Download What`s the Scoop on Sugar? - School Nutrition Association

By Dayle Hayes, MS, RD
What’s the
Scoop on
?
Sugar’s fall from nutritional grace has been
somewhat rapid. In the 1964 movie “Mary Poppins,” a spoonful of the
sweet stuff helped the medicine go down. But a decade later, Sugar Blues by William
Duffy was starting up the bestseller list as it decried “our generation’s greatest medical
killer.” While American consumers have continued to consume it—in hundreds of
pounds per year—for decades, today, 50 years after Julie Andrews’ cheerful song,
headlines like “Is Sugar More Addictive Than Cocaine?” continue to pop up in all forms
of media, from print and digital magazines to news channels and documentaries.
While the final answer to that provocative question
about sugar addiction will have to wait for more
research findings to be produced, there’s no doubt that
sugar has replaced fat as the “demon nutrient” of the
day. With many scientists and reputable health
professionals lined up on both sides of the sugar
debate, it can be difficult to figure out how many
spoonfuls of sugar you do want in your diet.
There are complete textbooks, hundreds of
research articles and dozens of websites devoted to all aspects of sugar controversies.
Let’s outline the basics of sugar nutrition, providing some common-sense, science-based
advice on how much you should sweat the sweet stuff. For many of you, there likely won’t
be many surprises in most of this—you probably already know that you can get too
much of a good thing! But School Nutrition hopes that you’ll enjoy the practical and tasty
tips for taming your sweet tooth, and that you find that adopting these strategies is much
easier than you might imagine.
Is it a sweet-tasting
nutrient or a toxic,
addictive substance?
Sweet Talk
There are two basic types of sweeteners: nutritive (which are carbohydrates and provide
energy) and non-nutritive (which have few, if any calories). Seven non-nutritive sweeteners have been deemed to be safe and approved for use in the United States: acesulfame K,
aspartame, luo han guo fruit extract, neotame, saccharin, stevia and sucralose.
When people refer to “sugar,” they usually mean sucrose, which is a refined product
made from sugar beets or sugar cane. Other sugars commonly found in food products
include fructose (fruit, honey and some vegetables), lactose (dairy foods), maltose
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(molasses), corn-based sweeteners (such as
high-fructose corn syrup) and agave
nectar. The term added sugars refers to
nutritive sweeteners that are added to
foods during processing and recipe
preparation. Along with providing sweet
flavors, sugars may be added to foods and
beverages for a variety of functional
reasons, including to:
n inhibit microbial growth by binding
water in jams and jellies;
n add texture, flavor and color to baked
goods;
n support the growth of yeast for
leavening or fermentation;
n contribute volume in ice cream,
baked goods and jams;
n enhance the creamy consistency of
frozen desserts;.
n enhance the crystallization of
confectionary products;
n balance acidity in salad dressings,
sauces and condiments; and
n help to maintain the natural color,
texture and shape of preserved fruits.
It is difficult to determine exactly how
many added sugars are present in a food or
beverage. The grams of sugar listed on the
Nutrition Facts panel lumps together the
amounts of added sugars, as well as those
sugars naturally occurring in the item. For
example, an 8-oz. carton of flavored milk
might list 18 grams of sugar on its Nutrition Facts panel. That includes 12 grams
of lactose (the sugar naturally occurring in
dairy products) and 6 grams of added
sugars (in the form of sucrose). There are
roughly 4 grams of sugar per teaspoon, so
the cup of milk would have 3 teaspoons of
sugar coming directly from the cow and
only 1.5 teaspoons added for flavoring.
While some websites suggest there is an
“industry conspiracy” working to increase
the sugar content of the food supply, it’s
easy to see how adding more sugar to
processed foods could happen with
considerably less-nefarious intent. Sugar
may be added to processed foods for two
simple reasons: It has many functions, and
humans naturally love sweet flavors.
Scientists now generally accept that a
preference for sweetness is inborn rather
than learned. One Finnish researcher
suggests that a strong preference for sugar
may be 50% genetic, about the same as the
genetic predisposition for asthma. Some
FOOD SOURCES OF ADDED SUGARS
Fruits and fruit juice
1%
Vegetables
1%
Alcoholic
beverages
1%
Coffee
and tea
7%
Snacks and sweets
31%
Beverages
(not milk or
100% fruit juice)
47%
Grains
8%
Soft
drinks
25%
Fruit
drinks
11%
Sport and
energy drinks
3%
Condiments, gravies,
spreads, salad dressings
4%
Mixed dishes
2%
6%
Sugar
sweetened
beverages
39%
Protein foods
0%
Dairy
Source: What We Eat in America, NHANES 2009-2010
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people clearly have a greater preference for
sweetness than others, but the neuroscience
jury is still out on the question of whether
sugar can be considered “addictive” in the
same sense as certain drugs or nicotine.
