Regarded as a villain; thought of as a possible cause of some cancers and all sorts of ills, manufacturers disguise sugar in different ways to make it more acceptable
. Livestrong, the US Cancer charity, warns ” Sugar is one of the most common food additives used to improve the taste of foods and beverages and prolong the shelf-life of countless packaged food products. And all that sugar is hiding in some pretty unexpected places. (Case in point: Did you know that, cup for cup, there’s more sugar in ketchup than vanilla ice cream?)
Different types of sweeteners, substituted for sugar, can be tagged ‘sugar-free’, but still contain calories.
To help sort out differences, Livestrong has some pretty intelligent and easy-to-understand information:
“Sugar substitutes fall into one of two categories: natural sweeteners (which include sugar alcohols like erythritol) and non-nutritive sweeteners like sucralose (aka Splenda)”. A tablespoon of ‘ordinary’ sugar contains 40 calories
Women should limit sugar intake to no more than 6 teaspoons per day, which provides about 100 calories.
Men should limit sugar intake to no more than 9 teaspoons, or about 150 calories. (Men need more sugar because they have a higher percentage of lean body mass, which correlates to a higher metabolic rate)..
If you are savvy, you can take in fewer calories without losing nutrients in the process. Drink plain water/fizzy water instead of sweetened drinks; choose low-sugar jams and syrups; buy canned fruit packed in water rather than syrup; reach for salsa, mustard or hot sauce over ketchup and barbecue sauce and opt for low-sugar breakfast cereals.
