SUGARS AND HEALTH
“Empty Calories” In one sense, sugars are highly nourishing. Pure sugars are pure energy. After fats and oils, they’re the most concentrated source of calories we have. The problem is that most people in the developed world consume more energy than they need to fuel their activity, and less than they need of hundreds of other nutrients and plant substances that contribute
to long-term health (p. 253). To the extent that sugar-rich foods displace more broadly nourishing foods from our diet, they are detrimental to human health, a source of calories “empty” of any other nutritional value, and a major contributor to the modern epidemic of obesity and associated health problems, including diabetes
(p. 659).
People in the developed world, particularly
in the United States, consume large amounts of refined sugars. Adults in the United States get about 20% of their calories
from refined sugars, children between 20% and 40%. Most of this sugar intake comes not from candies and confections, but from soft drinks. Significant amounts of sugar also find their way into most processed foods, including many savory sauces, dressings, meats, and baked goods. The total sugar content in processed foods is often unclear from the ingredients list, where different sugars can be listed separately as sucrose, dextrose, levulose, fructose, corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, etc.