You will be surprised to know the truth that you are eating too much sugar every day.

1. Health effects of consuming too much sugar

Research has shown that eating too much sugar can have negative health effects such as increasing the risk of obesity, metabolic disorders, diabetes, depression, gout, heart disease and some cancers...

Eating foods high in sugar such as cakes, candies, sugary drinks, carbonated soft drinks, processed foods, etc. can cause imbalances and nutritional deficiencies. Foods high in sugar quickly increase the calorie content of the diet because they trick the feeling of fullness.

Foods high in sugar are harmful to health.

In fact, consumption of sugary foods and drinks is considered very harmful to health and is a major cause of obesity, especially in children.

Obese children are at increased risk of high blood pressure and high blood cholesterol, both of which are risk factors for future heart disease.

Obese children are also at higher risk of developing type 2 diabetes than normal children. They are also more likely to have respiratory problems such as sleep apnea, asthma, joint problems, fatty liver, etc.

There is a link between being overweight or obese and type 2 diabetes. Over time, consuming too many foods and drinks high in sugar can lead to weight gain and obesity. And obesity can increase the risk of type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is also a major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, another condition with serious long-term effects.

Consuming too many sugary drinks also reduces the absorption of important nutrients such as calcium and vitamins. Not only that, they also deplete vitamins from the body during digestion, such as B vitamins involved in glucose metabolism.

2. Many people are eating too much sugar without knowing it.

We all know that sweets such as cakes, cookies, candies, jams, ice cream, soft drinks, etc. are sources of sugar. Usually, people often pay attention to the common foods containing sugar as above without paying attention to other products such as sauces, spices, canned fruit juices, yogurt, instant cereals, drinks such as coffee, tea, snacks, etc. can also have added sugar, leading to consuming too much sugar without knowing it.

There are two types of sugar: natural sugar and added sugar. Natural sugar is found in healthy foods such as vegetables, fruits, grains, etc. Added sugar is the main ingredient in cakes, candies, soft drinks, jams, processed foods, etc.

In particular, cakes, candies, and soft drinks contain a lot of added sugar. Sugar can also be hidden in seemingly healthy products like yogurt, cereals, sauces, etc. Drinks containing added sugar include:

Regular soda, sports drinks, flavored water, canned juice, sweet tea, instant coffee…

Be careful to read food labels to detect added sugar.

3. How much sugar should you eat per day?

According to the recommendations of the World Health Organization (WHO), in each person's daily diet, free sugar should only account for no more than 10% of energy and should be reduced to less than 5% of energy in a day to protect health. Equivalent to less than 25-50g of free sugar per day for adults and less than 12-25g of sugar per day for children.

The American Heart Association also recommends that children aged 2 to 18 years limit their added sugar intake to less than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) per day, or less than 5% of total energy intake, and that sugary drinks should be limited to no more than 8 ounces (235 ml) per week. Children under 2 years of age should not consume any foods or drinks with added sugar.

Therefore, when choosing food for children, we need to pay attention to reading food labels to detect the amount of added sugar. It is best to choose pure foods such as: unsweetened milk, pure yogurt, purified water, unsweetened sauces, fresh fruit... to eliminate excess sugar that is not good for health./.