How Much Sugar Is In Your Food And Drink ? [Don't Miss This Article]

In our modern and fast-paced lives, it can be difficult to keep a healthy balance of nutrients in our food.
Sugar is one of these nutrients, and the cells in our body would die without it.
Consuming too much sugar, however, raises the risk of several problems, including poor dental health, obesity, and type 2 diabetes .

To keep control of sugar levels, it helps to know just how much sugar there is in the food we eat. Here, we list the sugar content of numerous everyday foods, both processed and natural.

Contents of this article:

What is sugar?
Sugar content in common foods and drinks.
Why should I monitor my sugar intake?

What is sugar?

Sugar is a simple carbohydrate that belongs to a class of chemically-related sweet-flavored substances. It comes in many different forms.
The three main types of sugar are sucrose, lactose, and fructose.

Even though our cells need sugar (glucose) to survive, consuming too much of it can cause numerous health problems.

Added sugar (details will be published next week) contains no beneficial nutrients and, in excess, only contributes to tooth decay, diabetes , and obesity.

The American Heart Association (AHA) say that added sugars "contribute zero nutrients" and are just empty calories "that can lead to extra pounds, or even obesity, thereby reducing heart health."

Being aware of the existing and added sugar contents of the foods and drinks we consume is vital to our health - even more so today because so many products have sugar added to them.

In March 2015, the World Health Organization (WHO) published new guidelines recommending that adults and children alike reduce their consumption of free sugars to less than 10 percent of their total energy intake, with a further reduction to below 5 percent associated with additional health benefits.

The term "free sugars" refers to glucose, fructose, and sucrose added to foods and drinks, as well as sugars naturally present in syrups, honey, and fruit juice. The term does not apply to sugars found naturally in fresh fruit, vegetables or milk because there is no evidence associating the consumption of these sugars with adverse effects.

A single teaspoon of sugar is around 4 grams. The WHO recommend that we should reduce daily sugar consumption to 5 percent of daily energy intake; that would equate to 6 teaspoons of sugar.

Sugar content in common foods and drinks

Below we have listed some common everyday foods and drinks, together with their sugar content.
This is designed to give a little guidance when making dietary choices. Some of the following items' sugar content may come as a surprise:

How much sugar is in a chocolate bar ?

Snickers bar (52.7 grams) - 6.75 teaspoons of sugar
Milk chocolate bar (44 grams) - 5.75 teaspoons of sugar
Milky Way bar (58 grams) - 8.75 teaspoons of sugar
3 Musketeers bar (60 grams) - 10 teaspoons of sugar
Butterfinger bar (60 grams) - 7 teaspoons of sugar
Dove chocolate bar (40.8 grams) - 5.5 teaspoons of sugar
Hershey's Milk Chocolate bar (43 grams) - 6 teaspoons of sugar
Twix bar (50.7 grams) - 6 teaspoons of sugar
Milk chocolate M&M's packet (47.9 grams) - 7.5 teaspoons of sugar

How much sugar do soft drinks contain?

Coca-Cola (one can) - 8.25 teaspoons of sugar
Pepsi cola (one can) - 8.75 teaspoons of sugar
Red Bull (one can) - 6.9 teaspoons of sugar
Sprite (one can) - 8.25 teaspoons of sugar
Mountain Dew (one can) - 11.5 teaspoons of sugar

A study published in Circulation, the journal of the American Heart Association, identified a link between drinking more than one soft drink a day and increased risk of developing heart disease and diabetes.

