People trying to find ways to restrict their sugar consumption can do so effectively with just a few changes, according to researchers writing in the journal JAMA Internal Medicine.
Published by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), the report found that the added sugar the average American consumes can increase his or her risk of death from heart disease by almost 20 percent regardless of other health problems. The researchers also found that 10 percent of Americans get a quarter of their calories from added sugar.
The study suggested some diet tweaks that will not only help reduce sugar, but weight gain and disease risk as well. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to less than 100 calories daily for women and 150 calories for men. Getting rid of sweetened drinks like sweet tea, lemonade, sodas and fruit punch is just one way to achieve this.
Scoping out hidden sources of sugar that are not typically disclosed on nutrition labels is important, too, the researchers said. They recommend reading the ingredients list and looking for keywords like brown sugar, corn syrup, maltose, fructose, molasses, agave, dextrose, brown rice syrup, cane sugar, evaporated cane juice and cane syrup. By law, ingredients are supposed to be listed in descending order by weight so the higher the ingredient is on the list, the more there is of it.
Some types of foods that contain added sugar include ketchup, salad dressing, crackers, flavored yogurt, bread, protein bars, sushi, granola, frozen dinners, sushi and soup. Instead of buying sweetened foods, the researchers also suggest that people buy plain foods and simply sweeten them at home. Doing so ensures the amount of sugar used is regulated and properly measured.
