How Much Refined Sugar to Eat?

Refined Sugar is Bad for Glycemic Control

Refined sugar may improve the taste and palatability of food, but it is not essential to life, so there is no recommended daily allowance (RDA). Furthermore, refined sugar impacts directly on blood-glucose levels, and, when consumed to excess, may affect energy metabolism and insulin sensitivity.

Some Refined Sugar May Assist Healthy Diet-Compliance

However, given the current obesity epidemic, and the need to eat healthier food with fewer calories, sugar may have an important indirect health benefit. Because there is strong evidence to suggest that weight loss diets that contain very small amounts of sugar have low rates of diet-compliance. In simple terms, by overly restricting sugar-intake we may make healthy eating more difficult. See also: Artificial Sweeteners

Guidelines for Refined Sugar Consumption

Official US Guidelines advise a maximum of 40g refined sugar for every 2000 calories consumed. This equates to 8 percent of calories. This translates to a maximum of 32 grams of sugar per day, when following a 1600 calorie diet plan.

Sources of Refined Sugar

Less than half our daily refined-sugar intake comes from table sugar. Much of our daily sugar is "invisible" as it comes from a wide range of processed foods (eg. soft drinks, sodas, sweets, candy, breakfast cereals). So read food labels and choose lower-sugar brands. See also: Alcohol Intake in Diet

Reduce Your Sugar Intake Gradually

If you want to lose weight and adopt healthier eating habits, don't suddenly give up sugar. Instead, gradually reduce your sugar consumption. Why? Because reducing sugar-intake too low, too fast, can cause the build-up of a serious sugar-craving which can trigger episodes of binge-eating. So, when reducing your consumption of refined sugar, it's often a good idea to eat plenty of fresh fruit, containing natural sugars.

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