Should I include sugar from whole fruit?

midnightstar7
midnightstar7 Posts: 5 Member
in Food and Nutrition
I usually go over my daily allowance of sugar (but not over my calorie count). However, most of that sugar comes from whole fruits. I know mfp counts all sugar, but is sugar from whole fruits really included within one's daily allowance?

Replies

  • cmriverside
    cmriverside Posts: 34,409 Member
    edited November 2018
    According to whom?

    I mean, if you need to limit sugar for medical reasons then yeah it counts. MFP doesn't differentiate. I think there are nutrition guidelines that say 60 calories of added sugar per day for women? I can't remember. That would be 4 teaspoons, sounds about right.

    I don't track sugar on the FOOD page anymore I switched it out for calcium or something; it's tracked by default on the Printable version so I can just toggle to that if I'm interested.

    *edit, here's what I found:
    For a 2,000-calorie diet, 5% would be 25 grams. Limit daily sugar to 6 tsps (25 g) for women, 9 tsps (38 g) for men.
  • LKArgh
    LKArgh Posts: 5,178 Member
    Are you a diabetic? Is there a medical reason to count sugar? Why are you tracking it?
  • midnightstar7
    midnightstar7 Posts: 5 Member
    Sugar is just one of the factors that mfp counts. I eat way more than 25g of sugar, but most of it is from whole fruit. Just wondered if it was "bad" to double what mfp recommends, even if my calories are within my goal.
  • VioletRojo
    VioletRojo Posts: 597 Member
    edited November 2018
    You can select which nutrients MFP displays for you. I only see protein, fat, carbs, and fiber, and out of those I only care about protein. If you don't have a health reason to track sugar, you don't need to worry about it.

    Edited to actually answer your question: Calories are all that matter for losing weight. If you have a health reason to track something other than calories, you can, but it's not necessary for most of us. Going over on sugar is fine as long as it's not crowding out important nutrients. Fruit is good for you; eat fruit.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    midnightstar7 wrote: »
    Sugar is just one of the factors that mfp counts. I eat way more than 25g of sugar, but most of it is from whole fruit. Just wondered if it was "bad" to double what mfp recommends, even if my calories are within my goal.

    The 25g number refers to added sugar. Would not include sugar from fruit
  • jgnatca
    jgnatca Posts: 14,464 Member
    MFP will track sugar from all sources and IMHO it is set too low. I think we benefit from eating fruits and it seems silly to cut them out just to keep the sugar low.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    cmriverside wrote: »
    According to whom?

    I mean, if you need to limit sugar for medical reasons then yeah it counts. MFP doesn't differentiate. I think there are nutrition guidelines that say 60 calories of added sugar per day for women? I can't remember. That would be 4 teaspoons, sounds about right.

    I don't track sugar on the FOOD page anymore I switched it out for calcium or something; it's tracked by default on the Printable version so I can just toggle to that if I'm interested.

    *edit, here's what I found:
    For a 2,000-calorie diet, 5% would be 25 grams. Limit daily sugar to 6 tsps (25 g) for women, 9 tsps (38 g) for men.

    Here is a bit more information on the recommendation:

    Expert panels worldwide have made consistent recommendations on daily sugar intake. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar per day for women and 9 teaspoons (38 grams) for men.1 The AHA limits for children vary depending on their age and caloric needs, but range between 3-6 teaspoons (12 - 25 grams) per day.

    That is in line with the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendation that no more than 10% of an adult's calories – and ideally less than 5% – should come from added sugar or from natural sugars in honey, syrups and fruit juice. For a 2,000-calorie diet, 5% would be 25 grams.

    http://sugarscience.ucsf.edu/the-growing-concern-of-overconsumption.html#.W9z2G2hKiUk
  • phoebe112476
    phoebe112476 Posts: 269 Member
    I think health concerns are primarily from added sugar - not sugar from fruit at least in part because it is consumed along with the fiber when it comes from fruit.
  • dewd2
    dewd2 Posts: 2,445 Member
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    cmriverside wrote: »
    According to whom?

    I mean, if you need to limit sugar for medical reasons then yeah it counts. MFP doesn't differentiate. I think there are nutrition guidelines that say 60 calories of added sugar per day for women? I can't remember. That would be 4 teaspoons, sounds about right.

    I don't track sugar on the FOOD page anymore I switched it out for calcium or something; it's tracked by default on the Printable version so I can just toggle to that if I'm interested.

    *edit, here's what I found:
    For a 2,000-calorie diet, 5% would be 25 grams. Limit daily sugar to 6 tsps (25 g) for women, 9 tsps (38 g) for men.

    Here is a bit more information on the recommendation:

    Expert panels worldwide have made consistent recommendations on daily sugar intake. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar per day for women and 9 teaspoons (38 grams) for men.1 The AHA limits for children vary depending on their age and caloric needs, but range between 3-6 teaspoons (12 - 25 grams) per day.

    That is in line with the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendation that no more than 10% of an adult's calories – and ideally less than 5% – should come from added sugar or from natural sugars in honey, syrups and fruit juice. For a 2,000-calorie diet, 5% would be 25 grams.

    http://sugarscience.ucsf.edu/the-growing-concern-of-overconsumption.html#.W9z2G2hKiUk

    Does anyone actually read the papers???
    "Increasing or decreasing free sugars is associated with parallel changes in
    body weight, and the relationship is present regardless of the level of intake
    of free sugars. The excess body weight associated with free sugars intake
    results from excess energy intake."

