Back to knowledge librarySugar
What is Sugar?
Sugar is a form of carbohydrate. There are different types of sugar found in our diet from a range of sources. Sucrose is the most common type of sugar, which is used for tea and coffee or in baking. Lactose is a natural sugar in milk, and maltose is a natural sugar in cereal grains.
Free sugars are those added to foods or drinks such as biscuits, cakes and fizzy drinks. There are also natural free sugars present in fruit juice, puree, honey and syrups. It is recommended to try to reduce the amount of free sugars consume. The government recommendations for free sugar intake per day are less than 33g for males and less than 27g for females.
Fruits, vegetables, milk and dried fruits (without added sugar) also contain sugar, but this is not considered “free sugar”. Reducing intake of sugar in fruits, vegetables and milk is not essential as it does not count towards “free sugar” intake, but it is included in total sugar values.
What is the role of Sugar?
Sugar, is a form of carbohydrate so is a source of energy for the body. For more information on carbohydrates please see here.
The government recommends a limited intake of free sugars, as sugar can have a negative effect on dental health, calorie intake, and bodyweight. Foods and drinks high in sugar can also be high in calories, so high intakes can lead to weight gain and obesity and a higher risk of heart disease and type 2 diabetes. Due to these potential negative impacts, reducing the intake of food and drinks with free sugars, or limiting consumption to only with meals, is recommended.
Although ensuring sugar intake does not exceed the recommendations helps to contribute to a healthy balanced diet, the natural sources of sugars such as fruit, vegetables and milk are healthy additions to the diet. As with these foods there are other nutrients present such as fibre and micronutrients which are essential for health and wellbeing.
What foods contain Sugar?
Food and drink such as biscuits, chocolate, flavoured yogurts, breakfast cereals and fizzy drinks contain free sugars. Free sugars can be found naturally in honey, syrups (like golden, maple or agave), nectars (like blossom), smoothies, fruit and vegetable juices. Sugars are also naturally found in milk, fruit and vegetables but these are not free sugars.
Further Resources:
- Healthier food swaps – Food facts – Healthier Families – NHS
- Sugar: the facts – NHS
- How to cut down on sugar in your diet – NHS
- Nutrition information to support healthy sustainable diets
References:
British Nutrition Foundation (2023). Sugar. Available at: https://www.nutrition.org.uk/nutritional-information/sugar/ [Accessed 27 Aug 2024].
NIH New in Health (2014). Sweet Stuff: How sugars and sweeteners affect your health. Available at: https://newsinhealth.nih.gov/2014/10/sweet-stuff#:~:text=Our%20bodies%20need%20one%20type,the%20body%2C%E2%80%9D%20says%20Dr [Accessed 27Aug 2024].
Written By:
Lucy Clarkson, SENR Nutritionist and Database Support, myfood24.