Cut Down on Sugar This Halloween

By Stacy SimonFor the past 30 years, Americans have been sweetening their diets with more and more sugar. These days, we each consume an average 20 teaspoons of sugar a day – most of it from soda and other soft drinks, candy, desserts, and sweetened dairy products – according to the American Heart Association (AHA).The AHA recommends no more than 5 teaspoons of sugar a day for women and 9 for men on average. Children under age 2 should have no food or drinks sweetened with sugar. Children and teens up to 18 should be limited to 6 teaspoons of added sugars per day and limited to no more than 8 ounces per week of drinks sweetened with sugar. That means just one 12-ounce soda, which contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar, is too much.All this sugar adds extra calories to our bodies without contributing any nutrients. Calories can lead to extra weight and even obesity, which increases the risks for serious health problems including cancer, heart disease, and diabetes.What about natural sugars?Fruits and vegetables and other foods that are part of a nutritious diet naturally contain sugar. This type of sugar is different from the sugars that are added to food to make it taste better.So-called “natural” sweeteners – including fruit juice, nectars, honey, molasses, and maple syrup – are sometimes marketed as healthier than refined white sugar or corn syrup. But the truth is there is no health advantage to consuming added sugar of any type. Whether i...
Source: American Cancer Society :: News and Features - Category: Cancer & Oncology Tags: Diet/Exercise/Weight Source Type: news