A Spoonful of Sugar

When looking at what we eat, many of us may think that a spoonful of sugar is no big deal. The problem: we consume so much more than a spoonful of sugar in a typical day.

Sugar is present naturally in some foods, like the fructose in fruit or the lactose in milk. But it is also added to food by us (at the table or during preparation) or during processing (like the high fructose corn syrup in sweetened beverages, breakfast cereals and a host of other products).

So why is having too much sugar a problem?

Studies show that people who consume many foods and drinks with added sugar tend to consume more calories than people who consume fewer of these foods. Not to mention, there's also a link between weight gain and drinking sweetened beverages.

The USDA recommends consuming less than 10 teaspoons of sugar per day. Interestingly enough, that's about the amount of sugar in one 12-ounce can of regular soda.

Added sugar also provides calories but no additional nutrients; also know as "empty calories."

Cutting back on added sugars, especially from sweetened beverages, can help us in our weight loss or weight maintenance goals, and can ensure that we fit plenty of nutrients into our calorie needs.

Take care and God bless,

Dayo N. Lanier, M.D.

Comments

[Dawn KA]

Great post, I need to work on cutting down on the sugar. I have to work on the crave for sweets.

[Dr. Dayo Lanier]

Thank you. I also have a sweet tooth, and try to satisfy it with fruits like grapes and watermelon, etc. Good luck with curbing those sugar cravings!