The Sour on Sweet
How much sugar are we consuming in the
United States today? The short answer is
the simple one: a lot more than we used to
and probably more than any of us actually
need. Consider the most recent data from
the National Health and Nutrition
Examination Survey:
n Children and teens consumed
approximately 16% of their total caloric
intake from added sugars.
n Men consumed an average 12.7% of
their calories from added sugars, compared
to an average 13.2% among women.
n The percentage of total calories
consumed contributed by added sugars
decreased with age for both men and
women.
n People with higher incomes tend to
consume less added sugar than those with
lower incomes.
n About two-thirds of added sugars
were consumed at home, mostly from food
items rather than beverages.
This consumption of added sugars in
the United States currently exceeds the
recommendations for all age groups. The
Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee
Report released in February 2015 (see page
18) recommends limiting added sugars to a
maximum of 10% of total daily caloric
intake. For adults consuming 1,500 to
2,500 calories per day, this translates into
no more than 150 to 250 calories from
added sugars per day—roughly 10 to 15
teaspoons of added sugar. Consider that an
average 12-oz. can of a “regular” soft drink
has 150 calories—all from added sugars—
and that’s the full amount you should have
for the entire day!
The soft drink comparison is important. Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs,
which include soft drinks, juice drinks and
sports drinks) are the source of 39% of
added sugars consumed in the United
States. Snacks and sweets are the second
largest source, at 31%, with much smaller
amounts coming from a wide variety of
other categories.
The chart on page 56 offers a good
illustration of why many public and private
initiatives to reduce sugar consumption
focus squarely on SSBs. Consider so-called
“sugar taxes” on large-portion SSBs,
assessed in an effort to compel consumers
to choose more appropriate portions.
(Former NYC Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s initiative is the most well-known of
these campaigns.) While many nutrition
professionals favor an educational
approach, some research shows that sugar
taxes can reduce consumption.
The draft report for the upcoming 2015
Dietary Guidelines for Americans (DGAs),
which will be officially released after the
comment period and review by the
Departments of Agriculture (USDA) and
Health and Human Services (HHS),
clearly lays out the reasons for reducing
our intake of added sugars. In this discussion, it is important to remember that no
authority has suggested we need to reduce
our intake of the sugars that are naturally
found in fruits, vegetables and milk
products. In fact, many Americans need to
actually increase their consumption of
items from these food groups.
Every five years, when the DGA
Scientific Advisory Committee prepares
its report, members analyze existing
nutrition and dietary research studies and
make decisions based on the strength of
the evidence. Here’s what the Committee
had to say about the connections between
health and the intake of added sugars,
starting with the strongest evidence:
n Strong and consistent evidence shows
that the intake of added sugars from food
and SSBs is associated with higher body
weights in both children and adults.
n Strong evidence shows that higher
intakes of added sugars “especially
sugar-sweetened beverages,” increases the
risk of type 2 diabetes in adults.
n Moderate evidence shows that a
higher intake of added sugars, “especially
in the form of sugar-sweetened beverages,”
is associated with an increased risk of high
blood pressure, stroke and cardiovascular
disease.
n Moderate evidence shows a connection between the intake of “free sugars”
(defined as a little broader than added
sugars but not “total sugars”) and dental
caries (aka “cavities”) in children and
adults.
That’s the evidence, folks. It is not
absolute proof that eating and drinking too
many added sugars will cause you to get
diabetes or heart disease. However, we
certainly now know enough to be confident
in saying that too many added sugars is not
good for your health. But you knew that
already, right? The question is: What do
you want to do about added sugar
consumption for yourself and your family?
Gimme Some Sugar...Just a Little
When it comes to the “sugar wars,”
opinions are a dime a dozen. You can find
MDs, RDs, PhDs and activists with
advice all along the spectrum, from “eat no
toxic sugar” to “sugar really isn’t a
problem, it’s just about calories.” Some of
the sanest advice came from a recent
statement by the American Academy of
Pediatrics (AAP) Council on School
Health, Committee on Nutrition. This
policy statement, Snacks, Sweetened
Beverages, Added Sugars, and Schools,
is an incredibly important resource for
anyone who works in school nutrition. You
can download a free PDF of the full
11-page position to share with school
administrators, wellness committees/
councils and concerned parents at http://
tinyurl.com/AAP-sugar-schools.
