There has been a tremendous amount of news in the media recently about how we should all try to reduce our sugar intake. There are, as it turns out, many very good reasons for this.
Too much sugar in your diet can lead to poor dental health and other maladies such as diabetes. It can also contribute to obesity, a condition that brings a whole slew of health problems along with it, including heart disease and many others.
The American Heart Association recommends that men consume a maximum of 150 calories per day from added sugar, and that women consume a maximum of 100 calories per day. It’s hard to calculate exactly how many calories come directly from added sugar in any given food, so it’s somewhat easier to follow nutritionists’ recommendation of limiting your sugar intake to no more than 13 teaspoons per day.
That may sound like a lot of sugar until you begin to understand exactly how much sugar is contained in many of the foods we eat.
Some candy bars contain a whopping 8 teaspoons of sugar – a large amount, but not that surprising. Soft drinks are another culprit. One sugary soda can contain 7 teaspoons of sugar. Although fruit does contain fructose (one form of sugar), the amounts are relatively low. An apple, for example, has about 2 ½ teaspoons of added sugar. Even a slice of berry pie is a relative bargain at only about 3 ½ teaspoons of sugar. Whatever you do, be careful with breakfast cereals. Many contain 8 teaspoons or more per 100 grams.
Obviously, we all need to be keenly aware of the amount of sugar in the food we’re eating – not only for our dental health, but our overall health as well.
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Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/262978.php
