The mysterious "invisible sugar" that made you fat over the years

This is the 4060th article of Da Yi Xiao Hu

I believe many people may be confused when they see the title. Sugar is sugar, how can it be invisible? In daily life, white sugar, rock sugar, and brown sugar are all clearly marked with the word "sugar" in capital letters on the packaging! That's right, but this is only a small part of the added sugar you see. There are many more that you can't see, which are the so-called "invisible sugars."

For example , in the morning, we make ourselves a cup of honey lemon water for beauty and nourishment while working; after dinner, we drink a cup of flavored yogurt with a strawberry fragrance that can regulate the stomach; in the afternoon, we try a piece of soft and sweet mousse cake that can fill the stomach; after dinner, we have some sweet and sour candied fruits in front of the TV to satisfy our cravings. This day, we enjoy delicious food and life, and everything feels so good. Indeed, have you ever thought that what accompanies you all day is not just the food in front of you, but a big problem, a hidden problem - excessive intake of invisible sugar.

(Pictures from the Internet)

Invisible sugars, also known as free sugars in medical terms. In our lives, sugars are divided into two types: non-free sugars and free sugars. Non-free sugars are naturally present fructose in fresh fruits, sugars in vegetables, lactose in milk, and starch in cereals and potatoes, which are less harmful to the human body. Free sugars are more harmful to the body. They are monosaccharides (fructose, glucose, etc.) and disaccharides (maltose, sucrose, etc.) added to food and beverages. Some people ask, what about honey, syrup, and fruit juice? In fact, they are also free sugars. Even the concentrated fruit juices that claim to be 100% natural and healthy on the market are free sugars. In short, all the sugars that need to be added to our food are free sugars.

Now that we have a clear understanding of the concept, let’s first reveal the “mystery” of invisible sugar:

1. Invisibility

Free sugar can be found in many places. If you only think that it exists in sweet foods such as beverages, candies, cakes, biscuits, and candied fruits, you are underestimating its ability. In fact, it can also be found in non-sweet processed foods, such as ketchup, yogurt, coffee, puffed foods, sesame paste, walnut powder, etc.

2. Deception

Free sugars are easily absorbed by the human body and do not provide a corresponding sense of fullness. In other words, they are pure energy foods that give you "empty calories". People become addicted to their sweetness and easily overeat. Excessive intake will also reduce the intake and absorption of other low-calorie nutritious foods, disrupting dietary balance.

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Scientific research has shown that the more free sugars you consume, the higher your risk of cardiovascular diseases such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, and coronary heart disease. For children and adolescents, it is associated with the incidence of dental caries and myopia. In order to better understand the relationship between free sugars and related diseases, let's take sugary drinks as an example. Currently, most sugary drinks sold on the market contain a lot of fructose, such as orange juice with a sugar content of 7%, cola with a sugar content of 9%, pear juice with a sugar content of 10%, and refreshing and sweet sugarcane juice with a sugar content of even 17%-18%. People often say that carbonated drinks are unhealthy, but it is not the carbonic acid itself, but the free sugars in it. Let's look at the metabolism of fructose. Because it does not rely on insulin and can directly enter the glycolysis stage through oxidation, it is easier to be absorbed by the human body, further increasing the risk of obesity. As early as 2015, the World Health Organization proposed in the "Guidelines for Intake for Adults and Children" that children's free sugar intake should be reduced to less than 10% of total energy intake, and the best case is to drop to less than 5%. Healthy China (2019-2030) proposes "Three Reductions and Three Healths" to control the intake of added sugars; the Chinese Dietary Guidelines recommend that adults should not consume more than 50g per day, and it is best to control it below 25g.

Some foreign countries have taken fiscal and tax measures to protect people from unhealthy products. For example, Hungary imposes taxes on packaged products with high sugar, salt or caffeine content; Australia imposes an additional 20% tax on sugary drinks; Mexico saw a 12% drop in sales of sugary drinks after imposing a 10% excise tax on sugary drinks; the United States imposes a 1 cent/ounce tax on sugary drinks, saving about $17.1 billion in medical expenses between 2010 and 2020. Countries such as the Philippines, the United Kingdom and South Africa have also announced plans to tax sugary drinks. The WHO-recommended measures to tax sugary drinks and restrict food advertising to children have not been taken seriously in my country, and research on the consumption of sugary drinks is clearly insufficient, with even fewer policies and measures to restrict the consumption of sugary drinks.

Therefore, we should be the master of our own health and reduce the intake of free sugars. When buying food, you may wish to look at its ingredient list. The order of ingredients in the ingredient list is from most to least. If you can see "white sugar" or "fructose syrup" or "fructose" in the first few, you should pay special attention, because it is these invisible sugars that will quietly make you fat. In addition, it is healthier to eat more fresh fruits instead of fruit juice.

(Pictures from the Internet)

Author: Changning District Center for Disease Control and Prevention

Magic Sister Lily