Sugar: the facts
Sugar: The Facts
Eating too much sugar can lead to weight gain and tooth decay. The main type of sugar that people in the UK consume too much of is called "free sugars."
What Are Free Sugars?
Free sugars include:
Sugars added to foods and drinks, like those in biscuits, chocolate, flavored yogurts, breakfast cereals, and fizzy drinks. This can include sugar added at home or by manufacturers.
Sugars found in honey, syrups (like maple or agave), nectars, and unsweetened fruit or vegetable juices and smoothies. Although these sugars occur naturally, they still count as free sugars.
However, sugars that are naturally found in milk, fruits, and vegetables do not count as free sugars, and there’s no need to limit them.
How Much Sugar Can We Eat?
The government recommends that free sugars should not make up more than 5% of your daily calorie intake. This means:
Adults should consume no more than 30g of free sugars per day (about 7 sugar cubes).
Children aged 7 to 10 should have no more than 24g (6 sugar cubes).
Children aged 4 to 6 should limit to 19g (5 sugar cubes).
For children under 4, it's best to avoid sugary drinks and foods with added sugar.
Free sugars are commonly found in sweets, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, and some fizzy drinks. For example, a can of cola can contain as much as 9 sugar cubes—over the daily limit for adults!
Tips to Cut Down on Sugars
To maintain a healthy diet, try to reduce your intake of free sugars. Here are some tips:
Reducing Sugar in Drinks
Swap sugary fizzy drinks or squashes for water, lower-fat milk, or sugar-free drinks. Choosing lower-fat milk can help reduce saturated fat intake.
Limit unsweetened fruit juices and smoothies to 150ml per day.
For fizzy drinks, consider diluting no-added-sugar squash with sparkling water.
Gradually reduce sugar in hot drinks or on your cereal, or switch to a sweetener.
Reducing Sugar in Food
Instead of high-sugar spreads like jam or chocolate spread, try using a lower-fat spread, reduced-sugar jam, or fruit slices.
Check nutrition labels for lower-sugar options or consider reducing sugar in recipes (except for items like jam or meringues).
Choose canned fruit in juice instead of syrup.
Pick unsweetened wholegrain cereals, and add fruit for natural sweetness.
Understanding Nutrition Labels
To help reduce free sugar intake, check nutrition labels:
Look for the "of which sugars" figure, which is part of the carbohydrate information. This helps compare products.
A product is high in sugar if it has more than 22.5g of total sugars per 100g and low if it has 5g or less.
The "of which sugars" figure includes all types of sugars. For example, plain yogurt may have sugars from milk, but these are not free sugars.
Ingredients List
To determine if a product is high in added sugars, check the ingredients list, which lists ingredients by quantity. If sugar is near the top, the product likely has high free sugars. Watch for terms like cane sugar, honey, high-fructose corn syrup, and others.
Labels on the Front of Packaging
Some food packages display nutrition information on the front, often using color coding:
Red = high (more than 22.5g of sugar per 100g)
Amber = medium (more than 5g but less than 22.5g)
Green = low (5g or less)
Your Weight and Sugar
Eating too much sugar can lead to excess calorie intake, resulting in weight gain. Being overweight increases the risk of health issues like heart disease, certain cancers, and type 2 diabetes. For a balanced diet, focus on foods like whole grains, fruits, and vegetables, and limit foods high in free sugars.
Tooth Decay and Sugar
Sugar is a major cause of tooth decay. To protect your teeth, limit foods and drinks high in free sugars, like sweets, chocolate, and sugary cereals, to mealtimes.
Natural sugars in whole fruits and vegetables are less harmful, but when juiced or blended, they can damage teeth. Limit fruit juices and smoothies to 150ml a day, and consume them with meals.
For children, avoid sugary drinks and offer water, lower-fat milk, or sugar-free options instead. When consuming dried fruit, it's better to eat it as part of a meal rather than as a snack.