Oh, Sugar! Less is Best for Lower Disease Risk

You may crave something sugary, but our bodies don’t work best on sweets.

Simple sugars, often found in sweets and snack foods, give us “empty” calories. Although they may give us a short-lived energy boost, they mainly add calories to our diets without any good nutrients.

The empty calories often show up on your waistline. The effects of added sugars on our health go beyond obesity, though. Eating too much sugar has been linked to:

• High triglycerides
• High cholesterol
• High blood pressure
• Liver disease
• Heart disease
• Type 2 diabetes

Hiding In Plain Sight

For many people, it’s hidden simple sugars that are a problem. Just where do sugars hide?

“Hidden” sugars lurk in many of our favorite foods and drinks. A medium vanilla latte? It has around 35 grams of sugar. A medium “sweet tea” can pack around 55 grams of sugar. A medium soda can serve up about 85 grams of sugar. There are also other hidden sources of sugar in less obvious foods. Pasta sauce, gravy, condiments, flavored yogurts and even “healthy” cereals can have a lot of sugar.

There are so many hidden, added sugars in prepared foods that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration says nutrition labels should show the amount of added sugars as a part of the recommended daily calorie intake.

How Much Is Too Much?

Most of the calories a person needs each day, about 85 percent, should be healthy, nutrient-dense foods, reports the U.S. Department of Agriculture  and U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. That leaves just 15 percent for added sugars or saturated fats. That’s about 250 - 350 calories for most people.

The guidelines make it clear: Limit foods and drinks (including alcohol) high in added sugars, saturated fat and salt. The dietary guidelines recommend getting less than 10 percent of your calories per day from added sugars. ‘Added sugars’ is the key phrase here. Naturally occurring sugars, like those in fruit, are not included in the 10 percent.

Retraining Your Sweet Tooth

Once someone gets a preference for a sweeter taste, it’s hard to change. Still it’s possible to change your taste to like foods prepared with less sugar or in their whole, natural form.

Try plain Greek or Icelandic-style yogurt and add low-fat granola, dried or fresh fruit. You might be surprised at how your tastes can change about less-sweet foods.

Curb Your Sweet Tooth

Use these tips to cut back on sugar:

• Read food labels. Check the number of sugar grams. There are four calories in each sugar gram. Compare brands. Skip those that place honey, corn, maple syrup, or words that end in “-ose” (fructose or sucrose) at the top of the ingredient list.
• Add less sugar to your coffee, cereal or tea. Only add half the amount you normally use. When you bake, slash sugar by one-third to one-half. You may not even notice the difference.
• Buy fresh fruits. You can even try fruit canned with water or natural juice instead of syrup.
• Drink water, not sodas and sports drinks. Find reduced-sugar juices. Say goodbye to your sweet tea. Drink it unsweetened.
• Reach for the spice jar. Ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon — along with extracts like vanilla and almond — add flavor with fewer calories.

Need more tips on nutrition? Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025   offers a look at our eating habits and changes for better health.

Source: Current Dietary Guidelines,   U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, 2024

Originally published 6/23/2016; Revised 2019, 2022, 2024