented, but one area that may surprise many men is how their taste for sugar can have a serious impact on their heart health," says Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.
How much is okay?
If 24 teaspoons of added sugar per day is too much, then what is the right amount? It's hard to say, since sugar is not a required nutrient in your diet. The Institute of Medicine, which sets Recommended Dietary Allowances, or RDAs, has not issued a formal number for sugar.
However, the American Heart Association suggests that men consume no more than 150 calories (about 9 teaspoons or 36 grams) of added sugar per day. That is close to the amount in a 12-ounce can of soda.
Where does your added sugar come from? | ||
Rank
|
Food group
|
Proportion of average intake
|
1
|
Soda/energy/sports drinks
|
42.2%
|
2
|
Grain-based desserts
|
11.9%
|
3
|
Fruit drinks
|
8.5%
|
4
|
Dairy desserts
|
5.5%
|
5
|
Candy
|
5.0%
|
6
|
Ready-to-eat cereals
|
2.9%
|
7
|
Sugars/honey
|
4.1%
|
8
|
Tea
|
3.8%
|
9
|
Yeast breads
|
2.3%
|
10
|
Syrups/toppings
|
1.4%
|
Source: CDC, National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 2005–06.
| ||
2 comments:
Amount of sugar per day for men is 150 calorie (9 teaspoons) and for woman is 100 calorie (7 teaspoons), which means we need very little amount of sugar that can be taken through normal food. We must have attention to our food right?
You're absolutely right Omar.Sugar consumption is needed,however to a certain extent in order not to experience many health disorders!!
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