How much sugar you can consume? Read to find details

HYDERABAD: Sugar and sweets have long been a part of Indian culture, traditions, and religious practices. In India, it is difficult to imagine a festival without the consumption of sweets.

'Chalo Kuch Ho Jaye' is the first thing we hear at every celebration, as it is customary to sweeten the mouth after every meal, joyous occasion, religious festival, social gathering, etc.

However, sugar consumption has increased even more with the rise of junk food, restaurant dining, café culture, and exclusive pâtisserie in metro cities. The 24/7 work culture, combined with increased sugar consumption, is generating insulin resistance, abdominal obesity, hepatic steatosis, type 2 diabetes, and an epidemic of cardiovascular disease.

Experts and physicians have repeatedly exhorted the public to reduce sugar consumption and exercise more. Even though many people are aware and make an effort to reduce the amount of sugar in their diet, many are unaware of how much sugar is good for us, leading to high sugar consumption in our daily lives.

Knowing how much sugar is too much is crucial to reducing sugar consumption, so we have compiled a list of sugar consumption limits per day.

Check out the recommended sugar intake

• Sugar added to meals or beverages, as well as natural sugars in honey, syrups, and unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies, and purees, should not exceed 5% of daily energy (calories).
• Adults should not consume more than 30 g of free sugar per day (about 7 sugar cubes).
• Children between the ages of 7 and 10 should consume no more than 24 g of free sugar per day (6 sugar cubes).
• Children between 4 and 6 years of age should not consume more than 19 g of free sugar per day (5 sugar cubes).
• Sweets, cakes, cookies, chocolate, and some carbonated drinks and juice drinks contain free sugar. We should avoid these sweet foods.
• A can of cola, for example, can contain up to 9 sugar cubes, which is more than the recommended daily amount for humans.
• Sugar is naturally present in foods such as fruits, vegetables, and milk, but we do not need to limit our intake of these sugars.
• Obesity, type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, fatty liver disease, heart attack, stroke, cancer, dementia, and death are all associated with excessive sugar consumption. (Ref: NHS, UK)

American Heart Association (AHA) sugar recommendations

Men: Men should limit their daily intake of added sugar to no more than nine tablespoons (36 grammes or 150 calories).

Women: Women should consume six tablespoons (25 grammes, or 100 calories) per day. One 12-ounce can of soda includes 32 grammes of added sugar, which is your entire day's intake.

Reducing sugar consumption and increasing physical activity can help prevent a variety of lifestyle ailments, says Dr. Sudhir Kumar, a neurologist

Dr. Sudhir Kumar, Senior Neurologist at Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad, said, "Since consumption of more sugar than recommended is associated with obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, fatty liver disease, heart attack, stroke, cancer, dementia, and death, Sugar, a chemical known to release opioids and dopamine, can be addictive like alcohol and other addictive substances, so giving up sugar requires a lot of willpower.

"It's better to avoid sweets and desserts in the first place to reduce sugar consumption, which requires a lot of willpower and knowledge of the dangerous side effects of sugar consumption. It's advisable to skip the first bite of sweets, pastries, and chocolate because it's difficult to stop with just one bite. We need to reduce sugar consumption gradually to reduce sugar content, and giving it up is the best option because some people cannot control it," Dr. Sudhir said.

Celebrities who endorse desserts, chocolates, and beverages do not consume them since they are health-conscious

Dr. Sudhir added, "People should also avoid cold drinks, which are the second-most dangerous substance after alcohol and very addictive as well. In fact, a can of cola, for example, can contain up to 9 sugar cubes, which is more than the recommended daily amount for humans. Packed fruit juices should also be avoided to cut down on sugar, and it's always better to consume whole fruits than drink fruit juices. We should also understand that the celebrities who endorse chocolates, desserts, fruit drinks, and cold drinks hardly consume any since they are extremely careful about their health.

"We should indulge and cultivate a healthy food culture by avoiding cutting cakes and consuming high-calorie sweets on every occasion and instead opting for healthy alternatives. Reducing sugar consumption and boosting physical activity can help us minimise sugar cravings, and increased physical activity, in general, reduces food and sugar cravings. I'm a runner, and that helped me control my food and sugar cravings. Hence, I recommend it to everyone," he added.