Sugar, Sugar Everywhere

Sugar - it seems to be everywhere these days. Do you conscientiously eat it? Do you mindfully avoid it? According to Michael Gregor, MD of NutritionFacts.org, “In 1776—at the time of the American Revolution—Americans consumed about 4 lbs of sugar per person each year. By 1850, this had risen to 20 lbs, and by 1994, to 120 lbs, and now we’re closer to 160.” (This article is linked below in bullet #5.) I find this shocking - the fact that I may consume close to 160 POUNDS of sugar in a year seems outrageous. Of course I have no idea how much I thought I was consuming but I certainly wouldn’t have guessed the answer was 160 pounds. Yikes!

What are the downsides of consuming too much sugar? According to Harvard Health Publishing, it; overloads the liver resulting in fatty liver disease, causes weight gain, increases blood pressure, causes inflammation, can causes diabetes, and more. For the most part, consuming added sugar is a choice, one you can choose to partake in or decline. A first step in reducing your sugar intake is to figure out how much you are actually consuming on a daily basis. Check food labels and keep a journal for a few days to see how many grams you are consuming. If it is too much (to start: more than 10%), then go back to those same food labels and see if there is a different product you can choose or decide if it is something you can make at home.

How can you identify sugar in your diet so you can avoid it or at least be aware you are eating it? Sugar goes by many names, depending on its source and how it was made. Reading food labels is an important first step in figuring out which of your favorite convenience foods (pasta sauces, condiments, cereals, granola bars, breads, etc.) have sugar and how much you are willing to consume. Eating out at restaurants or fast food is trickier but typically when one reduces their sugar intake, tasting it in foods becomes more noticeable.

Specifically, what ingredients are you looking for? Either ingredients ending in "ose" — which is the chemical name for many types of sugar, such as fructose, glucose, maltose and dextrose or one of the more common types of added sugars:

• Cane juice and cane syrup

• Corn sweetener and high-fructose corn syrup

• Fruit juice concentrate and nectar

• Honey

• Malt

• Maple syrup

• Molasses

To get a good idea of the impact of sugar on your health, I have listed five resources below that discuss the different ways sugar impacts health.

1. Andrew Huberman podcast - skip to the part about artificial & non-caloric sweeteners >> 1:13:25

2. Dr Chatterjee’sblog post - why low fat diets have so much sugar.

3. NutritionFacts.org article - The Recommended Daily Allowance of Sugar

4. NutritionFacts.org article - If Fructose Is Bad, What About Fruit?

5. Washington Post article - Why we crave sugar, and how to beat the habit

In thinking about your habits, maybe you consume the right amount so no changes are necessary. If you would like to reduce the amount of sugar in your diet, an easy way to start is to eliminate the obvious choices like candy, soda and fruit juices. After that, check in with how you feel - do you feel any different? Less tired in the afternoon? Sleeping better at night? If you want to further reduce your sugar consumption, start looking at food labels on the foods you buy and either choose a different brand or figure out how to make it at home. Checking food labels is a powerful tool into better understanding what you are consuming on a daily basis.