Good Lifestyle

More and more people are gaining conscious that the limitation of sugar consumption is important to maintain overall health. Fortunately, keep track of oursugar Consumption becomes easier than ever because of the FDAAdded sugar labeling guidelines.

Although the labeling of food can help people namely how much added sugar they consume, a nutrition label is only as useful as the understanding of people of what it means. Here is a glimpse of what added sugar, the disadvantages of eating too much sugar and what a healthy limit for added sugar could look like.

What is the added sugar?

"The added sugar is the sugar that does not occur naturally in a food, but is added during its production and transformation to improve the flavor and texture," says Lisa Samuels, R & D, founder ofThe Happe House.

Canned fruits are a classic example of added sugar, explains Toby Smithson, MS, RDN, LD, CDE, founder ofDIABETESEEEVERYDAY.COM and author ofPlanning meals of diabetes and nutrition for dummies. A plain fishing would contain any added sugar, although it contains sugar. But if you take this same fishing and store it in syrup, this food product contains added sugars within the syrup.

By Smithson, other common foods containing added sugar include:

• Juice
• Soft drink
• Energy drinks
• Candy like sweets, cakes and cookies

Are added unhealthy sugars?

It is not because added sugars are distinguished from natural sugars on a nutrition label, which does not necessarily mean they are "non-natural".

"Many added sugars come from natural sources," says Maxine Yeung, MS, RD, CPT and founder ofThe whip of well-being.

Common sources of added sugar include:

• Agave syrup
• cassonade
• Cane sugar
• Corn syrup
• Dextrose
• Fructose
• Darling
• Molasses

"Even if some sugars, such as honey, occur naturally, they are consumed by adding it to other foods or drinks and are therefore considered like sugars," said Yeung.

But when it comes to whether added sugars are healthy, it is better to compare them to natural sources of sugar. Samuels explains that sources of whole food of healthy sugar, such as fruit, also contain fibers, vitamins and minerals [more sugar], which gives them greater nutritional value than foods with added sugar. "

And while foods with natural sugars are healthier than added sugars isolated, just because oneFood added sugar does not make him unhealthy; It is more important to look at the amount of sugar added in a food.

What are the disadvantages of eating too much sugar?

No matter the source, too much of any kind of sugar can be bad for your health.

"The worry with sugar added in food and beverage items is that too much sugar in your diet can increase your risk for many medical complications, such as dental cavities, pre-diabetics, diabetes and high cholesterol "said Yeung.

"The sugar contains calories but little nutritional value; it contributes to what we call"empty calories"To our diet," says Samuels. "It means it can make usto gain weight Without adding nutritional value for our body. This also leaves less room forhealthier foods in our diet. "

By Samuels,Sugar can also cause inflammation And "increases the risk of developing certain chronic conditions such as heart disease, depression, kidney disease and liver, as well as certain cancers."

Surplus sugar consumption can be particularly surety for people with conditions such as arterial hypertension or diabetes. Smithson says that too much sugar can raiseTriglyceride levels or increase the carbohydrate content in the diet of a person with diabetes.

How many grams of added sugar should you eat a day?

Okay, so eat too much added sugar is not good for you. But what qualifies as "too much" and what your daily sugar intake?

The answer may not be a single size.

"The FDA and most of the most recent food guidelines recommend that added sugars do not represent more than 10% of your daily calories," said Yeung. "This amount varies per person on the basis of the needs of individual calories."

Yeung says that as a general rule, a person who ate 2,000 calories a day should consume more than50 grams of sugar added daily. "For a person who needs calories [fewer], the maximum amount of added sugar is [less] grams a day," she says.

Examples of recommended sugar consumption for different caloric regimes are:

1,200 calories: 30 grams added sugar
1,500 calories: 37 grams added sugar
1,800 calories: 45 grams added sugar
2,000 calories: 50 grams added sugar
2,200 calories: 55 grams added sugar
2,500 calories: 62 grams added sugar

Although FDA recommendations are intended for the general public, these guidelines may be different for people with special health considerations.

For example, Smithson says: "AHA (American Heart Association) offers guidelines for people with heart disease." These guidelines define the recommended limit for added sugar to25 grams a day.

Smithson says that the recommendations also vary for people with diabetes. "There may be times when they need added sugar," she says.

What is the most convenient daily added sugar consumption?

If your head begins to swim, Yeung offers practical advice to people without special health considerations. "I recommend trying to limit the added sugar as best as possible by focusing on the consumption of a diet mainly composed of whole foods and foods that have been manipulated little," she says. "YouDo not need to avoid any added sugar, And it's perfectly good enough to enjoy a sweet. "

RELATED: TheEasy guide to cut sugar is finally here.

And while aiming for a maximum of 50 grams of sugar a day is a decent guideline, less sugar is obviously better-50 grams is not something to shoot to shoot; It's a limit to stay under.

"While the FDA ensures that the food is safe for human consumption, they are also concerned about the establishment of products that taste well and have a normal mouth, so that they can allow this little sugar of Keeping happy consumers, "says Samuels.

Carbohydrates, including sugar, are theMain source of energy from the human system. And everything in technicallyYour body can work without dietetic carbohydrates As long as you consume a sufficient amount of protein and grease, your goal should not be eliminating all sugar waste from your diet. Instead, it is important to think about food sources from which you get it.

"I recommend that most of the sugar you consume comes from foods that naturally contain it ... where you also get additional nutrients," says Yeung. "For example, fresh or frozen fruits are a great way to sweeten a dish; the more you get vitamins and minerals of the fiber, water and minerals", which gives sources of sugar sugar a larger nutritional value than added sugar.

Some of the best sources of natural sugar focus on your daily sugar intake include:

• Vegetables (root vegetables such as carrots, squash, potatoes, sweet potatoes and parsnips)
• Dairy products (Greek yogurt, kefir)
• Fruits (berries, apples, bananas)

Above all, Samuels emphasizes that it is important to listen to your body. "It's hard to say ... people exactly what to eat, because everyone's bodies are different and do not treat things in the same way," she says. "However, theless added sugar that you include in your diet, the best."