We all know sugary treats like cookies, cake and brownies are fattening and should be eaten in moderation. But how much sugar is too much? Are some sorts of sugar more fattening than others? Here are the answers you’re looking for
Why Is Sugar Unhealthy?
Most people think sugar is to be avoided because it adds useless calories, AKA “empty calories”. In fact, sugar is not very caloriedense, with less than half the calories of olive oil. Sugar is a source of pure high-GI carbs, which means it spikes your insulin and promotes fat storage in the most efficient way possible. But the real problem with sugar is the way it wreaks havoc in almost every single organ in your body. This is why it shows a very impressive list of side effects that the food industry “forgot” to put on their labels:
- Weakens your immune system
- Inflames your gut and feeds off the bad bacteria in your body, increasing your risks of virtually any disease
- Creates oxidative stress in your body, which speeds up your aging process
- Is very addictive – with the same highs and lows people experience on hard drugs
- Feeds cancer cells
How Much is Too Much?
In the US, sugar consumption has been increasing steadily since forever – from 6.3 lbs. of sugar per person per year in 1822 up to 107.7 lbs. of sugar per person in 1999. Some sources now show this number is closer to 130 lbs. in 2012. Needless to say – this amount of sugar leads to record fat gain, and the rise of serious conditions like type-2 diabetes, stroke and hypertension. The AHA now recommends men should consume less than 150 daily calories of sugar per day (9 tsp. or 38 grams), and advise women to stick with 100 daily calories from sugar (6 tsp. or 24 grams). Yes, that means women that drink only a single can of soda per day already consume too much sugar (without even counting all the hidden sources). If you consume a lot of sugar right now, simply remember this: less is better.
Do You Even Know How Much You Consume?
You probably consume a lot more sugar than you think. Let me prove this by analyzing this average “healthy” diet:
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Without eating any candy or over-sugary dessert – and while eating what most would consider a pretty “clean diet” – this person just consumed over 118.5 g (59 teaspoons) of added sugar in a single day. For a woman, that means almost 5 times the recommend amount for optimal health and fat loss…
How much are YOU really consuming?
Sugars Are Not all Created Equal
Bad news. Some forms of sugars are worse than others. Most common forms of sugar are glucose and fructose. Even though they may look the same – they affect your body in very different ways.
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*** Important note: sucrose (white sugar) breaks down in 50% fructose and 50% glucose in your body, but is not metabolized the same way as pure fructose .
Clearly, fructose is way more fattening and detrimental to your health than glucose.
Small quantities of fructose from fruits and whole foods aren’t a problem. But consuming over 50g of fructose (one 32 oz. soda) per day will lead to big problems. Keep that in mind, because it’s a critical factor to choose the right sweetener.
Confusing Names
Sugar is hidden in food under all sorts of ingredients. As an example, popular brand breakfast cereals could contain sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup and barley malt – which are all sugar. Here’s a list of the most common names that all mean “sugar”:
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Summary
- Any form of sugar promotes fat gain and disease when consumed in important amounts.
- The recommended sugar intake is less than 38 g for men and less than 25 g for women. Less is always better.
- Sugar can hide under a ton of different names in food products. Get informed and read the labels carefully.
