American Heart Association Recommends Lower Intake of Added Sugars
November 4, 2009 (IFT) - A new scientific statement from the American Heart Association (AHA), published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association, provides specific guidance on limiting the consumption of added sugars. This document also offers AHA’s recommendations on specific levels and limits on the consumption of added sugars.
The statement says that most women should consume no more than 100 calories, or about 6 tsp, of added sugars per day and most men should consume no more than 150 calories, or about 9 tsp, each day. In contrast, the statement cites a report from the 2001–04 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) that showed the average intake of added sugars for all Americans was about 22 tsp/day.
The study classifies all sugars and syrups added to foods during processing or preparation, as well as sugars and syrups added at the table, as added sugars. It states that a high intake of added sugars, as opposed to naturally occurring sugars, is implicated in the rise in obesity and also associated with increased risks for high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, other risk factors for heart disease and stroke, and inflammation, which is a marker for heart disease.
According to the statement, sodas and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the number one source of added sugars in Americans’ diet, with one 12-oz can of regular soda containing about 130 calories and 8 tsp of sugar.
Comments
There is a saying that my
There is a saying that my Mother used to say to me all the time, and it holds so very true:
Moderation! If you deviate from moderation you will have unwanted consequences.
It is better not to take
It is better not to take direct sugar with milk, tea,vegitables or alone.It is always better to take sweet fruits in place of direct sugar
Well they have part of it
Well they have part of it right, its carbs no matter how you slice it and I know they dont want to hear it.
When is the medical
When is the medical profession and dietic profession going to finally realize that the cause of the increase in obesity in this country is not the result of sugar or fat intake, but the result of the high about of refined carbohydrates that are consumed in this country which started in the 1950's and continues. It is also noteworthy that the increase in heart diesease, high blood pressure and other chronic diesease's also started increasing the same time that the increase of refined carbohydrates started. Their has been a large increase in the incidence of the metabolic syndrome in this country with the medical recommendation for a low fat and higher carb diet. The metabolic syndrome is a precursor of diabetes and heart disease. A low carb diet higher protein fat and vegetable intake will cause loss weight and prevent heart diesease!!!! It will also increase the HDL cholesterol which counters any increase in total cholesterol levels. I am a type 1 diabetic who eats a high protein diet (meat, cheese, peanut butter, nuts), do not monitor fat intake-use regular butter-olive oil- eat vegetables instead of carbs with my meals. I eat on average less than 35-40 carbs a day and have my weight done to the low end of normal for my age and a cholesterol level of 210, but an HDL cholesterol of 135 and a triglyceride level of 42. I wish the medical profession would turn to getting the public off the low fat diet and onto a low carb diet to help decrease the increase in heart diesease, diabetes and obesity. Singling out sugar is not the answer.
As a Registered Dietitian
As a Registered Dietitian (RD) and a consultant to the food and beverage
industry, there are a few facts the public needs to be informed on regarding
and blaming sugar or sugar aliases for the rise in obesity.
Added sugars, such as table sugar, brown sugar, or high fructose corn
syrup contains the same number of calories per gram as naturally occurring
sugars found in fruits, vegetables, or starchy foods such as pasta and
potatoes. All sugars count in ones total daily calorie intake and regardless
of the source, added or natural, obesity prevention comes down to calorie
management, not elimination or placing blame on a particular nutrient like
added sugar, which is found in all types of regularly consumed foods and
beverages. All calories count and beverage calories are no different than any
type of food calorie. With that approach, all foods and beverages can be
incorporated into our daily diets. A healthy diet has never declared the
elimination of any one nutrient; from weight loss to diabetic to heart
healthy diets, the fact of the matter is daily calorie control balanced with
daily exercise. If current guidelines are urging us to cut added daily sugars
in half, to less than ten teaspoons each day, our first step in implementing
these recommendations is to educate the public. Obesity is a hot topic, and a
subject that needs continual reinforcement and support from educators on how
to prevent it, not unrealistic suggestions that may further confuse and
misinform consumers. If 130 calories of a sugar sweetened beverage is to
blame for our obesity epidemic, what’s next? We all have daily discretionary
calories, we need to be taught how to use them correctly!
So now sugar causes diabetes
So now sugar causes diabetes and heart disease? I think researchers should do some more research.
Good explaination of the
Good explaination of the sugar/obesity problem. Over eating health food will cause weight gain also. Too much false information is being passed around about sugar intake and diabetes/obesity.
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