Are you concerned about your sugar intake and what it is doing for your health? I am here to set your mind at ease and provide some guidance from a nutrition expert. Although sugar is often demonized- it does provide energy for your body and is not inherently “bad.” However, there are sources of sugar that provide more for your body than others so focusing on including more of those is a great way to improve your health!
You never need to completely stop eating sugar in your 40s and 50s, but you should always be aware of added sugar and limit it to around 6 teaspoons (24 grams) per day for women and 9 teaspoons for men (36 grams). While I don’t recommend cutting out sugar entirely at any point in your life, high levels of added sugars in a person’s diet have been linked to poor health outcomes such as heart problems, obesity, diabetes, inflammation, and more.
The American Heart Association recommends keeping added sugar intake to 6 teaspoons (24 grams) a day for women and 9 for men (36 grams), which is only equal to about 1.5 to 2 glazed donuts in a day (but don’t forget to count the added sugar you eat hidden in dressings, yogurt, sauces, bread, etc.) but most people are consuming more than that. Rather than trying to cut out sugar entirely, look for ways to just reduce added sugars throughout your day!
Read on for more information about the different kinds of sugar, recommendations for sugar intake, and tips for reducing added sugars in your diet.
Is Sugar Bad for You?
I don’t like to classify foods as “good” and “bad” because in reality, there is a lot of nuance to this aspect of nutrition. While some foods are more “nutrient dense” than others, that still doesn’t mean they are better than other foods or that you are a better person for eating them.
Maybe it sounds weird to hear that from a dietitian… but I promise it is actually a healthy way to think about food! Getting rid of the morality labeling helps you to make nutritious decisions based on your personal needs and wants, rather than basing them on arbitrary food rules.
If sugar feels scary to you, or if you feel guilt and shame for consuming sugar, guess what? That is definitely not healthy! Maybe even less healthy than the sugar- hmmm, interesting.
Now don’t get it twisted, I am not saying you should just eat tons of sugar, but as you focus on listening to and nourishing your body, you will likely discover that you feel better when you eat a certain way and you will want to do that. You also might find that your body just craves some sugar sometimes and that is okay! When you are eating nutrient dense foods most of the time, having a treat here and there or including some added sugars in your meals and snacks isn’t a huge deal.
I’ve found that when individuals try to cut out sugar or avoid treats, they often eat a lot of other foods to make up for it. When craving a cookie you might think a cookie is “bad” and instead you might eat a handful of grapes, 4 crackers, a piece of toast, and 10 almonds when it might have just been better to eat one cookie in the first place!
Sugar is not bad, but eating a lot of sugar is bad for your body. Just like any food, you want to enjoy it in balance and moderation for a healthy diet and a healthy body. Eating too much sugar can cause health problems, but eating an appropriate amount of sugar each day isn’t harmful.
Short term effects of sugar on the body
- Dental cavities
- Weight gain
- Fatigue
- Headaches
- Irritability
- Blood sugar imbalances
- Unhealthy cravings
- Inflammation
- Sleep problems
Long term effects of sugar on the body
- Weight gain
- Diabetes
- High Blood Pressure
- Increased risk of cancer
- Liver disease
- Other health problems
What Exactly Is Sugar Anyway?
Sugar is a form of carbohydrate, your body’s main energy source. Your brain and muscles love sugar and thrive off of having plenty available, especially during times where they are working super hard.
In fact, all carbohydrates (bread, pasta, crackers, fruit, milk, yogurt, rice, etc.) are eventually broken down into simple sugars which then travel through your bloodstream to provide energy to the rest of your body. So does it really even matter what type of carbohydrate you eat? Yep, it still does- and let’s talk about why.
If you were to compare a piece of whole grain bread and a lollipop, they are ultimately both going to provide energy to your body. However, the simple sugars in the lollipop will digest much faster and can cause a larger spike in your blood sugar, while not providing a whole lot of other nutrients for your body. On the other hand, the complexity of the carbohydrates in the whole grain bread make digestion a slower process which helps you feel more satisfied for longer, helps to stabilize your blood sugars, sustains your energy levels for longer, and provides your body with fiber and vitamins and minerals that benefit you in a number of other ways as well.
So think about the why when you are choosing different carbohydrates to consume. When I work with athletes who are needing more carbohydrates in the middle of a workout, they usually don’t want the slower-digesting carbs. They want the simple sugars, like in a sports drink, that quickly get their blood sugar back up and provide them with the energy to keep going.
Another example where simple sugars might be better than complex carbohydrates is in people with diabetes that have a low blood sugar. This can be a super dangerous condition! In order to get their blood sugar back up into an appropriate range quickly, they are often counseled to turn to simple sugars that will digest quickly.
Just remember that it would be inappropriate to just label all sugar as bad. Yes, for most people, reducing sugar intake can be a helpful thing and benefit their health, but remember that there is nuance to all things nutrition and you can nourish your body without just cutting things out of your diet.
What is the Difference Between Natural Sugar and Added Sugar?
Have you ever been told that you should avoid fruit because it has too much sugar? While it does contain sugar, it is a naturally occurring sugar in that food. The biggest difference between natural sugars and added sugars is the “other stuff,” like vitamins, minerals, and fiber that are also found in the food. Fruit is a great example of how a high-sugar food can be super nutrient dense and great for your health!
On the other hand, added sugars do not add anything nutrient-wise to a food except calories and carbs. That doesn’t necessarily make them “bad,” but for the best health outcomes, focus more on natural sugars than added sugars overall.
