In our modern and fast-paced
lives, it can be difficult to keep a healthy balance of nutrients in our food.
Sugar is one of these nutrients, and the cells in our body would die without
it.
Consuming too much sugar,
however, raises the risk of several problems, including poor dental health,obesity and type 2 diabetes.
To
keep control of sugar levels, it helps to know just how much sugar there is in
the food we eat. Here, we have listed the sugar content of numerous everyday
foods, both processed and natural ones.
What is sugar?
Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that
belongs to a class of chemically-related sweet-flavored substances. It comes in
many different forms. The three main types of sugar are sucrose, lactose, and
fructose.
Even though our cells need sugar
(glucose) to survive, consuming too much of it can cause numerous different
health problems. Added sugar contains no beneficial nutrients and in excess
only contributes to tooth decay, diabetes, and obesity.
The American Heart Association
(AHA) have said thatadded sugars "contribute
zero nutrients" and are just empty calories "that can lead to extra
pounds, or even obesity, thereby reducing heart health."
Being
aware of the existing and added sugar contents of the foods and drinks we
consume is vital for our health - even more so today because so many products
have sugar added to them.
In March 2015, the World Health
Organization (WHO) published new guidelines recommending that adults and
children alike reduce their consumption of free sugars to less than 10% of
their total energy intake, with further reduction to below 5% associated with
additional health benefits.
The
term free sugars includes to glucose, fructose and sucrose added to foods and
drinks, as well as sugars naturally present in syrups, honey and fruit juice.
The term does not apply to sugars found naturally in fresh fruit, vegetables or
milk, as to date there is no evidence associating the consumption of these
sugars with adverse effects.
A
single teaspoon of sugar is around 4 grams (g). The WHO state that reducing
daily sugar consumption to 5% of daily energy intake would be around 6
teaspoons of sugar.
Sugar content in common foods
and drinks
To
help you keep track of how much sugar you're consuming we've listed some common
everyday foods and drinks, together with their sugar content. Some of these may
surprise you:
How much sugar is in a
chocolate bar?
With high sugar content, chocolate should always be
viewed as an occasional treat.
§
Snickers
bar (52.7g) - 6.75 teaspoons of sugar
§
Milk
chocolate bar (44g) - 5.75 teaspoons of
sugar
§
Milky
Way bar (58g) - 8.75 teaspoons of
sugar
§
3
Musketeers bar (60g) - 10 teaspoons of
sugar
§
Butterfinger
bar (60g) - 7 teaspoons of sugar
§
Dove
chocolate bar (40.8g) - 5.5 teaspoons of
sugar
§
Hershey's
Milk Chocolate bar (43g) - 6 teaspoons of
sugar
§
Twix
bar (50.7g) - 6 teaspoons of sugar
§
Milk
chocolate M&M's packet (47.9
g) - 7.5 teaspoons of sugar.
How much sugar do soft drinks
contain?
Soft drinks often contain a high amount of sugar.
§
Coca
cola (one can) - 8.25 teaspoons of sugar
§
Pepsi
cola (one can) - 8.75 teaspoons of sugar
§
Red
Bull (one can) - 6.9 teaspoons of sugar
§
Sprite (one can) - 8.25 teaspoons of sugar
§
Mountain
Dew (one can) - 11.5 teaspoons of sugar
§
Old
Jamaica Ginger Beer (one can) - 13 teaspoons of
sugar.
A study published in Circulation,
the journal of the American Heart Association, identified a link between drinking more than one soft drink a day
and increased risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.
How much sugar is in your
breakfast cereal?
Froot Loops are said to contain 105 times more sugar
than Shredded Wheat.
