Africa-Press – Seychelles. Consuming too much sugar can lead to an array of health issues such as unhealthy weight gain, increased risk of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, tooth decay and even some cancers.
According to experts, children should consume only six teaspoons of sugar daily, while the recommended amount for adults is nine. Despite these guidelines, many of us unknowingly consume more than double these amounts daily with the drinks and snacks we choose.
“Hidden sugars are often sneaky and can add up quickly throughout the day without us even realising it,” explains Mbali Mapholi, Laager Rooibos partner dietitian.
“Many snacks and drinks that aren’t noticeably sweet still contain sugar, meaning that many of us may be consuming a lot more sugar than we realise, which can significantly impact our health over time.”
An alarming study by Wits University revealed that South Africans consume significantly more sugar than recommended, with an estimated 12 to 24 teaspoons daily, of which four to eight teaspoons come from sugar-sweetened beverages.
This exceeds the World Health Organisation’s (WHO) recommended daily limit of six teaspoons.
Know your sugars
While nutritional information labels are required to detail how much sugar a product contains, most labels do not separate the amounts of naturally occurring sugar from added sugar.
This is where knowing the various names of sugar becomes essential.
To identify added sugars, look at the ingredients list. Some significant clues that an ingredient is an added sugar include:
Other examples of added sugar include fruit nectars, juice concentrates, honey, agave and molasses.
Avoiding hidden sugar
To avoid these hidden sugar as much as possible, Mapholi says it’s essential to:
Which drinks and snacks have hidden sugars?
Mapholi also shares some common examples of food and snacks with high sugar content.
Avoiding overconsumption
To avoid too much sugar, you should be making clear efforts to read food labels, choose healthier drinks and prepare your food yourself, Mapholi advises.
She offers these additional tips:
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