IAFNS Fall 2022 Webinar Series: “Sources and Intake of Added Sugar in the U.S. Diet”
Lecture Type: Online Video
Time: 91 minutes 34 seconds
Date: October 26, 2022
Speakers: Naomi K. Fukagawa, MD, PhD, Harry Dawson, PhD, Donna Rhodes, MS, RD, Kelly Higgins, MS, PhD, Kyle McKillip
Topic: Added Dietary Sugars
You can access the lecture by clicking the link here.
Introduction
Added dietary sugars have been associated with an increased risk of obesity, dental caries, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. This webinar reviews research conducted by the USDA-ARS on sweet perception, sugars in the U.S. food supply, and the sugar intake of Americans. Access the lecture to view and read below for pearls of information gleaned from the lecture.
What We Eat in America Research
What We Eat in American is the dietary intake research component of the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. This information is based on two-days worth of dietary recall of a nationally representative survey, with updated research released every 2 years.
This study defines added sugars as:
- Sweeteners
- Syrups and Honey
- Sugar from Concentrated Fruit Juice
- Sugars Added to Packaged/Processed Foods
The USDA recommends that Americans eat no more than 10% of their daily energy (calories) in the form of added sugars. Although American have made improvements in decreasing added sugar intake, Americans still consumed 13% of their calories from added sugar and 21% from total sugars (including natural sugars like fructose from fruit and lactose from milk) in the survey period from 2017 to 2018.
Breaking down participants into groups, researchers have determined the following statistics:
- The average child in the United States gets about 16 tsps of added sugar a day
- In 2017-18 30% of participants reported having a daily soft drink, down from 55% in 2003-04
- 1 in 4 Americans consumed a candy a day in 2017-2018
Recommendations to Reduce Sugar Intake
You are not alone is you are one of many Americans exceeding the recommended limit of 10% of daily caloric intake from added sugars. With research that has shown the detrimental health effects of these added sugars, you can use some of the helpful tips below to reduce your dietary intake.
According to an analysis of the sources of added sugars for Americans, sugar-sweetened drinks are the number one source, making up more than half of daily intake. Although this is a national sample, this suggests that changing to water-based drinks or minimizing sugarary drinks, or additions to drinks that contain sweetener (like creamer) can make a significant impact on your added sugar intake.
Reduce Added Sugar Intake By ….
- Substituting similar food items with reduced or no added sugars
- Example: Plain shredded wheat cereal instead of frosted shredded wheat cereal
- Example: Sparkling water instead of soda
- Reducing portion size or frequency of consumption of products with added sugars
Resources for Researchers
If you’re interested in conducting your own nutrition-related research or viewing data from the USDA Food Survey Research Group, then you can access the link below:
Speakers recommend access the Food and Nutrition Database for Dietary Studies (FNDDS) to see total sugars and Food Patterns Equivalents Database (FPED) for information on added sugars. This website also contains research on other nutrients you may be interested in studying.
You can also search the dietary components of foods using the link below. For example, you can search water content, calories, and more!
Concluding Thoughts
The average American consumes more than the recommended daily amount of added sugars. This increases risk for a myriad of health conditions, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Americans can make simple changes to their diets to reduced added sugar intake, such as switching from sugar-sweetened beverages to water or plain sparkling seltzer. View to learn more about added sugars!
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Visit the IAFNS home page here.
Citation
Fukagawa, N., Dawson, H., Rhodes, D., Higgins, K., McKillip, K., (2022, October 26). [Lecture Recording]. IAFNS-USDA Beltsville Webinar Series. https://iafns.org/event/iafns-usda-beltsville-webinar-series/
Disclaimer
This content is for informational and educational purposes only. It is not intended to provide medical advice or to take the place of medical advice or treatment from a personal physician. All viewers of this content are advised to consult their doctors or qualified health professionals regarding specific health questions. The publisher of this content does not take responsibility for possible health consequences of any person or persons reading or following the information in this educational content. All viewers of this content, especially those taking prescription or over-the-counter medications, should consult their physicians before beginning any nutrition, supplement, exercise or other lifestyle program.