§
Alpen - 5.75 teaspoons of sugar
§
Cheerios - 1 teaspoon of sugar
§
Corn
Flakes - 2.4 teaspoons of sugar
§
Cocoa
Krispies - 9.75 teaspoons of sugar
§
Froot
Loops - 10.5 teaspoons of sugar
§
Raisin
Bran - 7.75 teaspoons of sugar
§
Frosted
Flakes - 8.75 teaspoons of sugar
§
Honey
Smacks - 14 teaspoons of sugar
§
Rice
Krispies - 2.5 teaspoons of sugar
§
Special
K - 3 teaspoons of sugar
§
Wheaties - 3.75 teaspoons of sugar
§
Trix - 8 teaspoons of sugar
§
Lucky
Charms - 9 teaspoons of sugar
§
Rice
Chex - 2 teaspoons of sugar
§
Wheat
Chex - 2.5 teaspoons of sugar
§
Corn
Chex - 2.75 teaspoons of sugar
§
Honey
Nut Cheerios - 8.25 teaspoons of sugar
§
Reese's
Puffs - 8.75 teaspoons of sugar
§
Golden
Grahams - 8.75 teaspoons of sugar
§
Cocoa
Puffs - 9.25 teaspoons of sugar
§
Cookie
Crisp - 8.75 teaspoons of sugar
§
Shredded
Wheat - 0.1 teaspoons of sugar
§
Cocoa
Pebbles - 9 teaspoons of sugar
§
Banana
Nut Crunch - 4.5 teaspoons of sugar.
In June 2012, researchers from
Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity revealed that even though
cereals aimed at kids had become more nutritious, cereal companies (such as
Kellogg, General Mills, and Post) had increased their advertising spending
considerably. Cereal advertising aimed at children increased by 34% between
2008 and 2011.
Marlene
Schwartz, deputy director of the Rudd Center, said:
"While cereal companies have
made small improvements to the nutrition of
their child-targeted cereals, these cereals are still far worse than the
products they market to adults. They have 56% more sugar, half as much fiber,
and 50% more sodium.
The companies know how to make a
range of good-tasting cereals that aren't loaded with sugar and salt. Why can't
they help parents out and market these directly to children instead?"
How much sugar does fruit
contain?
Fruits
contain fructose, a type of sugar. Fresh fruit have no "added sugar",
but as you can see below, their levels of sugar range from 1 teaspoon per 100
grams in cranberries to 4 teaspoons in grapes.
§
Mangos - 3.2 teaspoons of sugar
§
Bananas - 3 teaspoons of sugar
§
Apples - 2.6 teaspoons of sugar
§
Pineapples - 2.5 teaspoons of sugar
§
Grapes - 4 teaspoons of sugar
§
Lemons - 0.6 teaspoons of sugar
§
Kiwi
fruit - 2.3 teaspoons of sugar
§
Apricots - 2.3 teaspoons of sugar
§
Strawberries - 1.3 teaspoons of sugar
§
Raspberries - 1 teaspoon of sugar
§
Blueberries - 1.7 teaspoons of sugar
§
Cranberries - 1 teaspoons of sugar
§
Tomatoes - 0.7 teaspoons of sugar.
How much sugar do cakes and
desserts contain?
§
Banoffee
pie (1 medium portion) - 4.25 teaspoons of sugar
§
Carrot
cake (1 medium slice) - 3 teaspoons of sugar
§
Custard (1 medium portion) - 3.25 teaspoons of sugar
§
Chocolate
mousse (1 medium portion) - 3
teaspoons of sugar
§
Donut (1 jam doughnut) - 3.5 teaspoons of sugar
§
Fruit
pie (1 medium portion) - 3.5 teaspoons of sugar
§
Fruit
cake (1 medium slice) - 5 teaspoons of sugar
§
Muffin (one chocolate chip muffin) - 4.75 teaspoons of
sugar
§
Ice
cream (1 scoop) - 3 teaspoons of
sugar
§
Rice
pudding (1 portion) - 3.75
teaspoons of sugar
§
Sponge
cake (1 medium slice) - 5.5 teaspoons of sugar
§
Swiss
roll (1 roll) - 2.5 teaspoons of sugar. (www.medicalnewstoday.com/)
How Much Sugar Is In Your Food And Drink?
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