While the guidance in the AAP
statement is aimed at children and schools,
the advice applies just as well to adults and
to meals eaten at and away from home.
And you may be surprised to realize that
the AAP five-point plan comes almost full
circle to Mary Poppins’ spoonful of sugar
advice. Let’s break down each point and
see how you can apply it in your daily life.
1. Select a mix of foods from the five
key food groups: vegetables, fruits,
grains, lowfat dairy and quality
protein sources (including lean meats,
fish, nuts, seeds and eggs). This age-old
recommendation continues to prevail for
good reason. When you focus on foods
from the basic food groups, you reduce
your added-sugar intake—and get more of
the nutrients that most Americans are
missing.
2. Offer a variety of food experiences. Adults can benefit from new food
experiences, too. If you want to reduce
your own intake of SSBs, but don’t want to
give up the fizz or the sweet flavors, try
mixing sparkling water half and half with
juice. Or, keep a pitcher in the fridge filled
with water and slices of citrus fruit, berries
or cucumber. Fill an on-the-go water
bottle directly with this refreshing
combination.
Want to eat more vegetables that might
appeal to your sweet tooth? Have you tried
roasting sweet potatoes, beets, turnips and
other root vegetables with a little olive oil?
These can be considered “underground
candy,” because roasting brings out the
natural sweetness in these foods.
3. Avoid highly processed foods. This
does not mean that you have to cook
everything from scratch, make your own
pasta, can your own peaches and avoid
anything in a package! It does mean
decreasing your reliance on the proportion
of your daily or weekly diet that features
fastfoods and convenience foods. When
you are pressed for time, think “speed
scratch,” which can involve salad mix in a
bag, fresh roasted meats pre-sliced for a
stir-fry or quick-cooking steel-cut oats.
When you have more time, cook double
meals, so you have plenty of “plannedovers” in the fridge and freezer for those
busy periods.
4. Use small amounts of sugar, salt,
fats and oils as ingredients in highly
nutritious recipes to enhance enjoyment and consumption. This Mary
Poppins-like tip is the sanest advice of all.
You don’t need to sweat the small amounts
of sugar found in most yogurts and
flavored milks. There’s no need to fret over
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using a bit of sugar to help bring out the
flavor in fresh tomato sauce or adding a
little fruit jam on your whole-wheat toast.
Rather than worry about small amounts of
sweet stuff, reduce the number of supersized portions you’re consuming.
5. Offer appropriate portions. You’ve
heard this one before, right? Super-sized
anything is probably not-so-good for your
body. This is especially true for SSBs.
Drinking a quart of sugar water is never
going to make nutritional sense.
Enjoying the Sweet Life
Once again, tips about eating with
balance, variety and moderation hit the
sweet spot! Let’s end with just a few more
flavorful tips about taming your sweet
tooth—without driving yourself crazy.
If you are confused by the claims
that various sugars are more “toxic”
than others, ignore these. Current
research shows that all sugars, even
high-fructose corn syrup, seem to be
processed by your body in a similar way.
Soda made with sucrose, fructose or agave
nectar is still a can of empty calories—with
no redeeming vitamins, minerals, protein
or antioxidants. If you really want a soft
drink, have a single can, rather than a
humongous cup. Enjoy whatever type you
prefer, but do not pretend that it is a
nutrient-rich beverage.
If you use non-nutritive (aka lowcalorie or artificial sweeteners), do so in
moderation. According to the 2015 DGA
Scientific Advisory Committee Report,
“[S]ince the long-term effects of low-calorie sweeteners are still uncertain, those
sweeteners should not be recommended for
use as a primary replacement-substitute
for added sugars in foods and beverages.”
There is no need to panic if you have a can
of diet soda, but a six-pack-a-day habit of
anything, except water, is probably not
good for your body.
You can enjoy the sweet life. But do so
by applying some nutrition smarts. SN
Dayle Hayes is a nutrition consultant and speaker
based in Billings, Mont. She also maintains the
School Meals That Rock Facebook page (www.
facebook.com/SchoolMealsThatRock). You can
reach her at [email protected].
Photography by iStock/jiunlimited.com.
To Your Credit: For CEUs toward an
SNA certificate, complete the “To Your
Credit” test on page 52.
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