Sugar is a difficult mistress. We know it’s bad for us be we keep going back for more. Now the World Health Organization (WHO) is weighing in, releasing a draft guideline recommending sugar make up less than 5% of total calorie intake.
Since 2002 the recommendation has been 10% and this recent shift at a global level is indicative of the wide-ranging negative effects of sugar on the human body.
So how much sugar is 5% of your recommended daily calorie intake? For an adult with a normal body mass index they recommend 25 grams of sugar per day, that’s not a lot.
25g of sugar = 6 teaspoons of sugar
What type of sugar is the WHO including in these 6 teaspoons a day?
Sugars added to foods by manufacturers
Sugars found naturally in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit concentrates
What type of sugar is the WHO including in these 6 teaspoons a day?
They are not including sugar found in fresh produce – not counting the sugar found in unprocessed foods (as made by nature).
So many processed foods contain a lot of hidden sugar to make them more palatable, tasty and addictive. Plus sugar is a really cheep and easy way to make food taste good. We don’t think of tomato sauce as being a sugary product but it is. Pasta sauce, fruit juices, and breakfast cereals can all contain high amounts of added sugar.
Excessive sugar consumption is a growing concern with links to poor dental health (associated with poor general health and heart disease), insufficient nutrition and weight gain. The WHO is also highlighting the concern that consumption of added sugars may result in;
- reduced intake of more nutritionally beneficial foods
- increase in total caloric intake resulting in weight gain and its associated health complications.
Consider this before reaching for your next sugar hit, 25 grams or 6 teaspoons of sugar is your MAXIMUM for the day. Do your research so you can make good food choices…
- 1 cup of bottled pasta sauce contains on average 10g sugar
- 1 can of soft drink contains 40g sugar (nearly 2 days worth of sugar)
- 4 squares of Cadbury Top Deck chocolate contains 14g sugar (have you ever stopped at four squares?)
- 1 classic Magnum ice-cream contains 21g sugar
- 1 cup of Ocean spray Cranberry Juice contains 28g sugar (and you thought you were being healthy)
Sources: World Health Organization & CNN
