Help with sugar intake.

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sallymason88
sallymason88 Posts: 69 Member
in Health and Weight Loss
I have lowered my sugar goal to 28 grammes of sugar to reflect the recent advice to keep sugar to 7 teaspoons a day. What puzzles me is the sugar in fruit/veg. can i subtract that figure from the 28, or should i count it. i think that the body will just treat it as it would refined sugar, but i am not sure. i eat a couple of apples a day so it would use up nearly the days quota. any advice is welcome.
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  • Mycophilia
    Mycophilia Posts: 1,225 Member
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    There's no need to limit sugar unless you have a medical condition requiring you to do so.
  • Faithful_Chosen
    Faithful_Chosen Posts: 401 Member
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    sallymason88 wrote: »
    I have lowered my sugar goal to 28 grammes of sugar to reflect the recent advice to keep sugar to 7 teaspoons a day. What puzzles me is the sugar in fruit/veg. can i subtract that figure from the 28, or should i count it. i think that the body will just treat it as it would refined sugar, but i am not sure. i eat a couple of apples a day so it would use up nearly the days quota. any advice is welcome.

    Uhhhh... why...? For one, unless you have medical issues, there is no need to limit sugar. Secondly, the advice depends on your reply, but if you have a medical condition, you should really ask your doctor this question.
  • sallymason88
    sallymason88 Posts: 69 Member
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    i dont have a medical condition, but anything i have read recently points to sugar and not fat being a problem with weight issues. I am in the UK and the latest advice is to half the previous advice of equivalent 14 teaspoons to 7.
  • sallymason88
    sallymason88 Posts: 69 Member
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    Added sugars shouldn't make up more than 5% of the energy (calorie intake) you get from food and drink each day. This is about 30g of sugar a day for those aged 11 and over.

    I just found this on the NHS website, so I am thinking that the sugar in fruit doesnt count as it refers to "added sugar" ?
  • Faithful_Chosen
    Faithful_Chosen Posts: 401 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Okay, weight fluxuation has a simple equation: calories in versus calories out. If you eat more than you burn, you gain weight; if you eat as much as you burn, you maintain; if you eat less than you burn, you lose weight. What you eat is of no importance to weight loss. Of course, a diet full of items with added sugar is not going to do you any favours nutritionally speaking, but there is absolutely nothing wrong with fruit and a few sugary snacks as long as you remain within your calorie deficit.
  • sallymason88
    sallymason88 Posts: 69 Member
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    I understand the calorie in, calorie out equation, I was trying to be healthy within that.
  • Faithful_Chosen
    Faithful_Chosen Posts: 401 Member
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    sallymason88 wrote: »
    I understand the calorie in, calorie out equation, I was trying to be healthy within that.

    Alright, then don't bother with fruit sugars. Only added sugars 'count'. MFP counts both so don;t go off of that reading too much.
  • RonRoff
    RonRoff Posts: 175 Member
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    Ok let me elaborate a bit on sugar, as what Faithful says is completely true. I'm a health professional in education, studying to become a weight consultant. What i tell you is straight from the books.

    Sugar is just plain calories, it contains 0 vitamins and minerals. The sugars that do have some, like fructose, have so little traces of micro nutritients, that it doesnt provide benefits at all. This makes sugar bad for you, because it adds up calories but you gain nothing else from it.

    Now, when it comes to the source of calories, fructose (fruit), lactose (milk), glucose (grapes), sacharose (refined), have no difference at all. They are treated exactly the same in your body even though "fructose, natural fruit sugar" sounds more healthy, its not. Sugar adds 402kcal per 100 grams of sugar.

  • RonRoff
    RonRoff Posts: 175 Member
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    Dont agree with part 2 of Faithful, as you can read in my previous message, fruit sugars count.
  • Faithful_Chosen
    Faithful_Chosen Posts: 401 Member
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    RonRoff wrote: »
    Dont agree with part 2 of Faithful, as you can read in my previous message, fruit sugars count.

    Point is, though, that fruit sugars are wrapped up in this thing called 'fruit', which are little nutrient bombs.If you binge on a gazillion apples, you will go over your calorie goal and gain weight, but because there are a bunch of macro (and micro) nutrients in fruits, you won't really overindulge on those--not easily anyway. If you find yourself going over your sugar goal, turn your gaze to the added sugars, not the fruit sugars. They are not your problem.
  • dutchandkiwi
    dutchandkiwi Posts: 1,389 Member
    edited July 2015
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    sallymason88 wrote: »
    Added sugars shouldn't make up more than 5% of the energy (calorie intake) you get from food and drink each day. This is about 30g of sugar a day for those aged 11 and over.

    I just found this on the NHS website, so I am thinking that the sugar in fruit doesnt count as it refers to "added sugar" ?
    Correct.
    It is about the hidden sugars in some processed foods, but also the ones in drinks so the sugar in your tea, coffee and of course the soda, but also the fruitjuices. Though the latter are mostly natural and added (though they can be if bought processed fruitjuice), the levels of sugar are quite high, a glass of orangejuice can contain as much as a glass of regular soda.
    And to be honest the 5% makes sense to me if you look at CiCo as it means less calories dense foods. Of course if you are training/bulking excersising to an extend that you burn calories to say 2,000 a day than the 5% would translate to more than 30g as a maximum. But I think the 30g is a reasonable guideline for the general population. Just wish you could separate the added sugars from the naturals here at MFP
  • RonRoff
    RonRoff Posts: 175 Member
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    Faithful_Chosen wrote: »
    Point is, though, that fruit sugars are wrapped up in this thing called 'fruit', which are little nutrient bombs.If you binge on a gazillion apples, you will go over your calorie goal and gain weight, but because there are a bunch of macro (and micro) nutrients in fruits, you won't really overindulge on those--not easily anyway. If you find yourself going over your sugar goal, turn your gaze to the added sugars, not the fruit sugars. They are not your problem.

