The less than 10% sugar intake

Sugar certainly makes life sweeter but is it also becoming infamous in the role it plays in diet? Sucrose commonly referred to as Sugar is made up of 50% glucose and 50% fructose, refined table sugar are bleached syrup of sugarcane juice or mostly from high fructose corn syrup.

On the 5th of February in Geneva  World Health Organisation launched a public consultation on its draft guideline on sugar intake, the guideline will provide countries  with recommendation on limiting the consumption of sugar to reduce public health problems like obesity and dental decays. The new draft guideline also proposed  recommended intake of sugar from  50% for an adult of normal weight  to  less than 10% having 5% as the target level of daily intake, reduction to below 5% would be of a great benefit to its consumers.

‘Sugar is also addictive’

Like a dependant drug, sugar is also addictive, syrup from sugarcane, beet or large production of sugar from HFCS has all it natural nutrients destroyed during the process of refining, which involves softening, bleaching, boiling and crystallizing. Only the sweet portion is isolated which serves as an empty food, having no nutrients with a high calorie value.

Trying to cut down sugar foods and beverages has most times render an individual with a withdrawal syndrome, more sugar triggers and excites a special region of the brain called nucleus accumbens or ‘ground zero’ for conventional addiction which also is been stimulated by class A drugs (hard drugs), sugar cravings are related to stress and when stress returns you are going to end up craving more sugar. Sugar drinks manufacturers tend to increases the sugar content of products to increase sales. The content of sugar contained in a bottle of soft drink is about 40 grams of sugar which accounts for about twice the new recommended daily intake, Added sugar has no physiological purpose in food and drinks.

Sugar has been linked to so many disease of lifestyle ranging from diabetes to heart and kidney failure etc. it has been known to depress the immune system by fuelling pathogen just as fermented foods like low fat yoghurt help feed the immune system with probiotics, new studies has also began to link sugar to tumour genesis.

Sugar plays a very important role in diet, it’s glucose form serves as a source of instant energy and fuel for the brain, it makes up the backbone of the DNA, but indications are pointing at the abuse of sugar both by individuals and manufacturers.

The suggested limits of intake of sugar in the draft guideline applies to all monosaccharide such as glucose and fructose) and disaccharides (such as sucrose and table sugar), that are added to food by manufacturers, the cook, or the consumers as well as sugar that are naturally present in honey, syrup, fruit juice and fruit concentrates.

How to Minimize Sugars in the Diet

Avoid these foods, in order of importance:

1. Soft drinks: Sugar-sweetened beverages are awful; you should avoid these like the plague.

2. Concentrated juices: This may surprise you, but the so called fruit juices actually contain the same amount of sugar as soft drinks!

3. Candies and sweets: You should drastically limit your consumption of sweets.

4. Baked goods: Cookies, cakes, etc. These tend to be very high in sugar and refined carbohydrates.

5. Fruits canned in syrup: Choose fresh fruits instead.

6. Low-Fat Foods: Foods that have had the fat removed from them are often very high in sugar.

7. Dried fruits: Avoid dried fruits as much as possible, instead take fresh fruits.

Drink water instead of soda or juices concentrates and add little or no sugar to your coffee or tea.

Withdrawal might be difficult initially but it will soon pay off!

As the world begins to comply with the new directive we believe that regulatory agencies in Nigeria  would also begin a campaign to check the practices of manufacturers and ensure a strict compliance to the new draft guideline on sugar, less calories extends LIFE. Stay HEALTHY.