The sweet stuff

How hidden sugar lurks in health diets

You’ve cut back on booze, you sip matcha green tea and you haven’t looked at a rasher of bacon for months, but tell the truth: do you have any idea how much sugar you consume? Despite years of dire warnings and the launch of a sugar “tax” on soft drinks last year, we’re still eating far more than the recommended level, and confusion is rife: a 2017 study found that Britons eat up to 50 per cent more sugar than they think.

It’s unsurprising, given the mixed messages we continue to receive. Wholesome-looking foods, from cereals to children’s snacks, are sold as having no “refined” or “added” sugar, yet have very high overall sugar levels from fruit or sugar alternatives such as honey. This month, Action on Sugar warned that consumers are being misled over the supposed benefits of honeys and syrups which, despite their “natural” image, are no healthier than table sugar.

And while the Government still says fruit juice can count towards your five a day, a US study says a daily glass may be worse for health than drinking cola.

“People do get confused about where sugar comes from and whether some are better than others,” says Bridget Benelam, a scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation. “They either tend to think that ‘natural’ sugars, like honey, are fine, or they think you shouldn’t have any sugar, not even fruit. As always in nutrition, the truth is shades of grey.”

To recap, the big concern is over “free sugars” – those added to foods or drinks by the manufacturer, or

ourselves. It’s free sugars that are associated with tooth decay and excess calorie consumption, ergo weight gain and all its related health woes. There is less concern over naturally occurring sugars, found naturally in fruit, vegetables and milk, as these don’t seem to have the same effects on health and these foods contain other important nutrients such as fibre, vitamins and minerals. (However, labels on foods don’t clarify where their sugars have come from.)

Public Health England recommends that adults and children aged 11 or over consume no more than 30g of free sugars, or 7 sugar cubes, per day. The average British adult gets through 57g a day and the average teenager 67.1g. The main culprits are table sugar, sweets, chocolate and preserves, with soft drinks the second-biggest source in our diets, followed by alcohol, then buns and cakes, then fruit juice.

A truly sugar-free diet is virtually impossible. If you’re trying to take a healthy approach to sugar, experts advise looking at the foods you eat and taking a common-sense approach.

“I don’t believe in demonising any one nutrient,” says Helen Bond, a dietitian and spokesman for the British Dietetic Association. “Look at the broader picture: a yogurt might have sugar, but that may come from fruit. Many cereals contain added sugar but they’re going to provide fibre and wholegrains too.”

She says traffic light labels can be useful – as can looking for anything with sugar among the first two items on its ingredients list.