What Are Added Sugars? Why Reducing Them Can Benefit Your Health
Sugar is naturally found in many foods like fruits, vegetables, milk, cheese, and even grains. However, manufacturers also add different forms of sugar and syrups to processed and prepackaged foods like ice cream, cookies, candy, and soda, as well as to less obvious products like ketchup, spaghetti sauce, yogurt, bread, and salad dressing.
‘Natural’ vs ‘Added’ Sugars
Natural sugars are found in whole foods. An apple, for example, can contain around 20 grams of sugar. But it also provides vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients that nourish your body. An apple’s fiber can satisfy your hunger and help your body absorb the sugar from the fruit more slowly. Added sugars provide extra calories without any additional nutrition. They are ‘empty calories’ that can lead to weight gain and other health problems.Advantages of Cutting Added Sugars
Healthier Weight
Too many calories, no matter where they come from, can cause weight gain. However, consuming lots of added sugar in your diet could make you more likely to overeat throughout the day. Replace some of those empty calories with whole foods, and you’ll feel fuller sooner and be less likely to overeat.You may also like
- Major Railway Initiative: QR Codes on Food Packets to Indicate Food Freshness
- Driving on the highway during the rainy season? Be sure to follow this advice from the NHAI.
- Attention Government Employee Couples: Living Together Means No HRA for the Second Spouse
- Major Change in US Visa Rules: Application Will Be Rejected If Even One Document Is Missing
- EPFO: A major gift in August—access stuck funds in a jiffy via the e-Praapti Portal
Lower Triglycerides
If your body weight is higher than it should be, you’re more likely to have high cholesterol levels, including elevated triglycerides, a type of fat found in your blood. Cutting added sugar can help lower calorie intake and body weight, which may improve your cholesterol levels. However, it’s not just about weight loss. Even at the same weight as others, people who consumed less than 20% of their calories from added sugars tended to have lower triglyceride levels.Lower Heart Disease Risk
High triglyceride levels increase your risk of heart disease. Reducing added sugar intake can lower those levels and may help prevent weight gain and fat buildup linked to heart disease. If you get more than 20% of your daily calories from added sugar, even if you are at a healthy weight, you may be able to lower your heart disease risk by cutting back.Healthier Teeth
Sugars are the primary food source for bacteria that grow in your mouth and cause tooth decay. This can lead to cavities and more serious infections. The risk may be higher if you don’t brush and floss every day. Cutting back on sugars, especially added sugars in drinks like soda or punch, could help slow or prevent tooth decay.
Loving Newspoint? Download the app now
