Many consumers take pride in avoiding the frosted baked goods at the supermarket and instead opting for “all-natural” muesli, packed with extra protein. The same goes for low-fat yogurts “made with real fruit,” “organic” plant milks and bottled “superfood” smoothies.
Shoppers beware: Healthy grocery store buzzwords are often hidden unhealthy amount of sugar.
Added sugar they are difficult to detect quickly because many companies use clever marketing to distract consumers, said Nicole Avena, a professor of neurobiology and psychiatry at Mount Sinai School of Medicine and Princeton University who has studied added sugars.
Avena noted that while some health-focused brands are aware that people are becoming aware of the dangers of added sugar, “a lot of the bigger brands aren't as concerned about people's health.”
Here's how to spot hidden sugar and what to do about it.
Along with saturated fat and salt, consuming excess sugar is associated with heart disease, obesity, diabetes and other health risks.
The average American consumes 17 grams of added sugar per day, totaling 57 pounds (26 kilograms) per year. according to the American Heart Association. About half of this comes from drinks, but much of the rest ends up in cereals, salsas, prepared sandwiches, dairy products, bottled sauces and baked goods, including many brands of whole-wheat bread.
To control your sugar intake, start by checking the nutrition label. As of 2021, food companies are required to list the amount of added sugar separately from the total sugar content. But the plan backfired, Avena said.
The companies have reduced common sweeteners such as refined beet sugar and high fructose corn syrup, but added alternatives such as monk fruit and the sugar alcohol erythritol, which are not considered “added sugars” under FDA regulations.
“Our food is now even sweeter than it was in 2020,” Avena said.
Collin Popp, a nutritionist and professor at NYU Langone Health, said current FDA guidelines allow for some flexibility. People should get no more than 10% of their calories from added sugar, which is about 50 grams per day based on a 2,000-calorie intake, or slightly more than a regular can of soda.
But that may be too flexible, Popp said.
“I would actually like to see it be less than 5%, and for some people with diabetes or prediabetes, closer to zero,” he said.
The key is to be careful what you eateven if the product seems healthy or if the package says “organic,” Popp said. For example, roasted nuts, plant-based milks, and wasabi peas can contain surprising amounts of added sugar. The same can be said for English muffins and Greek yogurt.
For example, one Chobani black cherry yogurt contains zero grams of fat but 9 grams of added sugar, or more than 2 teaspoons. Silk brand almond milk contains 7 grams per cup.
Popp recommends controlling the amount of sugar you eat. This might mean buying plain yogurt with added honey or berries, or asking the barista if you can add your own oat milk to your coffee.
Although they reduce the calorie content of foods, artificial sweeteners Foods like stevia and sugar alcohols may not be better because they can encourage people to overeat, Avena said. She said research shows that sweet tastes activate the brain's reward center, not the sugar itself.
This does not mean that sugar alternatives, including allulose, are for people with type 1 diabetes, as it does not affect blood sugar levels.
But for the general public, minimizing dependence on the overall sweetness of foods is key to better health, she said.
“Don't let food companies decide how much sugar you eat,” Avena said.
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Albert Stumm writes about food, travel and health. Find his work on www.albertstumm.com.
