By Daphne Baldwin Kornrich, MS, RD, CDN

Most of us are aware that having too much sugar is not a good thing. We realize that sugar provides calories without any beneficial nutrients and that too much sugar can lead to weight gain and dental cavities. Research is showing added sugars’ role in chronic inflammation, which may contribute to cancer, heart disease and autoimmune diseases.

What is inflammation?

Inflammation is our body’s way of helping us recover from injury or illness.

  • Acute inflammation is easy to identify, with signs of fever, redness and/or swelling. It is our immune system’s way of fighting off bacteria and infection, and is necessary for healing.
  • Chronic inflammation is the constant attacking of healthy cells and can lead to autoimmune diseases. Chronic undetected inflammation may be a factor in developing cardiovascular disease, diabetes, cancer and Alzheimer’s. (reference)

There are many dietary factors that have been identified with causing inflammation, such as a diet high in saturated and trans fat and added sugars.

  • The USDA states that sugar is “the number one food additive”. Table sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, agave syrup and maple syrup are the top most common added sugars in our diets.
  • The American Heart Association recommends limiting daily intake of added sugars to no more than six teaspoons for women and nine teaspoons for men.

A study published in JAMA Internal Medicine (February, 2014) found that Americans who consume added sugars as part of their daily diet have more than double the risk of developing heart disease regardless of other risk factors. According to this study, most U.S. adults consume about 22 teaspoons of added sugars a day.

Most of us are conscious of the sugar we put in our coffee and tea and the cookies and candy we eat, but there are so many places that hidden sugars lurk.  Some tomato sauce servings have as much added sugar as a cookie and a fruit yogurt may have more sugar than soda.

Remember, we do have a way to help decrease our risk of developing and improving chronic inflammation by our food choices.  Limit added sugar and increase awareness by reading food labels and the ingredient list.

 References:

JAMA Intern Med. 2014; 174(4):516-524. doi:10.1001/jamainternmed.2013.13563

IDEA Fitness Journal, Volume 12, Issue 11

IDEA Fitness Journal, Volume 11, Issue 5

https://health.gov/dietaryguidelines/2015/guidelines/

Today’s Dietitian : February 2014 issue Vol. 16 No. 2 P. 44

Daphne Baldwin Kornrich has been a Registered Dietitian Nutritionist for the past 30 years, working in a wide variety of clinical and outpatient settings. Daphne currently specializes in Bariatrics and Weight Management.