    In other words, calories in vs calories out.

    Many times folks get much of their excess calories from added sugar. If that is you, reduce your intake. Otherwise, it doesn't matter so much.

    BTW - The rest of the WHO recommendation is based on dental issues.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    I am a T2Dm and I do not track sugars (I do not use insulin or any medication). Since sugars are just a subset of carbs you are kind of double counting anyway. I track fiber instead. Yes, it is also a subset of carbs but it is more important to make sure I get enough fiber than it is to track sugars since total carbs are what I need to track in order to manage my disease.
  • Packerjohn
    Packerjohn Posts: 4,855 Member
    edited November 2018
    dewd2 wrote: »
    Packerjohn wrote: »
    cmriverside wrote: »
    According to whom?

    I mean, if you need to limit sugar for medical reasons then yeah it counts. MFP doesn't differentiate. I think there are nutrition guidelines that say 60 calories of added sugar per day for women? I can't remember. That would be 4 teaspoons, sounds about right.

    I don't track sugar on the FOOD page anymore I switched it out for calcium or something; it's tracked by default on the Printable version so I can just toggle to that if I'm interested.

    *edit, here's what I found:
    For a 2,000-calorie diet, 5% would be 25 grams. Limit daily sugar to 6 tsps (25 g) for women, 9 tsps (38 g) for men.

    Here is a bit more information on the recommendation:

    Expert panels worldwide have made consistent recommendations on daily sugar intake. The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar per day for women and 9 teaspoons (38 grams) for men.1 The AHA limits for children vary depending on their age and caloric needs, but range between 3-6 teaspoons (12 - 25 grams) per day.

    That is in line with the World Health Organization's (WHO) recommendation that no more than 10% of an adult's calories – and ideally less than 5% – should come from added sugar or from natural sugars in honey, syrups and fruit juice. For a 2,000-calorie diet, 5% would be 25 grams.

    http://sugarscience.ucsf.edu/the-growing-concern-of-overconsumption.html#.W9z2G2hKiUk

    Does anyone actually read the papers???
    "Increasing or decreasing free sugars is associated with parallel changes in
    body weight, and the relationship is present regardless of the level of intake
    of free sugars. The excess body weight associated with free sugars intake
    results from excess energy intake."

    In other words, calories in vs calories out.

    Many times folks get much of their excess calories from added sugar. If that is you, reduce your intake. Otherwise, it doesn't matter so much.

    BTW - The rest of the WHO recommendation is based on dental issues.

    Yep,

    Remember that a calorie is always a calorie whether it comes from fat or carbohydrate. Reducing fat and saturated fat in your family's diet is important to maintaining heart health and reducing calories. However, fat-free or reduced-fat food choices aren't always low in calories. They can be high in sugar or other nutrients that increase calories.


    Sugar is found naturally in some foods, like fructose in fruits or lactose in milk. However, sugar is added to many prepared foods and drinks like high-fructose corn syrup in sweetened beverages and breakfast cereals.

    Health experts offer several reasons why it is important to cut back on the consumption of these products or cut out sugar from your diet in other ways:
    • Studies show that people who consume many foods and drinks with added sugar tend to consume more calories than people who consume fewer of these foods. They also show a link between weight gain and drinking sweetened beverages. Cutting back on added sugars, especially from sweetened beverages such as regular soda and fruit punch, can help you and your family maintain a healthy weight.
    • Added sugar provides calories but no additional nutrients. An eating plan that helps you and your family maintain a healthy weight is one that focuses on getting plenty of nutrients within your calorie needs.
    • Many children and teens, especially girls, don't get enough calcium, a mineral that's important for strong bones and teeth and other body functions. Giving your children fat-free or low-fat milk instead of sweetened beverages can give their bodies a boost
    .

    https://www.nhlbi.nih.gov/health/educational/wecan/eat-right/limit-fat-sugar.htm
  • kshama2001
    kshama2001 Posts: 28,052 Member
    earlnabby wrote: »
    I am a T2Dm and I do not track sugars (I do not use insulin or any medication). Since sugars are just a subset of carbs you are kind of double counting anyway. I track fiber instead. Yes, it is also a subset of carbs but it is more important to make sure I get enough fiber than it is to track sugars since total carbs are what I need to track in order to manage my disease.

    Another vote for swapping out Sugar for Fiber. Fiber is important to me because when I met or exceed my goal I get fuller faster.
  • earlnabby
    earlnabby Posts: 8,171 Member
    kshama2001 wrote: »
    earlnabby wrote: »
    I am a T2Dm and I do not track sugars (I do not use insulin or any medication). Since sugars are just a subset of carbs you are kind of double counting anyway. I track fiber instead. Yes, it is also a subset of carbs but it is more important to make sure I get enough fiber than it is to track sugars since total carbs are what I need to track in order to manage my disease.

    Another vote for swapping out Sugar for Fiber. Fiber is important to me because when I met or exceed my goal I get fuller faster.


    There is that too, but my Dad died of colon cancer, which puts me at a higher risk, and getting enough fiber is one way to help reduce that risk.
  • TeaBea
    TeaBea Posts: 14,517 Member
    midnightstar7 wrote: »
    Sugar is just one of the factors that mfp counts. I eat way more than 25g of sugar, but most of it is from whole fruit. Just wondered if it was "bad" to double what mfp recommends, even if my calories are within my goal.

    Unless you have medical issues and need to manage sugar intake, you could just choose to ignore it. I've changed my setting to include fiber....not sugar. Fiber is more important to me.

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