Sugar in american diet
An important fact to keep in mind when reading nutrition labels. Unfortunately, many common breakfast foods such as ready-to-eat breakfast cereals, cereal bars, instant oatmeal with added flavoring, and pastries can contain high amounts of added sugars. In a 12-year study of more than 69,000 women, published in the Archives of Internal Medicine, a Western diet was found to significantly raise the risk of coronary heart disease. The AHA suggests an added-sugar limit of no more than 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams of sugar) for most women and no more than 150 calories per day (about 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar) for most men. They also skimp on fatty or calorie-rich foods such as red meats, eggs, high-fat dairy products, french fries, pizza, mayonnaise, candy, and desserts. Soft drinks are a prime source of extra calories that can contribute to weight gain and provide no nutritional benefits. The American Heart Association (AHA) has recommended that Americans drastically cut back on added sugar to help slow the obesity and heart disease epidemics. ( 27 ) While we sometimes add sugar to food ourselves, most added sugar comes from processed and prepared foods. More than 68 percent of all Americans are considered overweight or obese, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The average American consumes 22 teaspoons of added sugar a day, which amounts to an extra 350 calories. Put it all together and you have a recipe for disaster. Everything is backwards: Red meat and other fatty foods take the forefront, while fruits, vegetables, and whole grains are pushed aside. ( 27 ). Sugar-sweetened beverages and breakfast cereals are two of the most serious offenders. (This means they have a body mass index greater than 25. In addition to fat and calories, the Western diet is loaded with cholesterol, salt, and sugar. We all have our individual tastes, quirks, and habits.
cabbage and broccoli), greens, tomatoes, legumes, fresh fruits, and whole grains. If you were to drink just one can of a sugar-sweetened soft drink every day, and not cut back on calories elsewhere, you could gain 10-15 pounds in a year. There are two possible ways to go overboard: You can eat too many calorie-dense foods, or you can eat too much food or beverages in general. They are coming under scrutiny for their contributions to the development of type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and other chronic conditions. Twenty-five years ago, the average American consumed about 1,850 calories each day. By law, The Nutrition Facts Label must list the grams of sugar in each product. People in this category tend to eat relatively large amounts of fish, poultry, cruciferous vegetables (i. e. ). Still, experts see clear patterns in our food choices. The Western diet is the prudent diet reflected in a carnival mirror. Since then, our daily diet has grown by 304 calories (roughly the equivalent of two cans of soda). Judging from the ongoing obesity epidemic, many Americans are gaining those pounds -- and then some. Of course, there is no single American diet. Although the federal government recommends that we have at least two to five cups of fruits and vegetables a day, for example, surveys show that the average American eats only three servings a day, and 42 percent eat fewer than two servings a day. Our fondness for fast food is taking a particularly heavy toll. However, the growing use of alternative sweeteners can make it difficult to determine which ingredients count as sugar, because there are multiple sources of sugar with different names.
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