I never knew there were so many different types of sugar in our world. Until I started researching the subject. Sugars occur naturally in many foods, especially in fruits and some vegetables. But food manufacturers add unneeded sugars to many items you may not expect. It can be more disguised these days, so when reading labels on food, we need to be informed of the amounts and types, a product contains. Get to know all the different names of sugar before your next grocery trip.

The American Heart Association recommends men limit added sugar to 36 grams, or 9 teaspoons, per day. Women should limit added sugar to 24 grams, or 6 teaspoons, each day. An additional recommendation calls for limiting sugary soft drinks to 36 ounces every week, or 450 calories at the most, based on a 2,000-calorie diet. The calories from soft drinks cause more weight gain than the calories from solid foods. These limits only pertain to added sugars, not sugars that occur naturally in some foods, such as fruits. The average American consumes 21 teaspoons, or 84 grams, of sugar daily though; far more than recommended.

Zero in on labels, as much as you can, you maybe shocked at what you find and how much sugar is in our food.

Lisa B