Eating sugar is extremely harmful, this article will show you how much to eat

There are many numbers that recommend the amount of sugar you should consume each day.

In terms of nutrition, there are two types of sugar that you need to distinguish: natural sugar and additive sugar.

Natural sugar is derived from fruits, vegetables or other plants such as sugarcane. Natural sugars usually include: fructose, glucose and sucrose. However, when sugar in these food sources is extracted, they are no longer counted as natural sugar.

The second type, additive sugar is very popular and you will encounter them anywhere. Sugar additives are sugar added to food, plus natural sugars found in honey, syrup and fruit juice.

Foods containing sugar additives include: soft drinks, fruit juices, refined sugar, candy, cakes. Even dairy producers often add sugar to their products. Milk, yogurt and cream, all contain sugar additives.

On the nutritional aspect, there are two types of sugars, additive and natural sugar.

Talking about natural sugar, it's part of any balanced diet. In it, eating a lot of natural sugary fruits and vegetables also provides a good source of vitamins and minerals. Natural sugar is not the source of health problems.

In contrast, additive sugar is responsible for the consequences that its excess causes on the body. Increased dietary sugar intake has been linked to many health problems, from tooth decay to obesity and diabetes.

How many grams of sugar per day is the limit for you?

There are many numbers that recommend the amount of sugar you should consume each day, but start with the World Health Organization's recommendation. According to WHO, for an average diet of 2,000 calories, you should not charge more than 10% of calories coming from sugar.

You can use a rule called "divided by 4" to calculate the equivalent amount of sugar. Ten percent of 2,000 is 200 calories. Divide by 4, you get the equivalent of 50 grams. Next to 4, this amount is equivalent to 12 teaspoons.

However, the number of 12 teaspoons seems too general. The American Heart Association has divided the recommended amount of sugar for each group of people you can refer to in the table below:

Recommended levels of sugar consumption for each group of people.

In the UK, which is dubbed Europe's "fattest" , the government recommends the total amount of sugar consumed per day, including natural sugar and sugar additives, to be 90 grams. In particular, the Government Science Advisory Committee advised that people should eat less than 5% of calories from the additive sugar.

The figure is only half the WHO recommendation. If you're still a 2,000 calorie diet, apply the "divide by 4" rule, you'll calculate an amount equal to 25 grams or 4 teaspoons. In real-world comparison, a typical 330ml can of soft drinks is holding up to 35 grams, almost 9 teaspoons of sugar.

These cans of soda contain lots of sugar.

Factors affecting the level of sugar consumed by each person

Age: This is a major factor affecting metabolism. As you age, metabolism often slows down. Eating the same amount of calories at age 45 creates another effect on body weight gain compared to age 20. A caloric diet changes the amount of sugar you should eat each day.

Health: Health conditions affect metabolism, calorie intake and body weight. For example, people with weak thyroid are more likely to gain weight, whereas hyperthyroidism causes them to lose weight quickly. Diabetics have varying responses to insulin, hormones that regulate blood sugar. If resistance to insulin, blood sugar levels increase and they will have to eat less sugar.

Physical activity: A person with higher levels of physical activity burns more calories and they also need to recharge more calories. People with sedentary jobs should pay more attention to calories and sugar additives in the diet. For them, eating a candy bar during the break can also cause weight gain.

Characteristics of food: Food in different geographical areas also have different nutritional values. For example, fruits and vegetables in the tropics are often of higher quality. This local food can be rich in this substance but lacks in other local food.

Characteristics of each individual: Each person has a different genetic structure that leads to unlike in the metabolism and digestive system. Two people can eat a completely identical diet, but their results are different.

Consult your dietitian to know exactly which diet is best for you.

Because there are so many factors that affect the amount of sugar you should consume each day, it is best to consult with your doctor and nutritionist to build a proper diet for you, including including protein, vitamins, minerals . and minimize the amount of sugar additives.

How to control the amount of sugar you eat every day?

After you get the exact amount of sugar you need each day, from referring to the above recommendations and nutritionist's opinion, you can begin to tighten your diet.

The first rule is to always read the nutrition label on food packaging. It is the surest way to know how much sugar you are putting into your body, instead of just relying on the taste. New rules for the nutritional ingredient table may allow you to accurately calculate the number of sugar additives. Don't forget to apply the "divide by 4" rule to convert units of calculation.

Second, you need to control the amount of hidden sugar in your daily foods. These are things like white bread, sauce, yogurt, cereals . Estimating the amount of sugar in these foods is a relatively difficult thing, but the table below will help you:

Table estimate the amount of sugar in the food of some dishes.

Finally, we also need to control the amount of natural sugar, the recommended number is below 60 grams per day. Below is the American Heart Association statistics on the amount of sugar in every 100 grams of fruit:

1. Banana: 3 teaspoons sugar.
2. Apple: 2.6 teaspoons sugar.
3. Pineapple: 2.5 teaspoons sugar.
4. Grape: 4 teaspoons sugar.
5. Kiwi: 2.3 teaspoons sugar.
6. Lemon: 0.6 teaspoon of sugar.
7. Dream: 2.3 teaspoons of sugar.
8. Strawberry: 1.3 teaspoons sugar.
9. Tomatoes: 0.7 teaspoons of sugar.