According to the Mayo Clinic, the 2015 to 2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting added sugar, a main component of beverages such as soda, processed sweet coffee and tea, and fruit drinks, to no more than 10% of calories per day. That equals 200 calories per day for the average human diet of 2000 calories per day. Put in perspective, one 16 ounce serving of soda contains 12.4 teaspoons of sugar which contains 198 calories. One teaspoon of sugar contains 16 calories which are also known as “empty calories” because they contain no nutritional value and contribute to weight gain. Also, consuming lots of sugars makes you more hungry and leads to eating more.
Many foods in the United States contain added sugar even in the most unexpected products. Added sugars are sugars or syrups (high fructose corn syrup, for example) that are added to foods that already have naturally occurring sugar. Added sugars are usually found in processed foods such as yogurt which is often mistaken to be a healthy food product. Reading nutrition facts on food labels is the best way to find out how much sugar and added sugar are contained per serving.
In published research for 2018, Americans consumed 152 pounds per sugar per year. This equals 3 pounds or six cups per week which makes the US the top sugar consumer in the world.
The bottom line is that high sugar consumption contributes to weight gain which can lead to obesity and then to chronic diseases such as diabetes. Diabetics have a much higher risk of heart disease and other harmful medical conditions such as severe nerve damage known as diabetic neuropathy.
Health Watch Clinic recommends that patients have an annual physical as part of managing their health. As part of the physical, Health Watch will test your glucose level by checking your A1C for diabetes or pre-diabetes, your blood pressure and your Body Mass Index or BMI which is an indicator for obesity.