Recognizing foods high in sugar
Cakes, candies and soft drinks are often considered sugary foods. However, added sugar is also found in flavored yogurt, breakfast cereals, nutritional bars, bottled juice, tea and ready-to-drink coffee.
Some popular breakfast foods and drinks may contain 3-7.5 teaspoons of added sugar per serving. A flavored coffee contains about 30 grams of added sugar, equivalent to 7.5 teaspoons.
According to the American Heart Association (AHA), added sugar is sugar or syrup added to food during processing, preparing dishes or when used. This type of sugar increases calories but almost does not bring nutritional value, thereby contributing to overweight and obesity.
On food labels, sugar can be labeled under many names such as sucrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, corn syrup, honey, molasses or concentrated fruit juice.
The ingredients on food labels are usually arranged in reduced volumes. If sugar or sweeteners are in the first positions, the product may contain significant amounts of sugar.
In particular, sugary drinks provide more energy but make you feel less full than solid foods. A bottle of soft drink, bottled tea or lemon juice with a capacity of about 590ml can contain an average of 65 grams of added sugar, equivalent to about 16 teaspoons.
Health risks and ways to reduce blood sugar
Sugary drinks are quickly digested, causing blood sugar to rise sharply but providing little nutritional value. Frequent use can lead to weight gain, insulin resistance and metabolic disorders related to type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease.
Sweets also affect oral health. Bacteria in the mouth use sugar to create acid, damaging tooth enamel and increasing the risk of tooth decay. Eating cakes, candies or drinking soft drinks many times a day causes teeth to continuously come into contact with the acidic environment.
However, supplementary sugars should not be equated with natural sugars in whole fruits and unsweetened milk. Fruits also provide fiber, vitamins and minerals, while fiber helps slow down sugar absorption. Fruit juice has lost most of its fiber and still contains a significant amount of free sugar, so it needs to be limited.
The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that free sugar should account for less than 10% of total daily energy intake. With a diet of about 2,000 kcal, this level is equivalent to less than 50 grams or about 12 teaspoons of sugar. Reducing it to less than 5% can bring more health benefits.
To reduce sugar content, consumers can replace soft drinks, milk tea and high-siro coffee with filtered water or sugar-free drinks, and check the sugar content and portion size on the packaging.
Gradually reducing sweetness, shrinking portion sizes and prioritizing whole fruits and unsweetened yogurt also helps maintain a more balanced diet.
