S-U-G-A-R!

C₆H₁₂O₆: It just looks like a few numbers in between a few letters!  Or maybe I’ve just brought you back to that grade 10 Chemistry class when you wondered in class, “Why am I learning this and what do I need to know it for?”  Well for the eager Chemistry students who quickly realized that this little molecule, better known as sugar, would make them a pretty penny in the food industry, for myself as a Registered Dietitian, as well as many other health professionals and health advocates, the research has proven that it, sugar, is at the root of so many chronic diseases in our society today and a huge culprit to the obesity epidemic which we are currently facing.  All of the recent discussions about the sugar hidden in the foods we eat is starting to get more consumers talking, and that is huge! A first step to realizing just what we are putting into our mouths that is not supposed to go there, in large consumptions, on a daily basis.

At the beginning of March 2014, the World Health Organization released a draft guideline proposal for the recommended intake of “added” sugar in an individual’s daily diet.  The recommendations propose that “sugars should be less than 10% of total energy intake per day,” which are the same recommendations made in 2002, however, it also proposes that “a reduction to below 5% of total energy intake per day would have additional benefits.”  Putting that into perspective, this means that about 25 grams (about 6 teaspoons) of “added” sugars can be included in one’s diet throughout the day.

However, I feel the need to extend on this even more.  Added sugars are mainly found in convenience, ready-made, pre-packaged foods.  The “added” sugars food manufacturers need to add to their products to sustain a longer shelf-life, and well, make their food palatable.  Natural sugars are found in vegetables, fruits, grain products and milk products, and these are the best sources of natural sugars for you.  We do not need the added sugars in pre-packaged foods at all in our diet, HOWEVER, we are human, and I completely understand that sometimes you need to grab that granola bar or cereal, BUT what I need to make you aware of is the ingredient list on a food package.  Why? Let’s take a look.

The Nutrition Facts Panel is important to look at on a food label to help guide you to the amount of calories per serving, the amount of fat and sodium in a serving, and how much fibre and vitamins and minerals a food product has.  The tricky part regarding the amount of sugar that is highlighted on a nutrition facts panel is that it includes both the natural sources of sugar (if a food product contains it), as well as the added sources.  So you cannot isolate the two to know just how much added sugars you are eating and how much come from natural sources.

The ingredient list, right below the nutrition facts panel (on most food packages) is where your eye needs to go as well.   Although the ingredient list identifies the food ingredients in a food product from the largest quantity used to make the food product to the least, if there is more than one source of added sugar, or three or four, as a quantity, these sources of added sugar totaled together, could actually make up more than the first ingredient – the problem is that the food manufacturer got smart and put in more than one source of added sugars to try to “mask” just how much added sugar is actually in a food product.  For example, if you pick up a cereal that has “whole grain oats” listed as the first ingredient, this means that that ingredient is used most in that food product.  However, if you continue to read the ingredient list and see the words, “sugar”, “honey”, “molasses”, “corn syrup” all listed, there is the potential that when added together, all of these sources of “added sugars” could actually equate to a larger portion than the whole grain oat.  Because the food manufacturer didn’t only use “sugar” to sweeten the product, it fell further on the list.  Sneaky huh?  The sad part is that this may just be the cereal you eat every the morning, which could make up that 5% of added sugars the World Health Organization is proposing.  What about the granola bar in the middle of the day, the Ranch dressing you have with your carrots (yup, take a look at that label), or the tomato sauce you use for your pasta at lunch or dinner.  Suffice is to say, sugar is everywhere in our food system, and has played a huge part in the many non-communicable diseases, mainly the obesity epidemic, which our world is now facing.

So, are we going to fix the food system? Probably not to the extent that I, as a nutrition professional would like to, right away anyways!  They are businesses, and they need to make money right!  But what you can do as a consumer is become educated.  Know what you are putting in your mouth when you open a package by reading the ingredients.  Become familiar with the different names that sugar can appear as – high fructose corn syrup, juice concentrates, syrup – the list goes on.

Wean yourself off of added sugars slowly.  As you become familiar with all of the different names “added sugars” can be listed as, also become familiar with different ways to enjoy naturally sweet foods – fresh fruit, vegetables, unsweetened dried fruit, unsweetened applesauce, milk and yogurt.  The internet is full of so many “sugar-free” recipes that use pitted dates, unsweetened apple sauce, overripe bananas, dried fruit, zucchini or carrots.  There are tons to become familiar with and will help your health and your waistline tremendously moving forward.

http://www.who.int/mediacentre/news/notes/2014/consultation-sugar-guideline/en/

http://www.bmj.com/content/346/bmj.e7492