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You can’t go for long these days without scientific experts warning against excessive sugar consumption. And it’s good to see.
The risk of obesity increases through eating too much sugar, which can lead to type 2 diabetes, and trips to the dentist can be increased due to the damage sugar can do to teeth.
This is why the British Medical Association (BMA) has urged the government to introduce a 20 per cent sugar tax to dissuade people from drinking sugary drinks. The proposal is to be reviewed by Public Health England at the end of the summer.
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One week after the sugar tax was proposed, the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) revealed that sugar accounts for 12 per cent of an average adult’s calories in the UK.
The SACN recommend this figure should be halved. This would mean eating no more than seven teaspoons (30g) of sugar a day – drinking a can of Coke would take you over the daily limit.
The World Health Organisation recommended that daily intake of free sugars should be less than 10 per cent, but the SACN believe reducing this further will lead to additional health benefits.
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These recent proposals followed the figures from an international study that concluded 184,000 adult deaths each year were due to sugary drinks.
In the UK, 1,316 deaths were attributed to sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs), which include any sugar-sweetened fizzy drinks, energy drinks, fruit drinks and sweetened ice teas.
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One issue that continues to be highlighted is that sugar is being added to more and more processed foods. Reducing your intake of processed foods can therefore help you cut down on “hidden sugars”.
Low calorie sweeteners, such as stevia, can replace obvious sugars, which are useful for people with diabetes as they won’t raise blood glucose levels or make you put on weight.
Each has different benefits and possible side effects, which are well worth being aware of when choosing which sweetener to use in desserts, baking or in drinks.
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Aspartame is a sweetener that has proven to be quite controversial. Roughly 200 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar), over in the USA, PepsiCo has removed it from its Diet Pepsi range amid health concerns. It doesn’t have any plans to do this in the UK.
Aspartame is a popular conversation in the Diabetes Forum. Do you have any sugar free drink ideas without aspartame?
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