How much added sugar can we safely consume in a day?
Learn to limit intake of foods with added sugars | Photo Credit: iStock Images  Key Highlights Sweet foods are highly desirable due the powerful impact sugar has on the reward system in the brain called the mesolimbic dopamine system. But try telling that to a sugar junkie who will make a dive for a sugary sweet doughnut rather than eat a healthier fruit. Whenever a cake is cut before our eyes, one cannot but wait to have a piece and relish its sweet, rich flavour. The same applies to a box of doughnuts or eclairs being opened in our presence. All of these items contain white sugar, also called table sugar, granulated sugar or regular sugar. The ills of added sugar consumption are by now well known to people. How big is the sugar addiction menace in India can be gauged by a research paper of The Indian Journal of Community Medicine, published under the aegis of the US National Library of Medicine. Study authors Rajib Dasgupta, Rakesh Pillai, Rakesh Kumar, and Narendra K Arora refer to Salt Sugar Fat by Michael Moss - the Pulitzer Prize-winning account of the ills of the large and organized processed food industry. "This trifecta of the proximate determinants of the NCD epidemic has received far less attention in the Indian context. The enthusiasm and activism around the tobacco control movement are conspicuous by the absence of any associated or concurrent action for salt, sugar, and fat," the authors rue. India's shocking sugar addiction:  Per capita consumption of sugar has risen from 22 g/day in 2000 to 55.3 g/day in 2010. With per capita consumption of sugar of approximately 10 spoons per day, an average Indian eats almost 18 kg of sugar per year. Cardiovascular diseases, cancer, respiratory diseases, and diabetes account for 80% of all deaths due to non-communicable diseases (NCDs) in India are after all a result of ignoring risk factors such as food consumption behaviour etc. In The Hindu, Aadhya Ramineni, now a Researcher at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center writes: "Sugar is synonymous with happiness. But the momentary illusion of happiness brought by it is not worth a lifetime of disease and sadness." Aadhya Ramineni, through a series of photos, interviewed and talked across schools in Tamil Nadu, hopes to reverse the medias portrayal of sugar and raise awareness about the negative effects of overconsumption, reports The Hindu. Here are some shocking statistics Aadhya reports:  Type 2 diabetes is commonly called sugar because it is a lifestyle ailment caused by sugar overconsumption. India has the highest number of adults with type 2 diabetes across the world. The International Diabetes Federation estimates that there were 72 million cases of diabetes in India as of 2017. By 2045, this number is projected to more than double. If an individual regularly eats too much sugar their pancreas will produce too much insulin and the bodys cells will develop insulin resistance. To contain the obesity/overweight epidemic, experts strongly recommend reducing per capita per day consumption of foods and beverages having free sugars to be less than 10% of total daily energy intake. Doctors warn us about these added sugars (found in packaged foods, so-called healthy diet bars, candy, pastries, ice creams, and cookies) and not the naturally occurring sugar present in fruits, veggies, dairy and whole grains is called natural sugar. Researcher Aadhya Ramineni writes, "By avoiding foods with high amounts of added and free sugars, you can make sure you are consuming a healthy amount of sugar. The World Health Organization recommends 6 teaspoons (25g) a day." Begin the change today. Remove sugar jars from the dining area. Stop dumping sugary, preservative-laden goodies into your shopping cart. Munch on fruits, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and vegetables, when you feel hungry or a craving for sugar. "Once you remove added sugars from your diet you will enjoy the natural sweetness from foods. Sugary foods will become too sweet; They will taste like what they are: junk," writes Ramineni. Disclaimer: Tips and suggestions mentioned in the article are for general information purposes only and should not be construed as professional medical advice. Always consult your doctor or a professional healthcare provider if you have any specific questions about any medical matter.