Cut back on sugar

Adults consume a whooping 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, which is equal to about 350 calories. That adds up to about 167 cups of sugar per year. Some teenagers may consume up to 34 teaspoons of sugar a day.

If 22 teaspoons doesn't seem like a lot to you, sit down and actually measure out 22 teaspoons of sugar. That's how much sugar most Americans are eating everyday.

We are all aware that certain foods contain sugar, such as brownies, cookies, cakes, regular soda, and candy. But what about canned salsa? What about pasta sauce? What about salad dressing? Sugar can hide in foods that we aren't aware, so you must read the food label to see how much sugar is in your favorite foods.

First, you can see how much sugar is in a food by looking at the listing for sugar in grams. To convert grams to teaspoons, divide by 4. This doesn't break down any natural sugar or added sugar, so you must look at the ingredient list to figure this out.

Some common sugars in the ingredient list:
fructose (natural fruit sugar)
lactose (natural milk sugar)
sucrose (table sugar made from fructose and glucose)
maltose (sugar made from grain)
glucose (simple sugar)
dextrose (a form of glucose)

Other sweeteners:
honey
syrup
cane
molasses
agave nectar
malt
juice

For example, if a breakfast cereal has sugar listed as the first ingredient, you know there is a lot of sugar in there because the ingredients are listed from most to least. If a cereal has sugar listed as the third ingredient, but also has corn syrup, honey, or other indicators of sugar listed right after that, then it also has a lot of sugar but it is disguised as different forms. Some organizations have recommended that food labels combine all forms of sugar on the ingredient list to make it easier to see just how much sugar that food has, but that hasn't been done yet.

Next time you are grocery shopping, look at some of the food labels and ingredient lists for foods that you didn't think had sugar, like pasta sauce. You will be surprised at the foods that do have some sugar in them.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) has a bad reputation, but is actually very similar chemically to regular table sugar because it is also made from fructose and glucose. HFCS is cheaper and easier to add to foods, so that's why it is used readily. There is some small evidence that HFCS may affect sugar cravings and appetite control, or it may make the body store more fat. This research has not been proven because there is insufficient evidence of that at this time. Just like with regular sugar, it is best to limited HFCS.

Artificial sweeteners taste similar to sugar, but provide no sugar and no calories. Artificial sweeteners are determined to be safe by the FDA in moderate amounts. Some claim that artificial sweeteners make you crave sugar and there are some research studies to show that people who consume a lot of artificial sweeteners may inhibit weight loss. As with sugar, it is best to limit artificial sweetener as well. Examples are:
sucralose (brand name Splenda)
aspartame (brand name Equal)
saccharin (brand name Sweet N Low)

Stevia is a natural sweetener and is considered safe, but more research is needed to study it. Some brands can be somewhat bitter when used.

The USDA recommends that for a 2,000 calorie diet, you should eat no more than 10 teaspoons of added sugar daily. That does not include sugar from all sources such as natural sugar from milk and fruits, only added sugars.

The final issue is that sugar replaces other nutrient-dense foods in the diet, such as fruits. Sugar provides no nutrients, whereas fruit provides vitamin C, vitamin A, fiber, and other nutrients. According to USDA data, people who eat diets high in sugar get less calcium, fiber, folate, vitamin A, vitamin C, vitamin E, zinc, magnesium, iron, and other nutrients. They also consume fewer fruits and vegetables.

For more information:
American Institute for Cancer Research - The Many Names of Sugar

Center for Science in the Public Interest - America: Drowning in Sugar