Added Sugars

"Can America blame its obesity epidemic on the higher consumption of added sugars and refined grains? This is a hotly debated topic by both the scientific community and the general public. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine (IOM) defines added sugars as “sugars and syrups that are added to foods during processing or preparation.” Major sources of added sugars include soft drinks, sports drinks, cakes, cookies, pies, fruitades, fruit punch, dairy desserts, and candy. Processed foods, even microwaveable dinners, also contain added sugars. Added sugars do not include sugars that occur naturally in whole foods, such as an apple, but do include natural sugars such as brown sugar, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrates, maple syrup, sucrose, and raw sugar that are then added to other foods, such as cookies. Results from a survey of forty-two thousand Americans report that in 2008 the average intake of added sugars was 15 percent of total calories, a drop from 18 percent of total calories in 2000. This is still above the recommended intake of less than 10 percent of total calories. The US Department of Agriculture reports that sugar consumption in the American diet in 2008 was, on average, 28 teaspoons per day. Approximately 130 million adults in the United States are overweight, and 30 percent of them are considered obese. Health consequences linked to being overweight or obese include Type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, arthritis, depression, and some cancers. An infatuation with sugary foods and refined grains likely contributes to the epidemic proportion of people who are overweight or obese in this country, but so do the consumption of high-calorie foods that contain too much saturated fat and the sedentary lifestyle of most Americans. There is much disagreement over whether high-carbohydrate diets increase weight gain and disease risk, especially when calories are not significantly higher between compared diets. Many scientific studies demonstrate positive correlations between diets high in added sugars with weight gain and disease risk, but some others do not show a significant relationship. In regard to refined grains, there are no studies that show consumption of refined grains increases weight gain or disease risk. What is clear, however, is that getting more of your carbohydrates from dietary sources containing whole grains instead of refined grains stimulates weight loss and reduces disease risk. A major source of added sugars in the American diet is soft drinks. There is consistent scientific evidence that consuming sugary soft drinks increases weight gain and disease risk. An analysis of over thirty studies concluded that higher consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages is linked with weight gain and obesity. A study at the Harvard School of Public Health linked the consumption of sugary soft drinks to an increased risk for heart disease. The American Heart Association recommends fewer than 9 teaspoons of sugar per day for men and fewer than 6 teaspoons for women. It also recommends knowing the number of total calories needed each day; consuming an overall healthy diet and using foods high in added sugars as discretionary calories; lowering sugar intake, especially when sugars are not tied to positive nutrients such as in sugary drinks, candies, cakes, and cookies; and focusing on calories in beverages and confections while encouraging consumption of nutrient-rich foods such as cereals and low-fat or fat-free dairy products."