Demystifying Dietary Sugar

A preponderance of evidence now definitively links high consumption of dietary sugars to increased energy intakes, increased body weight, and dental caries. High intakes of sugar-sweetened beverages, in particular, are associated with increased risk of type 2 diabetes. While there is increased awareness of global public health recommendations to reduce sugar consumption, added sugars are often difficult to identify on food labels. There are misunderstandings about the relative risks or healthfulness of different types of sweeteners and terms such as “raw” and “natural” that are used in their marketing. Sugars naturally present in intact foods are not detrimental to health because they are contained within cell walls and have a reduced glycemic response, as a result of their food matrix, fiber, and slower rate of digestion. Therefore, the primary public health message for obesity prevention is to reduce intake of high-sugar snacks and sugar-sweetened beverages. Fiscal policies may help reduce population sugar intakes through prompting reformulation and the reduction of sugars in high-sugar products. The aim of this chapter is to demystify sugars for the healthcare professional and give a balanced overview of the role of dietary sugar in obesity and metabolic health.