Abstract
Excessive free sugars consumption is associated with poor health outcomes. Thus, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends limiting free sugars intake to no more than 10% of total energy intake. To evaluate current intakes of dietary sugars and monitor the adherence to the guidelines, the objective of this study was to comprehensively assess total and free sugars consumption of different age groups within the Slovenian population. The Slovenian national food consumption survey SI.Menu 2017/18 was conducted on representative samples of adolescents (10–17 years), adults (18–64 years), and the elderly (65–74 years) using two non-consecutive 24-h dietary recalls. The analyses were carried out on a sample of 1248 study participants. Free sugars content in food was estimated based on previously established databases. The population weighted median free sugars intake accounted for 10.1% of total energy intake (TEI) among adolescents, 6.4% among adults, and 6.5% in the elderly population. Both total and free sugars consumption in the percentage of TEI were higher among women than men, in participants with lower education, and those with higher family net income. The main sources of free sugars in adolescents were beverages, cakes, muffins, pastry, and dairy products; for adults and the elderly, the key sources of free sugars were beverages, cakes, muffins, pastry, and sugars, honey, and related products. A total of 56% of adolescents, 84% of adults, and 81% of the elderly population adhered to the WHO free sugars guidelines. Additional measures will be required to further decrease free sugars consumption among the teenage population, in which dietary patterns are still of greatest concern.
Highlights
Sugar is a highly palatable and a widely accessible commodity
The energy-adjusted median habitual total daily sugars intake was 74.2 g, accounting for 18.1% total energy intake (TEI), whereas median free sugars intake, as defined by the World Health Organization (WHO), was 39.3 g or 10.1% TEI
The intake of total and free sugars in adults was lower, at 59.3 g or 14.6% TEI and 22.6 g or 6.4% TEI, respectively
Summary
Due to its rewarding effect on the brain, eating behavior is frequently decoupled from the feeling of hunger, leading to frequent overconsumption of sugary foods and drinks [1,2]. Nutrients 2020, 12, 1729 in the form of soft drinks, is a well-documented risk factor for obesity and oral disease [3,4], while several studies suggested a link with other metabolic diseases [5,6] and even some forms of cancer [7]. The associations of free sugars consumption with obesity are often claimed to be merely a result of increased energy intake, studies have emphasized the incomplete energy compensation for energy delivered from sugars, when ingested in liquid form [8,9,10]. Mounting evidence of the detrimental effects of free sugars overconsumption has led the World Adverse changes in serum lipids and blood pressure were observed in relation to frequent sugar consumption without reported differences in weight change [11].
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