    If you are going over 28 grams of sugar just by eating fruits, you do have something to worry about, if you ask me ;-)

    But yes, if you are going over the sugar limit that you set, there is usually something else wrong with your eating pattern and the fruit itself is the least of your problems.

    As mentioned before, i was just elaborating on sugar as itself, as OP had some questions about how sugar works.

  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
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    The recommended amounts typically apply to added sugars. In the U.S.,I believe there is a plan to have labels differentiate between naturally occurring sugars and added sugars. If you're concerned with your sugar goal-focus on added sugars.

    That being said-it's really not a big deal in the context of overall diet. Ensure you are meeting all of your nutrition requirements. Eat adequate protein, adequate fat and fill in the rest with carbohydrates. Try to ensure a varied diet that includes enough fiber and meets some of your micronutrient requirements. Have calories left over? There is no harm in filling in those calories with products containing sugar.

    Nutrition guidelines are meant to address the general public with broad suggestions that will help most people. Personally, I try to eat plenty of nutrient-dense foods and leave room in my diet for plenty of sugar-laden awesomeness.
  • Faithful_Chosen
    Faithful_Chosen Posts: 401 Member
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    RonRoff wrote: »
    Faithful_Chosen wrote: »
    Point is, though, that fruit sugars are wrapped up in this thing called 'fruit', which are little nutrient bombs.If you binge on a gazillion apples, you will go over your calorie goal and gain weight, but because there are a bunch of macro (and micro) nutrients in fruits, you won't really overindulge on those--not easily anyway. If you find yourself going over your sugar goal, turn your gaze to the added sugars, not the fruit sugars. They are not your problem.

    If you are going over 28 grams of sugar just by eating fruits, you do have something to worry about, if you ask me ;-)

    But yes, if you are going over the sugar limit that you set, there is usually something else wrong with your eating pattern and the fruit itself is the least of your problems.

    As mentioned before, i was just elaborating on sugar as itself, as OP had some questions about how sugar works.

    Adding fruit sugars to a '28 grams of sugar'-count is unrealistic, anyway, if you eat fruit at all. A singe large apple has about 23 grams of sugar, a banana has 17, an orange has 23, etc.
    Eating these sugars is well worth it for the rest of what you take in with that sugar if you comp down on an apple or enjoy a nice banana.

    I remain of the opinion that (unless you solely eat fruit every single day) fruit sugars should not be counted towards such a tiny, tiny, tiny sugar goal.
  • RonRoff
    RonRoff Posts: 175 Member
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    slaite1 +1
  • KateKyi
    KateKyi Posts: 106 Member
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    I agree with RonRoff. Sugar in all its natural forms is not good for you. Quantities of fruit should be limited. 5 fruit and veg a day should be 5 vegetables a day with a few fruits once in a while. Fruit smoothies contain more sugar than a glass of coke. If you dont drink Coke because of the 7 teaspoons of sugar then you should also not drink fruit sugars. Fruit does have the added benefits of fiber but so do vegetables. Better to wean yourself off the sweet taste and have veg.
  • slaite1
    slaite1 Posts: 1,307 Member
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    KateKyi wrote: »
    I agree with RonRoff. Sugar in all its natural forms is not good for you. Quantities of fruit should be limited. 5 fruit and veg a day should be 5 vegetables a day with a few fruits once in a while. Fruit smoothies contain more sugar than a glass of coke. If you dont drink Coke because of the 7 teaspoons of sugar then you should also not drink fruit sugars. Fruit does have the added benefits of fiber but so do vegetables. Better to wean yourself off the sweet taste and have veg.

    :s sugar is not inherently bad for you.
  • cathya35
    cathya35 Posts: 1 Member
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    Actually, it is easy to exceed 28 g of sugar by eating 2 apples a day because 1 medium apple has 25 carbs, 4.4 g fiber, and 19 g of sugar.

    There was a study done a couple years back on excess sugar and weight gain, but they did conclude that sugar from fruit did not cause weight gain.

    http://www.webmd.com/diet/20130114/sugar-excess-weight?page=1

    After looking at the physiology of how your body handles sugar and my own personal experience, I do agree with those who recommend a low-carb diet for weight loss. A diet high in sugar increases triglyceride levels and can lead to insulin resistance, suppression of leptin, etc. Sugar is more than just empty calories--it has effects on hormones and your body's regulatory systems when it comes to hunger. I know many here will disagree with that and state that it is merely an "energy in, energy out" mechanism, but I do think what you put in matters. If you are eating sugar all day you are producing more insulin, which increases the storage of fat in fat cells.
  • SergeantSausage
    SergeantSausage Posts: 1,673 Member
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    Your weight issue is calories, not sugar.
  • KateKyi
    KateKyi Posts: 106 Member
    edited July 2015
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    Sugar is bad for you because it has no nutritional value and
    1 Is bad for your teeth
    2 is bad for your liver causing fatty liver disease
    3 causes insulin intolerance and ultimately Diabetes
    But please do go right a head and eat it if you want these.
    My weight loss issue is my health issue and Id rather not go down the route of illness just because I ate fewer calories without looking at what I was eating too.

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