Why You Should Care About Sugar Intake
In the United States, sugar consumption (particularly of added sugars) is a significant public health concern. The average American consumes far more added sugar than recommended, with major sources being sugary drinks, desserts, sweet snacks, and ultra-processed foods. This excessive intake is linked to various health problems, including obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. The average American consumes over 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day (which is actually slightly down from recent years), significantly exceeding the recommended limit of 6-9 teaspoons for women and men, respectively. Sadly, the amount of added sugar that children are consuming, on average, is even higher.
What we eat has a direct impact on the metabolic processes within our bodies. Habitual over-consumption of added sugar will lead to insulin resistance and then to chronic disease. This includes an increased risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease. Multiple research studies have linked higher added sugar intake to higher risk of heart disease. It can also contribute to fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, tooth decay, and even some types of cancer. (Side note: doctors are now seeing young children presenting with fatty liver disease, which has been directly linked to overconsumption of sugar).
Sugar occurs naturally in all foods that contain carbohydrates - think, fruits, dairy, grains, even vegetables. Consuming whole foods with natural sugar content is okay; the problem lies in foods that contain added sugars - those that have been added in by food manufactures to extend shelf life and make them more tasty (i.e. more addictive). Added sugar is also present in foods that we may not expect like breads, soups, cured meats, salad dressings, and ketchup (just a few examples).
The good news is that we have a significant amount of control over this. We can limit sugary drinks, choose healthy snacks, be mindful when at restaurants, and read food labels carefully. Look for these common forms of added sugar on labels and try to avoid, or at least cut back as much as possible: brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, fruit juice concentrates, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, agave, molasses, syrup sugar molecules ending in "ose" (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose).
It’s also recommended to focus on eating real foods with no ingredient lists (or very minimal ingredients lists). If we eat whole, nutrient-dense foods the majority of the time, chronic disease can be mitigated or even avoided.
