The Way We Think About Sugar Is Going To Change

BrainStuff - HowStuffWorks
22 Nov 201606:41
EducationalLearning
32 Likes 10 Comments

TLDRThe video script discusses the importance of understanding sugar consumption and its impact on health. It highlights that while natural sugars found in fruits, vegetables, and dairy are used by the body for energy, 'added sugars' can be harmful as they provide calories without additional nutrients. The FDA recommends limiting added sugar intake to no more than 10% of daily calories, which is about 50 grams for adults. The World Health Organization suggests an even stricter limit of 5% daily calories from added sugars. The script also reveals the sugar industry's historical manipulation of research to downplay the role of sugar in heart disease, which has influenced dietary guidelines. It concludes by advising viewers to check nutrition labels and opt for fresh ingredients to control sugar intake, and notes that new nutrition labels with added sugar percentages will be required by July 2018 for manufacturers with annual food sales over $10 million.

Takeaways
  • 🍬 The FDA added a new line for 'added sugars' to the nutrition facts label, including a percent daily value, to reflect new scientific information.
  • 📊 Consuming too much sugar can be harmful as it provides calories without additional nutrients and can lead to health issues like obesity and diabetes.
  • 🚫 The FDA recommends limiting added sugar intake to no more than 10% of a person’s total daily calories, which is about 50 grams or 12.5 teaspoons for adults.
  • 🌍 The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends an even stricter limit of 5% of daily calories from added sugars, which equates to about 25 grams or 6 teaspoons per day.
  • 🇺🇸 The average American adult consumes 75 grams of added sugar per day, which is significantly higher than the recommended limits.
  • 🍰 Added sugars are often hidden under various names such as glucose, fructose, maltose, dextrose, and others, making it difficult for consumers to identify them.
  • 🔍 The updated nutrition label aims to make it easier for consumers to understand the amount of added sugar in their food without needing specialized knowledge.
  • 📉 American soda consumption has been decreasing over the past 15 years, but added sugars are still prevalent in many other food and drink items.
  • ⏳ Manufacturers have until July 2018 to comply with the new nutrition label requirements, with smaller manufacturers given an additional year.
  • 📚 Historically, the sugar industry has sponsored research that downplayed the role of sugar in heart disease and instead focused on fats, which influenced dietary guidelines.
  • 🍽️ To reduce added sugar intake, consider buying fresh ingredients and cooking at home to have full control over the ingredients used.
Q & A
  • How much sugar is contained in a can of Cherry Coke?

    -A can of Cherry Coke contains 42 grams of sugar.

  • What is the amount of sugar in a can of Mountain Dew?

    -A can of Mountain Dew contains 46 grams of sugar.

  • Why did the FDA introduce an updated nutrition facts label in 2016?

    -The FDA introduced an updated nutrition facts label in 2016 to reflect new scientific information, which included updated serving sizes and the addition of a new line for 'added sugars' with a percent daily value.

  • What is the FDA's recommendation for daily added sugar intake as a percentage of total daily calories?

    -The FDA recommends limiting added sugar intake to no more than 10% of a person’s total daily calories.

  • What is the World Health Organization's recommendation for daily added sugar intake in grams?

    -The World Health Organization recommends an intake of no more than 25 grams, or 6 teaspoons, of added sugar per day.

  • What is the average amount of added sugar consumed by an American adult per day?

    -The average American adult consumes 75 grams of added sugar per day.

  • Why can added sugars be harmful according to the food science expert?

    -Added sugars can be harmful because they are not needed, they dilute the nutritional quality of the products they are added to, and they provide calories without offering any additional nutrients.

  • What are some of the other names for sugar that can be found on food labels?

    -Other names for sugar on food labels include glucose, fructose, maltose, dextrose, cane juice, cane syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, corn sweetener, molasses, malt syrup, invert sugar, and fruit juice concentrates.

  • Why did the sugar industry sponsored research that downplayed the role of sugar in heart disease?

    -The sugar industry sponsored research to protect its market share and to direct attention away from the evidence linking sugar consumption to heart disease and towards research that singled out fat as the dietary cause of heart disease.

  • What was the original purpose of the Sugar Research Foundation?

    -The Sugar Research Foundation was founded to communicate and support sugar’s dietary role to the public and to protect sales, which later evolved into what is currently called The Sugar Association.

  • What is the new deadline for manufacturers to comply with the updated nutrition facts label?

    -Manufacturers have until July of 2018 to comply with the changes to the nutrition facts label, with an additional year for those making less than $10 million a year in annual food sales.

  • What is a simple solution to avoid added sugars in one's diet?

    -A simple solution to avoid added sugars is to avoid prepackaged foods, buy fresh ingredients, and cook them yourself, which allows for knowing exactly what is going into the food being consumed.

Outlines
00:00
🍬 Sugar Intake and Its Impact on Health

This paragraph discusses the high sugar content in popular beverages like Cherry Coke and Mountain Dew, and the absence of a daily percentage value for sugar on nutrition labels. It highlights the FDA's introduction of an updated nutrition facts label in 2016, which includes a new line for 'added sugars' and a percent daily value. The paragraph explains the FDA's definition of 'added sugars' and the potential harm they can cause by providing calories without additional nutrients. The FDA recommends limiting added sugar intake to 10% of a person's daily calories, while the World Health Organization suggests an even lower intake of 5%. The average American adult consumes 75 grams of added sugar per day, which is significantly higher than the recommended amounts. The paragraph also touches on the sources of added sugar, which are often disguised under various names, and the reasons behind the FDA's decision to update the nutrition label to increase consumer awareness.

