International experts say people should limit their sugar intake to no more than 10 percent of calories in order to halt the global epidemic of obesity-related disease. The advice comes as part of the most significant study in more than a decade on how people worldwide can improve their diets.
There are few international recommendations for sugar, and the current report yielded some of the boldest yet. Two U.N. agencies, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the Food and Agriculture Organization commissioned the report, which was compiled by 30 international experts.
Diseases that stem from poor diet and inactivity, such as heart disease and diabetes, are no longer limited to the Western world, according to experts. They recommended a diet low in fat, sugar and salt as a key way to stay healthy.
While their recommendations on how much fat, grains, protein, salt, fruits and vegetables should be included in the diet were in line with current advice, their suggestions for sugar go beyond current recommendations.
Consumption of sugar not naturally present in honey, syrups and fruit juices should be below 10 percent of calories, the experts said.
In the United States, where obesity is steadily increasing, the Dietary Guidelines for Americans advise that sugar should be used in moderation, while the Institute of Medicine, part of the U.S. National Academy of Sciences, proposed that sugar could make up to 25 percent of calories.
Additionally, experts called for one hour of daily exercise--twice the amount recommended by the U.S. government.
While several countries have attempted to develop sugar recommendations, food industry groups often speak out against them. With the present report, the industry criticized the document saying that exercise is what is needed to curb obesity.
The U.S. National Soft Drink Association also disapproved of the recommendation, saying that a 10 percent limit on sugar should not be included in the plan. According to the association, scientific literature does not show an association between sugar intake and obesity.
Industrialization, urbanization and economic development have resulted in changes in diets and lifestyles over the past 10 years. These changes have resulted in improved standards of living in poorer countries, but have also led to shifts in eating and exercise habits along with a related increase in diet-related chronic diseases, according to the report.
Health authorities, WHO officials and food industry officials plan to meet to discuss how governments will respond to the recommendations.
USA Today March 2, 2003
This is an absolutely amazing report, not so much in that it confirms what any rational person knows, that sugar intake should be limited, but in how irrational the food industry really is.
I just love that the U.S. National Soft Drink Association is seeking to convince the government and public that we should not limit our sugar intake to below 10 percent. This is similar to the tobacco industry seeking to convince us that it is OK for 10 percent of the country to smoke even though 25 percent of it does.
The answer for both scenarios is clear. Ideally, consumption would be close to zero for both disease producing, health-robbing influences.
As many already know, it is my strong clinical impression that sugar is far more damaging to health than cigarettes. There are a wealth of studies and clinical evidence to support this surprising conclusion, and this has been my observation over the last 20 years. You can also review the links below for further evidence.
One of the most potent clinical examples I can share of sugar’s obvious influence on your immune system comes from experiments done 50 years ago with rabbits. Researchers repeatedly tried to infect rabbits with polio but were unsuccessful until they gave the rabbits sugar.
Sugar crippled the rabbits’ immune systems and allowed them to contract polio. Similar responses were noted in the United States in the pre-polio vaccine era when certain communities realized that the polio incidence increased in the summer when large amounts of ice cream were consumed.
Once the communities rallied and convinced the people to reduce their sugar consumption there were dramatic reductions in the incidence of polio in their local communities.
Vaccines are not the ultimate solution to prevent disease. But, limiting sugar is one of the most potent actions you can take to improve your physical health.
If you are going to eat sugar, the absolute worst time to have it is while you are sick. If you are doing well emotionally, sleeping well and have no acute or chronic health problems, then consuming small amounts of sugar is not likely to cause a major problem.
You can further reduce the negative influences of sugar by consuming it immediately after an intensive cardiovascular workout like running or aerobics. The sugar will tend to be used very quickly and not be as likely to cause insulin disruptions.
It is also important to realize that you needn’t have iron willpower and resist sugar with Herculean efforts of self-control. If you are eating a balanced diet according to your Metabolic Type then it is unlikely you will have any physical cravings, but emotional cravings may still exist. Tools like Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) can be useful in this area.
But, typically, once you are balanced with your nutritional type the cravings will disappear. In fact, if you still have cravings this is a major clue that your diet needs to be modified so the cravings disappear.
This is one of the major reasons why I have really embraced Metabolic Typing: because it has to work for the person. If the program doesn’t work, it is continuously adjusted until symptoms improve.
Related Articles:
American Cancer Society Now Believes Obesity is as Dangerous as Smoking 78 Ways That Sugar Can Destroy Your Health Dangers of Sugar Sugar Increases Polio Risk
American Cancer Society Now Believes Obesity is as Dangerous as Smoking
78 Ways That Sugar Can Destroy Your Health
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Sugar Increases Polio Risk