SHOULD YOU BE EATING THAT, IT’S FULL OF SUGAR?
Honey is classified as a free sugar by the World Health Organisation:
“Free sugars include monosaccharides and disaccharides added to foods
and beverages by the manufacturer, cook or consumer, and sugars
naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice
concentrates.
This is because, like all available carbohydrates (sugars and starches), honey provides a fuel for bacteria in our mouths
that may cause tooth decay. Also, while it provides small amounts of
the minerals potassium, calcium and magnesium, honey is more energy
dense than table sugar (sucrose), providing 94 kilojoules (23 Calories)
in a level teaspoon compared to table sugars 67 kilojoules (16
Calories). So, despite popular perception, the typical honey that you
will find in your local supermarket is not really any better than table
sugar from a human nutrition perspective anyway. However, it does have a
unique flavour and texture that makes it ideal for use in a range of
delicious recipes.
It’s important to remember that the
WHO Guidelines recommend that we consume less than 10% of energy from
free sugars each day. They do not say that we need to completely avoid
all free sugars, or foods and drinks that contain free sugars. For a
typical adult consuming 8,700 kJ (2,080 Calories) each day, 10% of
energy from free sugars is less than 54g of free sugars, or
approximately 13 level teaspoons a day. It’s important to note that
these guidelines are for the total day’s food and drink intake – not for
individual foods or beverages. Evidence-based guidelines for individual
foods or drinks are yet to be developed.
There is no
need to obsess over every gram of sugars in foods or drinks to achieve
the WHO recommendation – focus on the major dietary sources instead.
Simply saving sugar sweetened drinks ((soft drinks such as soda pop or
fizzy drink), cordials, energy and sports drinks), cakes (including
muffins, scones and cake-type desserts) and confectionery (lollies,
sweets or candy; chocolate) for special occasions (parties, religious
festivals) will help most people to achieve this goal based on recent
national dietary surveys.
Even people with diabetes do not need to completely avoid sugars – they too simply need to follow the WHO Guideline and aim to consume less than 10% of energy from free sugars like the rest of us.
The reason why is simple – essentially all available carbohydrate
(starches and sugars) is eventually digested, absorbed and metabolised
into glucose – the sugar in blood that is characteristic of diabetes.
And much of the excess protein that we eat can also be converted to
glucose in our liver and released into our blood. So simply avoiding
free sugars won’t necessarily improve blood glucose levels – the amount
and type (quality) of starch and protein also matters. Finally, a diet
proportionately high in saturated fat increases insulin resistance,
which in turn affects blood glucose levels. In other words, it’s the
whole diet that matters when it comes to optimal blood glucose
management – focusing on a single ingredient/nutrient isn’t enough.
What
about the sugars in fruit? Fresh, canned and dried fruits and fruit
juices are all sources of sugars and energy, and in theory, if consumed
in excess, may contribute to weight gain and tooth decay. The reality
is, however, that many people struggle to consume the minimum two serves
a day according to recent dietary surveys, and the best available
scientific evidence for whole fruit and juice do not show an association with weight gain. Both whole fruits and juice can contribute to tooth decay, however.
While
limiting our daily free sugars intake to less than 10% of total energy
is wise, it does not mean we cannot still enjoy foods and drinks that
contain sugars – what we consume, how much we consume, and how
frequently we consume foods and drinks that contain sugars is what
really counts. History has proven that prohibition doesn’t work. Be
mindful instead.
Listen to Alan talk about sugars on Sydney radio station 2GB (Note: there is an advertisement at the beginning of the segment).
Alan Barclay, PhD is a consultant dietitian and chef (Cert III).
He worked for Diabetes Australia (NSW) from 1998–2014 . He is
author/co-author of more than 30 scientific publications, and
author/co-author of The good Carbs Cookbook (Murdoch Books), Reversing Diabetes (Murdoch Books), The Low GI Diet: Managing Type 2 Diabetes (Hachette Australia) and The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners (The Experiment, New York).
Contact: You can follow him on Twitter or check out his website.