05:03
📉 The History of Sugar and Heart Disease Research

The second paragraph delves into the historical context of sugar consumption and its relation to coronary heart disease. It describes how the sugar industry, through the Sugar Research Foundation, sponsored research that emphasized the role of fat in heart disease while downplaying the effects of sugar. This manipulation led to a focus on low-fat diets, which often replaced fat with sugar, contributing to the current health issues. The paragraph also mentions the Sugar Association's acknowledgment of the need for greater transparency in research activities. Despite the historical manipulation, the debate on the direct contribution of added sugar to coronary heart disease continues. The paragraph concludes with advice on checking food labels for sugar content and suggests cooking with fresh ingredients to control sugar intake. It also notes the timeline for manufacturers to comply with the new nutrition facts label regulations.

Mindmap
Keywords
💡Added Sugars
Added sugars are sugars and syrups added to foods during processing, preparation, or at the table, not including natural sugars such as those found in fruits and milk. They are a focus of the video as they are linked to health concerns. For example, the script mentions '42 grams of sugar in a Cherry Coke' and '46 grams in a can of Mountain Dew,' highlighting the high amounts of added sugars in these beverages.
💡Percent Daily Value (%DV)
The percent daily value is a term used on nutrition labels to indicate the percentage of the daily dietary intake of a particular nutrient that a serving of food will provide. It is important in the context of the video because the updated nutrition facts label includes a %DV for added sugars, which helps consumers understand the health implications of their sugar consumption.
💡Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
The FDA is a government agency responsible for protecting public health by ensuring the safety, efficacy, and security of drugs, medical devices, and foods. In the video, the FDA is mentioned for its role in updating the nutrition facts label to include information on added sugars and their %DV, reflecting new scientific information.
💡Carbohydrates
Carbohydrates are a macronutrient that provides energy to the body and includes sugars, both natural and added. The video discusses how sugars, whether natural or added, are a type of carbohydrate that the body uses for energy. However, the concern is with added sugars, which do not provide additional nutrients beyond calories.
💡Nutritional Quality
Nutritional quality refers to the nutritional value of food, taking into account its balance of essential nutrients, vitamins, and minerals. The video explains that added sugars dilute the nutritional quality of food because they contribute calories without providing additional nutrients.
💡Daily Caloric Intake
Daily caloric intake is the total amount of food energy a person consumes in a day. The FDA recommends that added sugar intake should be limited to no more than 10% of a person's total daily calories. This is a key recommendation that the video uses to discuss the limits on sugar consumption for health reasons.
💡World Health Organization (WHO)
The WHO is an international organization that works to improve global health. In the video, the WHO is mentioned for its recommendation that added sugar intake should be even lower than the FDA's guidelines, suggesting just 5% of a person's daily calories.
💡Average American Adult
The term refers to a typical adult living in the United States. The video uses the average American adult's consumption habits as a reference point, noting that they consume 75 grams of added sugar per day, which is significantly higher than the recommended amounts.
💡Sugar Industry
The sugar industry encompasses companies and organizations involved in the production and sale of sugar. The video discusses the historical manipulation by the sugar industry, which sponsored research to downplay the role of sugar in heart disease and instead focus on fats.
💡Sugar Research Foundation
The Sugar Research Foundation is an organization funded by the U.S. sugar industry with the aim of promoting sugar's dietary role to the public. The video highlights its role in influencing research and public opinion regarding the health effects of sugar.
💡Dietary Guidelines for Americans
These are a set of nutritional guidelines for Americans issued by the United States Department of Agriculture and the Department of Health and Human Services. The video mentions that the first guidelines, published in 1980, emphasized reducing fat intake while only linking sugar to tooth decay, reflecting the influence of the sugar industry at the time.
💡Prepackaged Foods
Prepackaged foods are those that are packaged and sold ready for consumption, often containing high levels of added sugars. The video suggests avoiding prepackaged foods as a way to control sugar intake, advocating for buying fresh ingredients and cooking at home instead.
Highlights

42 grams of sugar are found in a Cherry Coke and 46 grams in a can of Mountain Dew.

The lack of a percent daily value for sugar on nutrition labels has been a concern for consumers.

On May 20th, 2016, the FDA introduced an updated nutrition facts label with a new line for 'added sugars' and a percent daily value.

The FDA defines 'added sugars' as those added during processing, from syrups and honey, and excess sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices.

Added sugars are not needed and dilute the nutritional quality of products, providing calories without additional nutrients.

The FDA recommends limiting added sugar intake to no more than 10% of a person’s total daily calories, which is about 50 grams for adults.

The World Health Organization recommends an even stricter limit of 5% of daily calories from added sugars, which equates to about 25 grams per day.

The average American adult consumes 75 grams of added sugar per day, which is significantly higher than the recommended limits.

Added sugar can be found in a wide variety of products, often listed under different names such as glucose, fructose, maltose, and others.

Manufacturers list added sugars under various names to make it seem like there is less sugar in a product.

The updated nutrition label aims to make consumers more aware of the amount of added sugar in their food.

High sugar intake has been linked to a higher risk for obesity, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other health issues.

In the 1960s, the sugar industry sponsored research that downplayed the role of sugar in heart disease and instead focused on fat as the primary dietary cause.

The Sugar Research Foundation, later known as The Sugar Association, was created to protect sugar sales and manipulate research findings.

The U.S. government's 1980 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommended avoiding too much fat but only mentioned limiting sugar intake to prevent tooth decay.

The Sugar Association acknowledged the need for greater transparency in past research activities but did not excuse the industry's actions.

Despite past manipulations, the link between added sugar and coronary heart disease remains a topic of debate.

To reduce added sugar intake, consumers are advised to check food labels, know the contents, and avoid prepackaged foods where possible.

Manufacturers have until July 2018 to comply with the new nutrition label changes, with a one-year extension for those making less than $10 million a year in food sales.

Transcripts
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