Medical Advice On Foods That Are High In Sugar To Avoid Eating In Excess: An excessive intake of sugar and sugary foods and drinks has been related to numerous health problems, including obesity, coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and cancer. This has led to an increase in the number of people interested in reducing their sugar intake, but it’s simple to be deceived about how much sugar you actually consume.
The reason for this is that sugar is present in surprising quantities in a wide variety of foods. In light of the recommended daily intakes (RDIs) of 6 teaspoons (25 grammes) for women and 9 teaspoons (37.5 grammes) for men, the vast majority of people regularly consume more sugar than is healthy. Thus, it is helpful to be aware of some foods that can include more sugar than you realised, so that you can restrict your consumption of them.
Given below are medical advice on foods that are high in sugar to avoid eating in excess.
Low-fat yoghurt.
While yoghurts as a category enjoy a generally positive reputation for both taste and healthfulness, not all yoghurts are created equal. Low-fat yoghurts may have more sugar added to them than full-fat varieties, so be cautious. The high amounts of sugar that are often added to improve their flavour means that one cup (245 g) of them may contain more than 45 g of sugar, which is roughly 11 teaspoons.
As a comparison, the RDI for men is 37.5 g (9 teaspoons) while RDI for women is 25 g (around 6 teaspoons) (6 teaspoons). As an added downside, low-fat yoghurt is not nearly as healthy as its full-fat counterpart. As a result, you should seek out yoghurts with the least amount of added sugar.
There is widespread agreement that our barbecue sauce is what truly makes our meats shine. However, the flavor-boosting effects of barbecue sauce are nullified by an abundance of sugar. Two tablespoons (28 grammes) of barbecue sauce, for instance, contain more than two teaspoons’ worth of sugar. Keep in mind that sugar accounts for about 33% of the weight of BBQ sauce, so moderation is key.
Ketchup
Ketchup, another food item that seems to be low in sugar, is actually quite high in sugar. One of the most consumed condiments in the world, it is widely recognised for enhancing the flavour of a wide variety of meals, especially potato chips. Yet, similar to barbecue sauce, it is generally accepted that 1 tablespoon of ketchup contains about 1 teaspoon of sugar.
Fruit juice
In the same way that the fruit itself is an excellent source of many different vitamins and minerals, so too is fruit juice. However, it has been suggested that you limit your consumption to fruit juices that explicitly state that they are “100% fruit juice.” Because sugar-sweetened varieties typically contain a lot of sugar and hardly any fibre.
Many people believe that sugar-sweetened fruit juice contains as much sugar as a sugary drink, and that it may cause the same health issues as sugary soda. Choose a beverage made entirely of fruit juice if you’re unable to eat whole fruits.
Sports Drinks
Helen West of Healthline argues that sports drinks are generally a healthy choice for athletes. In reality, however, sports drinks serve no purpose other than to keep trained athletes hydrated and energised during long, intense exercise. This means they’re loaded with sugars the body can use right away as energy.
A typical 591 ml bottle of a sports drink can contain up to 32.5 g of added sugar and 161 calories, or 9 teaspoons of sugar. This explains why sports drinks are included in the category of sugary drinks: just like other sweetened beverages, they contribute to weight gain. Unless you’re exercising for extremely long or intense periods, water is the only acceptable beverage to consume during the process.
Breakfast cereal
It’s no surprise that breakfast cereal is a global favourite. As a result of how quickly and easily they can be made, they are very popular. To a large extent, the amount of sugar you consume each day may depend on the brand of breakfast cereal you eat on a regular basis. Some breakfast cereals have as much as 12 grammes of added sugar, the equivalent of 3 teaspoons.
Canned fruit
Cans of fruit, after being peeled, are preserved in a sugary syrup, so even though fruits already contain some sugar, you’ll be getting more of it than in the fresh version. When you remove the peel, the fruit loses a lot of its fibre and turns into a sugary snack that doesn’t do much for your health. The canning process also destroys heat-sensitive nutrients like vitamin C. Thus, it is recommended that you consume fruits in their whole, unaltered form.
Chocolate milk
Chocolate milk is flavoured milk that typically contains cocoa powder and sugar. The protein and calcium in milk are two of the many reasons it’s considered a healthy drink. However, it is estimated that a serving of chocolate milk (roughly 250 grammes) has close to 12 extra grammes of sugar (2.9 teaspoons).
