A healthy, well-balanced diet is something that everyone should have access to in order to lead the best lifestyle possible. Whole foods, such as fruit and vegetables, lean protein, grains, and legumes are ideal components for a person’s day-to-day meals; not only do they help maintain a healthy weight, but following a clean diet can reduce the risk of developing certain illnesses or conditions that can be damaging to a person’s well-being.
However, following a clean diet and sticking to whole foods is not as easy as one may think. There are several factors that contribute to people not having access to healthy meals, such as time constraints, food shortages, and a lack of nutritional education. The amount of cheap and accessible snacks can also be detrimental to our health, not only because of how processed they can be, but also because of the amount of sugar most of them tend to have. There’s nothing wrong with having a sweet tooth and consuming several sugary snacks in a day is not reproachable, but falling into a pattern where your sugar consumption surpasses the suggested daily amount can be hazardous to your health.
A healthy diet also means consuming a recommended amount of micro and macronutrients per day, and while these portions may look different according to your goals and needs, it’s likely that your health plan does not include foods that are high on sugar or added sugars.
It may also include low-sugar or sugarless options that will help you stick to the amount that’s recommended per day. At LIMARP®, we offer integral treatments that include detailed meal plans made just for you. Our medical team, led by Dr. Liza María Pompa González, is fully equipped to help you lead a healthy lifestyle by providing guided assistance when it comes to dieting and exercising. If you’re looking to reduce the amount of sugar you consume per day, the nutritionists will speak at length with you about your current diet and your goals in order to create a new diet plan.
This article will focus on the amount of sugar a person should eat per day, the difference between sugar and added sugar, and some of the ways you can reduce your intake if it’s considerably high.
The information discussed in this article is general and may not apply to everyone, which is why we recommend you speak to a nutritionist first if you’re interested in making significant changes to your diet.
Natural Sugar vs. Added Sugar
An important difference that must be established before we go into the amount of sugar one must consume per day is the one between natural sugar and added sugar. Our intention is not to villainize any food group, but to highlight the best options if you’re looking to follow a healthier diet. That being said, the first thing you should know is that sugar is not inherently bad and that its natural form can be found in both fruits and vegetables, as well as brown rice, milk, and cheese. Fruits and vegetables contain other nutrients, fiber, and water, which make them a healthy source of sugar.
On the other hand, added sugars are “sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared”[1]. According to the FDA[2], we should limit calories from added sugars to less than 10 percent of total calories per day; this means that we have to watch out for the foods that contain high percentages of added sugar, such as brown sugar, cane juice, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit nectars, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, maple syrup, molasses, raw sugar, and sucrose.
Added sugars are most commonly found in soft drinks, baked goods, and candy, which are some of the snacks many people tend to turn to, which makes it harder for some to limit or remove them from their diet. However, the sugar craving most of us get can be sated by consuming whole foods that contain natural sugar or products that aren’t heavily processed.
Amount of Sugar Per Day
Now that we know the difference between these two types of sugars, it’s time to learn the recommended amount of sugar one must consume per day. Keep in mind that this amount may vary according, not only to gender, but to factors like your daily calorie intake, activity level, and other health conditions[3] that may be aggravated by sugar.
When it comes to gender, the American Heart Association[4] recommends that men should consume 37.5 grams of sugar per day, while women should consume 25 grams per day. Keep in mind that these quantities refer to natural sugars and that processed products that contain mostly added sugars do not factor into this equation. We understand that it’s hard to keep track of the amount of sugar, or really any other food, throughout the day, which is why we also encourage you to lead an active lifestyle so that any high intake of sugar doesn’t affect your health.
However, if you have any other medical condition, like type 2 diabetes, it’s probable that your doctor may suggest that you considerably reduce your sugar intake per day or avoid it altogether. This doesn’t mean that you should stop consuming foods that contain natural sugar, but rather to watch out for sucrose, which can be usually found in table sugar or processed food. Your doctor may also suggest you reduce your sugar intake if you’re looking to lose weight because although “a small amount of fructose can also be taken up by cells and used for energy, the majority is carried to your liver where it is converted to either glucose for energy or fat for storage”[5].
This means that if you eat more sugar than recommended per day, the excess will be stored as body fat, thus increasing your risk of developing heart diseases or diabetes. The difference in sugar percentages found between fruit and candy is significant and studies have found that eating at least one serving of fruit per day reduces diabetes risk by up to 13% compared to eating no fruit at all[6].
How To Reduce the Sugar Intake Per Day
Reducing the amount of sugar you consume per day can be tricky, but it is possible. Here are some tips that may help you identify which foods have a high sugar amount and how you can replace them with healthier options. These are generalized suggestions and we recommend you speak to your nutritionist if you have any dietary restrictions or if you need a more specific diet plan.
So, which foods should you limit? Soft drinks, such as sodas, and fruit juice contain up to ten teaspoons[7] of sugar and they’re some of the most consumed drinks worldwide.
To replace them, we suggest drinking water instead and to avoid adding sugar to your coffee or tea; if you’re in the mood for something fruity, you can try canned fruit that doesn’t contain any added sugar. Candy, baked goods, and low-fat food are also very high in sugar, which is why we recommend reducing their intake and to look for alternatives.
When it comes to sweeteners, some natural alternatives include stevia and monk fruit; you can also try other alternatives to sugar in your recipes, such as:
- Cinnamon
- Vanilla
- Ginger
Another recommendation is to read the nutrition labels of the products you consume in order to be aware of the amount of sugar they contain and to make sure you don’t surpass what you’re supposed to eat per day.
Contact Us to Learn More
If you want to learn more about the sugar you should eat per day and need guidance, schedule an appointment with one of our doctors. We can help determine the right treatment for you. Contact us online anytime or give us a call at (619) 373-0229.
References
- [1] “Know Your Limit for Added Sugars”. https://www.cdc.gov/healthyweight/healthy_eating/sugar.html. (Accessed August 27, 2022).
- [2] “Added Sugars on the New Nutrition Facts Label”. https://www.fda.gov/food/new-nutrition-facts-label/added-sugars-new-nutrition-facts-label. (Accessed August 27, 2022).
- [3] Paglia L. The sweet danger of added sugars. Eur J Paediatr Dent. 2019 Jun;20(2):89. doi: 10.23804/ejpd.2019.20.02.01. PMID: 31246081.
- [4] Johnson RK, Appel LJ, Brands M, Howard BV, Lefevre M, Lustig RH, Sacks F, Steffen LM, Wylie-Rosett J; American Heart Association Nutrition Committee of the Council on Nutrition, Physical Activity, and Metabolism and the Council on Epidemiology and Prevention. Dietary sugars intake and cardiovascular health: a scientific statement from the American Heart Association. Circulation. 2009 Sep 15;120(11):1011-20. doi: 10.1161/CIRCULATIONAHA.109.192627. Epub 2009 Aug 24. PMID: 19704096.
- [5] Tappy L, Lê KA. Metabolic effects of fructose and the worldwide increase in obesity. Physiol Rev. 2010 Jan;90(1):23-46. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00019.2009. PMID: 20086073.
- [6] Li M, Fan Y, Zhang X, Hou W, Tang Z. Fruit and vegetable intake and risk of type 2 diabetes mellitus: meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. BMJ Open. 2014 Nov 5;4(11):e005497. doi: 10.1136/bmjopen-2014-005497. PMID: 25377009; PMCID: PMC4225228.
- [7] “Added Sugars”. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/added-sugars. (Accessed August 27, 2022).
