Mya Nelson
If you want to know how much sugar food manufacturers are adding to your foods, today’s your last day to tell the FDA. That could make a difference to how much added sugars people consume, suggests a recent study, which found that Americans are getting far more of our added sugars from sugary beverages than desserts or candy combined. And,
for the most part, we are purchasing those sugary products from stores.
The study, published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, also found that almost 15 percent of Americans’ daily calories comes from sugars added to our foods or drinks.
For cancer prevention, cutting down on sugary beverages is one of AICR’s 10 recommendations. Sugary sodas and other beverages link to weight gain, and being overweight links to increased risk of eight cancers.
In an average American’s day, sodas and energy sports drinks was the largest source of added sugars, making up 34 percent. Grain desserts, such as cookies and other baked goods, was the next largest category coming in at 13 percent; fruit drinks, candy and dairy desserts followed, at 8, 7 and 6 percent, respectively.
Americans are taking in between two-thirds and three quarters of those added sugars from foods purchased in grocery stores. Another 10 to 18 percent come from foods eaten at fast food and full service restaurants.
The study data comes from an analysis of 31,000 kids and adults who were part of The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Participants answered questions about what they ate and where they purchased their food during the past 24 hours.
Because a majority of adults report using the Nutrition Facts Label, the authors conclude, including Added Sugars on the label has the potential to reduce sugar consumption.
You can comment on the label at the FDA site until 11:59 pm tonight, August 1.
To see the proposed label and other changes, we showed a picture in last issues’ Nutriton Label Makeover Open for Comment.