How much sugar is in your breakfast cereal?
*(per 100 grams)

Corn Flakes - 2.4 teaspoons of sugar
Cocoa Krispies - 9.75 teaspoons of sugar
Froot Loops - 10.5 teaspoons of sugar
Raisin Bran - 7.75 teaspoons of sugar
Frosted Flakes - 8.75 teaspoons of sugar
Honey Smacks - 14 teaspoons of sugar
Rice Krispies - 2.5 teaspoons of sugar
Special K - 3 teaspoons of sugar
Wheaties - 3.75 teaspoons of sugar
Trix - 8 teaspoons of sugar

Rice Chex - 2 teaspoons of sugar
Wheat Chex - 2.5 teaspoons of sugar
Corn Chex - 2.75 teaspoons of sugar
Honey Nut Cheerios - 8.25 teaspoons of sugar
Reese's Puffs - 8.75 teaspoons of sugar
Golden Grahams - 8.75 teaspoons of sugar
Cocoa Puffs - 9.25 teaspoons of sugar
Cookie Crisp - 8.75 teaspoons of sugar
Shredded Wheat - 0.1 teaspoons of sugar
Cocoa Pebbles - 9 teaspoons of sugar
Banana Nut Crunch - 4.5 teaspoons of sugar.

In June 2012, researchers from Yale Rudd Center for Food Policy & Obesity revealed that even though cereals aimed at kids had become more nutritious, cereal companies (such as Kellogg, General Mills, and Post) had increased their advertising spending considerably. Cereal advertising aimed at children increased by 34 percent between 2008 and 2011.

How much sugar does fruit contain?

Fruits contain a type of sugar called fructose. Fresh fruit has no "added sugar," but as you can see below, their levels of sugar range from 1 teaspoon per 100 grams in cranberries to 4 teaspoons in grapes.

*per 100 grams
Mangos - 3.2 teaspoons of sugar
Bananas - 3 teaspoons of sugar
Apples - 2.6 teaspoons of sugar
Pineapples - 2.5 teaspoons of sugar
Grapes - 4 teaspoons of sugar
Lemons - 0.6 teaspoons of sugar
Kiwi fruit - 2.3 teaspoons of sugar
Apricots - 2.3 teaspoons of sugar
Strawberries - 1.3 teaspoons of sugar
Raspberries - 1 teaspoon of sugar
Blueberries - 1.7 teaspoons of sugar
Cranberries - 1 teaspoons of sugar
Tomatoes - 0.7 teaspoons of sugar.

How much sugar do cakes and desserts contain?

Banoffee pie (1 medium portion) - 4.25 teaspoons of sugar
Carrot cake (1 medium slice) - 3 teaspoons of sugar
Custard (1 medium portion) - 3.25 teaspoons of sugar
Chocolate mousse (1 medium portion) - 3 teaspoons of sugar
Donut (1 jam doughnut) - 3.5 teaspoons of sugar
Fruit pie (1 medium portion) - 3.5 teaspoons of sugar
Fruitcake (1 medium slice) - 5 teaspoons of sugar
Muffin (one chocolate chip muffin) - 4.75 teaspoons of sugar
Ice cream (1 scoop) - 3 teaspoons of sugar
Rice pudding (1 portion) - 3.75 teaspoons of sugar
Sponge cake (1 medium slice) - 5.5 teaspoons of sugar
Swiss roll (1 roll) - 2.5 teaspoons of sugar.

Why should I monitor my sugar intake ?

The American Heart Association has urged people to cut their added sugar intake because of evidence that it can cause the following health conditions:

1. Obesity - scientists at the Medical Research Council found that eating more sugar is associated with obesity.

2. Heart disease - research published in JAMA Internal Medicine investigated sugar intake and cardiovascular disease related deaths.

They concluded that: "Most U.S. adults consume more added sugar than is recommended for a healthy diet. We observed a significant relationship between added sugar consumption and increased risk for CVD [cardiovascular disease] mortality."

3. Type 2 diabetes - although sugar does not directly cause diabetes, individuals who consume more sugar than average are more likely to be overweight, which is a risk factor for type 2 diabetes.

Facts!!!

1. With high sugar content, chocolate should always be viewed as an occasional treat.

2. Soft drinks often contain a high amount of sugar.

3. Froot Loops are said to contain 105 times more sugar than Shredded Wheat.

4. Bananas contain approximately 3 teaspoons of sugar (fructose).

5. A medium slice of carrot cake contains approximately 3 teaspoons of sugar

Written by Joseph Nordqvist
Reviewed by University of Illinois-Chicago, School of Medicine
Last updated: Tue 22 Nov 2016.

SOURCE: Medical News Centre (MNT)