Are you taking too much sugar? are you even aware that you consume too much sugar? Well if you are one of those people with a sweet tooth then be warned.
The World Health Organization is worried about how much sugar you’re consuming and how much people all over the planet are consuming too.
The organization on Wednesday recommended that adults and children reduce their daily intake of “free” sugars — such as fructose or table sugar added to foods and drinks by manufacturers, as well as those naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices — to less than 10 percent of their total energy take.
The organization says that cutting that figure to 5 percent, or roughly six teaspoons or less a day, would provide additional health benefits. “We have solid evidence that keeping intake of free sugars to less than 10 percent of total energy intake reduces the risk of overweight, obesity and tooth decay,” Francesco
Branca, director of the WHO’s Department of Nutrition for Health and Development, said in an announcement about the new guidelines.
Francesco added that, “making policy changes to support this will be key if countries are to live up to their commitments to reduce the burden of noncommunicable diseases.”
It may be a challenge for some countries than others to alter sugar intake. According to the WHO, added sugar intake ranges from about 7 to 8 percent of total energy consumption in Hungary and Norway to as much as 17 percent in Spain and Britain.
Public health experts have increasingly warned about added sugars found in processed foods, including those not typically classified as sweets. The WHO report notes, for example, that a tablespoon of ketchup includes about a teaspoon of sugar. A typical can of soda contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar.
The goals outlined Wednesday by the WHO are in line with what a federal Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee recommended in a report last month, in which officials also suggested keeping added sugar consumption below 10 percent of total energy intake.
Why too much sugar may be unhealthy
-Added Sugar Contains No Essential Nutrients and is Bad For Your Teeth
-Added Sugar is High in Fructose, Which Can Overload Your Liver
-Due to its Effects on Hormones and the Brain, Sugar has Unique Fat-Promoting Effects