What are the Recommendations for Sugar Intake?
The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6% of your total calories each day coming from added sugars. For women, this is usually around 6 teaspoons (100 calories) and for men it usually is around 9 teaspoons (150 calories). Those that are burning through more energy each day have more space in their diet for added sugars as long as they are still consuming plenty of nutrient dense foods too.
Athletes often have different nutrient needs than the average person and sugar intake is no different. They may need to have more added sugar foods and drinks before and during a workout to keep them appropriately fueled. However, those sugars are being put to good use!
Examples of Added Sugar Recommendations in a Day:
| 9 teaspoons (36 grams) per day (Men): | 6 teaspoons (24 grams) per day (Women) |
| 1 can of coke (12 oz) | 2/3 can of coke |
| 8 oreo cookies | 5 oreo cookies |
| 2 and 1/2 cups of chocolate milk | 1 and 2/3 cups of chocolate milk |
| 72 m&m candies | 48 m&m candies |
| 2-3 glazed donuts | 2-3 glazed donuts |
Are Artificial Sugars Okay to Eat?
Artificial sugars are another topic that has lots of mixed opinions. While artificial sugars are generally considered safe, I still recommend consuming them in moderation. They are still not a natural compound to your body, so some people may not digest and process them as well since they can affect your gut bacteria. Some artificial sweeteners can also affect your insulin and glucose response.
Additionally, artificial sweeteners can sometimes affect your taste buds. Since artificial sweeteners are so much more sweet than actual sugar, it can sometimes change the way you perceive sweet-tasting things. Interesting, right?
That being said, artificial sweeteners can add flavor and sweetness without additional calories and may be a viable alternative to sugar for some people. I don’t recommend them to most people because the science is not quite confirmed that they are totally healthy, but in very small doses they seem to be.
How Do You Know if a Food Contains Added Sugar?
Remember that added sugars are still carbohydrates, so when looking at the nutrition facts label, there should be a subsection for added sugars underneath total carbohydrates. You can also look at the ingredient list. Any of these ingredients will indicate that there is sugar in the food, but the closer it is to the top of the list, the more of it there is.
Types of Added Sugars:
- Honey
- Agave Nectar
- Cane Sugar
- Coconut Sugar
- Corn Syrup
- Maple Syrup
- High-fructose corn syrup
- Glucose
- Sucrose
- Fructose
- Dextrose
- Molasses
- Cane Crystals
- Corn Sweetener
- Invert Sugar
- Malt Syrup
- Maltose
- Evaporated Cane Juice
- Raw Sugar
Some people think that more natural sugars are healthy and do not count as “added sugar”. Just because you put honey in a recipe instead of sugar doesn’t mean it’s healthy. Your body uses honey the same as sugar, it’s just a little more natural than white table sugar.
Tips for Reducing Sugar Intake?
If you are wanting to cut back on your sugar intake, here are some simple tips that you can try. A little bit of effort can go a long way!
- Look at food labels and compare the sugar content of similar brands so that you can choose a lower sugar option.
- Processed foods are typically going to be higher in sugar. Focus on adding more whole foods into your diet.
- Look for what you can add to what you are already doing! Are you eating enough fruits and veggies? Whole grains? Protein? Eating a balanced diet that provides the nutrients your body needs will usually naturally be lower in added sugars.
- Choose natural peanut butter over highly processed options. This will help decrease your intake of trans fat as well!
- If a recipe calls for sugar, add less than it calls for. This may work better for some recipes than others, especially when it comes to baking.
- Decrease the sugar you are putting in coffee.
- If you add sugar to your oatmeal, try adding cinnamon and some dried fruit for sweetness to cut back on added sugars.
- Choose 100% fruit juice over other sugary beverages.
- A lot of sugar consumption happens at night for a lot of people as a way to unwind for the day. Remember that your body probably doesn’t need a whole lot of carbs (energy) put into the system as you are getting ready to go to bed! Try to pair carbohydrate foods with a really good source of protein at night.
- If you do want to have a treat every now and then, maybe try and push it to earlier in the day when your body can fully take advantage of the sugar and use it for energy.
- Strong sugar cravings often come from not eating properly throughout the day. Be sure to consume enough carbohydrates regularly throughout the day (paired with protein and fat of course).
- Eat mindfully, especially when it comes to sugary treats, so that you can really listen for when your body feels satisfied.
Summary
Is it really realistic to cut out sugar entirely from our diet? Probably not. In fact, sugar isn’t inherently bad. We often just consume too much of it in too large amounts at the inappropriate time!
You don’t have to make crazy changes to your diet to reduce sugar intake. In fact, I think that the small, sustainable changes are the most helpful because you are more likely to stick to them in the long run. I always encourage people to focus on what they can add to their diet, rather than what they need to cut out. If you are properly nourishing your body with lots of nutrient-dense foods during the day, your sugar intake will likely fall into a healthy range too!
Related Posts
- How Many Calories Should a 40-Year Old Woman Eat to Lose Weight? Tips from a Dietitian
- What is Proper Nutrition for Adults?
- How Many Carbs Should a 40 Year Old Woman Eat?
- What Are the Best Foods to Eat For Energy?
- Should I Eat Protein Powder in my 40’s?
References
American Heart Association. Added sugars. Heart.org. Last reviewed November 2, 2021.
Harvard T.H. Chan. Added sugar. Hsph.harvard.edu.