Many people eat more sugar than they realize. Consuming too much sugar can lead to high blood pressure and obesity which can cause heart disease. It is important to check the nutrition labels on foods and beverages to know how much sugar you are eating or drinking.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of sugar for women per day. For men, they recommend no more than 36 grams (9 teaspoons) of sugar per day.
When looking at the nutrition label, there are more than 60 names for added sugar. How sneaky… To identify added sugars, look at the ingredients list. Some clues that an ingredient is an added sugar include:
· It has syrup (examples: corn syrup, rice syrup)
· The word ends in “ose” (examples: maltose, dextrose, sucrose)
· “sugar” is in the name (examples: raw sugar, brown sugar, confectionary sugar)
Take a look at some of the foods in your home and try to find added sugars on some of the food labels. Some of the major foods and beverages with added sugars are regular sodas, candy, cakes, cookies, pies, fruit drinks, ketchup, ice cream, yogurt, and breakfast cereals like Cinnamon Toast Crunch.
Did you know that one 12oz. Coca-Cola can contains 39 grams of sugar? That is more than the recommended daily limit in just one can! That means if you drink a Coca-Cola, you should not have any more sugar that day. Unfortunately, this is very hard to do because sugar is in a lot of the things we consume. That is why reducing your consumption of sugary drinks will ultimately help you to improve your health!
Sources:
Harvard School of Public Health
