The Effects of Excess Sugar Consumption
- mavseatwell
- Feb 22, 2022
- 2 min read
Today, we're going to talk about some effects that excess sugar can have. Don’t worry, I’m not going to tell you to eliminate all sugar from your diet. But, I do want to inform you on the effects of over-consumption, and what is an acceptable amount to consume. As college students, I know that we rely on many things to keep us awake throughout the day. Sometimes energy drinks, coffee, and cookies may be what we reach for, but knowing their lasting effects on our bodies might make you reconsider making it a daily part of your diet.
Sugar, although very delicious, can have detrimental effects on our health if consistently over-consumed. Too much sugar can lead to high blood pressure, diabetes, weight gain, and also promote chronic inflammation. So how much sugar is acceptable in your daily allowance? It is recommended that a person can have up to 50g (12 teaspoons) of sugar a day. Although that might sound like a lot, there are times when we eat more than the recommended 50g of sugar just in a single meal. In fact, according to the American Heart Association, the average American adult consumes 77g of sugar daily. There is no nutritional value that comes from sugar, which is very sad I know. That being said, natural sugars can be found in several healthful foods such as fruit and Greek yogurt. Unfortunately though, the westernized diet mainly consists of foods with a lot of added sugars like soft drinks, fruit drinks, flavored yogurts, cereals, cookies, cakes, candy, and processed foods. Added sugar is something that we really want to be mindful of. For men, it is recommended to have no more than 36g (9 teaspoons) of added sugar a day. For women it’s even lower; it’s recommended to only have about 25g (6 teaspoons) of added sugar daily. Added sugar hides in a lot of foods and can be found in ketchup, spaghetti sauce, canned soups, cured meats and many more foods. Even in foods marketed as "healthy" options such as yogurt, juices, and protein bars, there can be hidden added sugar, so be sure to read those food labels. In the food label below, you can see where to find both total sugars and added sugars. Since the product below contains 23 grams of added sugars, another option with less sugar added would be recommended!
Reading the ingredients list is also very important. Sometimes other ingredients can indicate there is sugar added, such as agave nectar, malt syrup, molasses, corn syrup, dextrose, high-fructose corn syrup and several others. Another thing to keep in mind is that the ingredient list is in order of density. Therefore, if sugar is at the top of the list, that indicates there is a large amount present in the food product.
Although sugar is something that tastes so great and can be enjoyed in moderation, too much on a regular basis can have long-lasting consequences. I challenge you to take an extra minute to read the food labels, and if the added sugars of a single serving are at or above 10g, look for an alternative lower in added sugars.
Stay healthy, Mavs!
Written by: Jennifer Lara, dietetic intern
Reviewed by: Carly Richter, RDN, LD
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