When you’re at the supermarket looking at food labels, you may have noticed a new section on some Nutrition Facts panels: added sugar. By 2021, it’ll become mandatory for companies to list how much added sugar is in each product, and it’s enough to make you wonder: Is sugar really so bad for you?The idea that sugar is bad and addictive is arguably the queen of all diet myths these days.
For any nutrient, the dose makes the poison: Eat too little, and you’ll run into health problems. Eat too much, and you’ll run into health problems. While “moderation” is a trope older than the phone book,
it’s an important key to better health so long as you’re defining it for yourself and staying in touch with your body’s satiety cues.The reason why sugar has become public enemy number,
one in recent years is because of where you’ll find it: heavily processed food and beverages.Since it’s added to lots of wholesome foods during processing,
it’s one of the easiest nutrients to overeat. The other problem is that added sugar is often found in foods that don’t make you feel full, but do add calories from the sugar itself.
Consuming excess added sugar is linked to heart disease, diabetes, lifestyle-related cancers, and even cognitive decline.
