Sugar count

mpeters1950

Why can’t you separate the natural sugars from added sugars. As we know, added sugar is not good for you. When calculating foods, the sugar count includes both natural and added. This gives a false read of the sugar consumed.

Redordeadhead

mpeters1950 wrote: »

Why can’t you separate the natural sugars from added sugars. As we know, added sugar is not good for you. When calculating foods, the sugar count includes both natural and added. This gives a false read of the sugar consumed.

It's not a false reading, because that is the amount of sugar consumed. It's just that some of it was from things like fruit and some added sugars to other foods.

I think part of the difficulty is a lot of nutrition labels don't differentiate, so it would be very difficult to implement in MFP.

MikePTY

Sugar is sugar. Your body treats sugar from an apple an sugar from a piece of cheesecake the same way. Most food labels do not differentiate added sugars from non added sugars so this would not be something they'd be able to implement effectively

MikePTY

Also "added sugar is not good for you" is an oversimplification. The suggestion to limit added sugar is made because foods with high amounts of added sugar tend to be low in nutrients, as well as not particularly filling so people who eat a lot of them may be prone to overeating. But if you are staying within your calories and getting your nutrients from other food sources, then a along as you are not sugar restricted because of a particular medical condition, worrying about sugar, added or otherwise is not something most people have to do.

missysippy930

Eating more calories than your body burns isn’t good for you, and is why we gain weight. All foods in moderation & proper portion control. Sugar isn’t bad for you, too much, like anything else, may be.

sammidelvecchio

I do not care either way, but it was recently put into "law" - food law or whatever - that companies will have to start adding a separate row under sugar to disclose how much is added versus naturally included. So, this may be something that could be implemented on MFP in the future, but not yet. I don't know when that officially takes effect, Google probably does, but a lot of companies are already starting to do it. I'd suggest just putting it in your daily food notes box if it is something you personally would like to track. I know some people personally just prefer to avoid added sugar for reasons other than weight loss.

kimny72

mpeters1950 wrote: »

Why can’t you separate the natural sugars from added sugars. As we know, added sugar is not good for you. When calculating foods, the sugar count includes both natural and added. This gives a false read of the sugar consumed.

In the US, added sugar was just recently added to labels, and isn't required quite yet. So for many foods the info isn't even available.

You can see added sugar as a separate component on the app but not the website, I believe. But you will probably have to create all your own foods, as all the existing entries wouldn't have that info one way or the other. The database is user-created and maintained, so it's not like the added sugar values will one day just pop into the thousands of existing entries.

Also, added sugar is fine in moderation. It becomes a problem in excess (just like natural sugar) because foods with added sugars tend to be high calorie, and too much of any one thing doesn't leave room for all the other stuff you do need. Too much of anything isn't good.

Carlos_421

Added sugar and intrinsic sugar are the exact same substance (glucose, fructose or a combination of the two (sucrose aka table sugar)).

cwolfman13

mpeters1950 wrote: »

Why can’t you separate the natural sugars from added sugars. As we know, added sugar is not good for you. When calculating foods, the sugar count includes both natural and added. This gives a false read of the sugar consumed.

Most database entries are entered by users and the nutritional information comes from labels. Currently, there is no requirement to breakout added sugars from natural sugars and thus there would be no way to breakout that information in the database.

Beyond that, there is no difference between added sugar and naturally occurring sugars in regards to how your body treats sugar...sugar is sugar. If you have to watch sugar due to medical conditions, you would have to watch both added and naturally occurring sugars. Added sugars aren't inherently bad for you...the problem with sugar is over consumption.

kpk54

In the USA. Don't know about other areas:

"On May 20, 2016, the FDA announced the new Nutrition Facts label for packaged foods to reflect new scientific information, including the link between diet and chronic diseases such as obesity and heart disease. The new label will make it easier for consumers to make better informed food choices. FDA published the final rules in the Federal Register on May 27, 2016. The new label is already appearing on packages even before it is required to be used. Manufacturers with $10 million or more in annual sales must switch to the new label by January 1, 2020; manufacturers with less than $10 million in annual food sales have until January 1, 2021 to comply".

I'll add: I recall the original date to switch over to new labels was something like mid July of 2018 but that was rescinded and it (seemingly) took months for a new date to be established.

https://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/guidancedocumentsregulatoryinformation/labelingnutrition/ucm385663.htm

sammidelvecchio

FYI - new labels won't be required across the board until 2021, so it's gonna be a while.

https://www.fda.gov/food/guidanceregulation/guidancedocumentsregulatoryinformation/labelingnutrition/ucm385663.htm

susansidell2020

Hello, I am new to MFP, this is my second full day, and found this post while searching for an answer to the challenge I have.
I am vegetarian and glutenfree. I rarely eat the gf breads because of all the highly refined flours, though I have developed some recipes that use whole grains.
For each of the days, I am under my calorie limit by 100-200 but go over on fiber and sugar. I cannot figure out the problem. Each day I have had 1 serving of fruit, apple or blueberries, and then veggies, beans, and no more than 2 T of brown rice.
I came to MFP after a serious surgery and am using it to make sure my nutrition is optimal for healing. The sugar thing is worrisome because high sugar can inhibit healing and exacerbate inflammation.
Do y'all have any insight?
Thanks so much!

lemurcat2

If you open your diary we will have more insight. Can you see what the main sources of sugar are? What is your sugar limit?