We have always been bought up to believe fruit is good for us – well it is – to a point but too much can be acidic to the teeth and is well reported by dentists to potentially strip away tooth enamel when eaten in excess but another more sinister link has been made. High fructose corn syrup a sweetener that is becoming more popular with manufacturer’s has been linked with fatty liver disease and now a study shows that it is linked to 180,000 deaths worldwide.
While the connection between excess sugar and chronic disease is well-known, the latest research is the first to quantify deaths correlated with sugared drinks worldwide.
Scientists analyzed data from the 2010 Global Burden of Diseases Study and recorded how much sugar-sweetened beverages people drank, dividing up the data by age and sex. Then, they figured out how the various amount corresponded to obesity rates.
Lastly, they calculated how much obesity affected diabetes, heart disease and certain cancers and determined the mortality rates from these diseases, ending up with the number of deaths that could be attributed to consuming sugary beverages by age and sex.”
How much sugar is ok?
Well the less the better really as it has so many far reaching effects – the study found it was linked to diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
In 2001 to 2004, the usual intake of added sugars for Americans was 22.2 teaspoons per day (355 calories per day). Between 1970 and 2005, average annual availability of sugars/added sugars increased by 19%, which added 76 calories to Americans’ average daily energy intake. Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the primary source of added sugars in Americans’ diets. Excessive consumption of sugars has been linked with several metabolic abnormalities and adverse health conditions, as well as shortfalls of essential nutrients…
The American Heart Association recommends reductions in the intake of added sugars. A prudent upper limit of intake is half of the discretionary calorie allowance, which for most American women is no more than 100 calories per day and for most American men is no more than 150 calories per day from added sugars.”
Although these statistics are for Americans we also consume far too much of the white stuff in the UK. Have a look at this great chart below and you will probably find that the hedden sources you are consuming are quickly adding up. It may well be time for you to do something about it – and quick…
