The average American consumes 17 grams of added sugar per day, totaling approximately 57 pounds per year, according to the American Heart Association. While consumers often associate high sugar intake with glazed pastries and soda, many products marketed as healthy—including all-natural granola, low-fat yogurts, plant-based milks, and bottled smoothies—contain surprising amounts of added sugars.
Hidden Sugars in “Healthy” Products
According to Nicole Avena, a professor of neuroscience and psychiatry at Mount Sinai Medical School and Princeton University, added sugars are difficult to spot because many companies use clever marketing to distract consumers. About half of America’s added sugar intake comes from beverages, while much of the rest is found in cereal, salsa, prepared sandwiches, dairy products, bottled sauces, and baked goods, including many whole-grain breads.
Companies have adapted their strategies following 2021 FDA requirements to list added sugars separately from total sugar content. Instead of eliminating sugar, many have substituted alternatives like monk fruit and erythritol, which aren’t classified as “added sugars” under FDA regulations. One Chobani black cherry yogurt contains 9 grams of added sugar per serving—more than 2 teaspoons—while Silk brand almond milk contains 7 grams per cup.
Recommendations for Reducing Intake
Collin Popp, a dietitian and professor at NYU Langone Health, recommends getting no more than 10% of daily calories from added sugar—about 50 grams per day for a 2,000-calorie diet, roughly the equivalent of a typical soda can. Popp advocates for even lower intake, preferably less than 5%, particularly for those with diabetes or prediabetes.
To reduce sugar consumption, experts recommend checking nutrition labels, buying plain versions of products like yogurt and adding honey or berries yourself, and requesting control over added ingredients when ordering beverages. Research suggests that sugar alternatives like stevia and sugar alcohols may not be better alternatives, as sweet flavors activate the brain’s reward center. Minimizing overall dependence on sweetness, rather than simply switching to alternatives, is key to improving health.
This article is an AI-assisted summary. All facts and figures are drawn from the original report: https://headtopics.com/news/how-to-spot-added-sugars-hiding-in-plain-sight-77701903