The Sweet Truth
Sugar: The basics
Sugar is a type of carbohydrate that occurs naturally in many foods, as well as being added during food preparation and processing. There are several different types of sugar in the diet, coming from a wide range of sources.
- Sucrose: the most familiar type of sugar and is commonly used in tea and coffee or in baking.
- Lactose: naturally occurring sugar found in milk and dairy products.
- Maltose: occurs naturally in cereal grains.
Fuel, Flavour, Function
As a form of carbohydrate sugar provides a source of energy for the body. Read our The Case for Carbs blog to learn more about carbohydrates and their role in the diet. Government guidance recommends limiting the intake of free sugars, as high consumption can have negative effects on dental health, overall calorie intake, and body weight.
Not all sugar is made equal! When considering our health particular attention is paid to free sugars. These sugars are often added to foods and drinks such as biscuits, cake, sweets and fizzy drinks which are usually energy dense. Free sugars can also be found naturally in fruit juices, fruit purées, honey, and syrups.
Regular intake of energy dense high sugar food and drink items can negatively affect health as it can lead to weight gain and obesity, as well as increasing the risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. For these reasons, it is advised to reduce consumption of foods and drinks containing free sugars, or to limit them to mealtimes.
What the guidelines say
It is recommended to reduce the amount of free sugars consumed, as high intakes are linked to poor health and disease. Current government guidance advises keeping free sugar intake to less than 33g per day for males and 27g per day for females.
Sugars found naturally in foods such as whole fruits, vegetables, milk, and unsweetened dried fruits are not classed as free sugars. These sugars still contribute to total sugar intake, reducing them is not considered necessary, as these foods provide important nutrients and health benefits. These foods are essential to a healthy balanced diet as they provide essential nutrients, including fibre, vitamins, and minerals, which are important for overall health and wellbeing.
Spotting Sugar
Sugars found naturally in milk, whole fruit, and vegetables are not classed as free sugars.
Sugar content of foods can be found on back of pack labels as well as part of the traffic light system on the front of food packaging in the UK. Learn more about the back of pack labelling in our upcoming blog explaining the nutrient information on our food packaging.
myfood24
Our databases can help to analyse nutrient intake and support your understanding of sugar content in the food you eat. Our UK databases contain total sugar, free sugar, added sugar and individual sugar variables, providing a full and detailed understanding of sugar in dietary intake. Learn more about the nutrient variables in each of our datasets here.
In the UK our healthcare system can provide valuable insights for health professionals to support their patient or clients. Our research and teaching platforms are available across many regions with 30 international datasets and nine languages. Each of these datasets would provide a detailed breakdown of nutrient intake for both research and educational purposes.
You can find out more about how you can use myfood24 by trying our free demo or get in touch.
References
- Sugar (2023) British Nutrition Foundation. Available via: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritional-information/sugar/
- How to cut down on sugar in your diet (2022). National Health Service. Available via: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/how-to-eat-a-balanced-diet/how-to-cut-down-on-sugar-in-your-diet/
- Sugar: the facts (2023). National Health Service. Available via: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/eat-well/food-types/how-does-sugar-in-our-diet-affect-our-health/
- Healthier food swaps. Better Health Healthier Families, National Health Service. Available via: https://www.nhs.uk/healthier-families/food-facts/healthier-food-swaps/
- Government Dietary Recommendations. Public Health England. Available via: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a749fece5274a44083b82d8/government_dietary_recommendations.pdf
Author: Lucy Clarkson, SENr Nutritionist
Editor: Jessica Eardley-Thompson, ANutr Nutritionist & Grace Williams, ANutr Nutritionist