Learn 4 ways to reduce added sugar in your diet.
When most people think of the health effects of added sugars, they think of weight gain and diabetes risk. Most do not immediately think of heart disease. But too much sugar in your diet can, in fact, lead to coronary artery disease and stroke.
Numerous studies have shown that added sugar can lead to higher blood pressure, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, inflammation, and fatty liver disease – all of which are linked to an increased risk of heart attack and stroke. For example, one 2014 study published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that people who got 17% to 21% of their calories from added sugar had a 38% higher risk of dying from cardiovascular disease compared with those who consumed 8% of their calories as added sugar.
How much added sugar is too much?
For the most part, we get all the sugar we need from the food we eat each day. It’s the added sugar that is the problem. According to the American Heart Association, we should limit our daily intake of added sugar to 25 grams or 6 teaspoons per day for women and 36 grams or 9 teaspoons per day for men.
Unfortunately, most Americans far exceed these limits. It’s easy to do, considering 1 can of soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar!
So here are four ways to start reducing the added sugar in your diet:
1. Know what foods contain added sugar. We all know that soda/energy drinks, cookies, doughnuts and ice cream contain added sugar. But many people don’t realize that there is a lot of added sugar in yogurt, pasta sauce, salad dressing and soups. Even bagels and crackers can often contain added sugar. Which brings us to the next item…
2. Read the ingredient labels. Look for alternative names for sugar in the ingredients list. Dextrose, fructose, glucose, and sucrose are common names for sugar. Sugar also comes in the form of honey, brown sugar, molasses, corn sweetener, corn syrup, and fruit juice concentrates.
3. Look at the nutrition label. By law, companies must now disclose the grams of added sugar in their product on the “added sugar” line on the nutrition label. This is very helpful in determining the amount of added sugar—look for products with no added sugar where possible.
4. Check your coffee and tea sugar intake. Coffee and tea drinks are all the rage these days. But be careful how many Frappuccinos you consume. They can also be loaded with added sugar. For example, a medium caramel Frappuccino has 60 grams of sugar … that’s a whopping 15 teaspoons of sugar! Instead, opt for a simple latte with little or no sugar.
Conclusion
So, start reading those ingredient lists and paying attention to those nutrition labels when you shop. And buy the items with little or no added sugar. Bringing down your added sugar intake will help your heart immensely!
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This post was written exclusively for to your health, a national health and wellness coaching firm based in Wallingford, CT. Its founder, Linda Hubbard, is an RN, Nutrition Specialist, and Health Coach. She can be reached at linda@toyourhealth360.com.