How to detect and avoid added sugar

We all know that too much sugar is harmful to health, but even experts cannot easily realize the emergence of sugar. Debbie Krivitsky, a nutritionist at the Massachusetts Hospital of Harvard University, said: "It is not the natural sugars in fruits-that is, fiber that has slow absorption is a problem, but added sugars such as honey, molasses and corn syrup.

Why is it bad for you

Sugar is added to many types of food, and eating too many sweets (even from natural sources) also carries the risk of weight gain, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, cancer, and even dementia. According to a study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, even if you are not overweight, a high-sugar diet may cause death from heart disease.

Why does the addition of sugar cause such a big trouble? Because it is digested immediately and absorbed quickly, this will cause your blood sugar levels to rise. Dr. David M said: "This triggers the pancreas to secrete more insulin. If the pancreas cannot meet the demand, blood sugar levels will rise, which may lead to more insulin secretion problems and eventually diabetes." Nathan is a Harvard University Professor of the medical school, director of the Diabetes Center and Clinical Research Center of Massachusetts General Hospital.

Sugar can also cause systemic inflammation, increase triglycerides (a type of fat found in the blood), and increase dopamine levels in the brain. Krivsky said: "Dopamine can give you high stimulation (high), which is why the more sugar you eat, the more you want to eat."

Hidden place

Sugar, cakes, sodas and juices obviously have added sugar. But it is also found in foods that are not considered sweets, including salad sauce, biscuits, cheese, bread, spaghetti sauce, barbecue sauce, tomato sauce and cereal breakfast.

You can find added sugar by looking at the ingredients in the product. Look for words that end in "sugar", such as sugar, dextrose, and maltose, and look for syrups and juices (see "Names of Added Sugars").

No added sugar can be found on the nutrition label because the list of sugars contains both natural sugars and added sugars. The proposed new label aims to change this. But you can see how many grams of sugar are in the product.

What should you do

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends that women's daily intake of added sugars is limited to 24 grams (equivalent to 6 teaspoons), and daily total sugars (natural sugars and added sugars) are limited to 48 grams per day. It recommends that men limit the added sugar to 36 grams (equivalent to 9 teaspoons) per day and the total sugar per day to about 72 grams. Please check the nutrition facts label. They listed the total grams of sugar in a serving (natural sugar and added sugar).

If that is too complicated, Krivitsky recommends that you look for places in your diet that can reduce added sugar. Krivitsky said: "Have you eaten a lot of sugar-sweetened cereals? Maybe you like juice. Start to eliminate these foods and increase your fiber intake."

Final tip: add sugar to the food yourself. You may add less sugar than the manufacturer.