Abstract
A high sugar intake is a subject of scientific debate due to the suggested health implications and recent free sugar recommendations by the WHO. The objective was to complete a food composition table for added and free sugars, to estimate the intake of total sugars, free sugars, and added sugars, adherence to sugar guidelines and overall diet quality in Dutch children and adults. In all, 3817 men and women (7–69 years) from the Dutch National Food Consumption Survey 2007–2010 were studied. Added and free sugar content of products was assigned by food composition tables and using labelling and product information. Diet was assessed with two 24-h recalls. Diet quality was studied in adults with the Dutch Healthy Diet-index. Total sugar intake was 22% Total Energy (%TE), free sugars intake 14 %TE, and added sugar intake 12 %TE. Sugar consumption was higher in children than adults. Main food sources of sugars were sweets and candy, non-alcoholic beverages, dairy, and cake and cookies. Prevalence free sugar intake <10 %TE was 5% in boys and girls (7–18 years), 29% in women, and 33% in men. Overall diet quality was similar comparing adults adherent and non-adherent to the sugar guidelines, although adherent adults had a higher intake of dietary fiber and vegetables. Adherence to the WHO free sugar guidelines of <5 %TE and <10 %TE was generally low in the Netherlands, particularly in children. Adherence to the added and free sugar guidelines was not strongly associated with higher diet quality in adults.
Highlights
A high intake of sugars is subject of scientific debate due to its suggested health implications, mainly on obesity risk
Free sugar consumption was somewhat higher than added sugars consumption: median 74 g/day and
Men had a higher absolute sugar intake compared to women, but women consumed more energy from sugars compared to men
Summary
A high intake of sugars is subject of scientific debate due to its suggested health implications, mainly on obesity risk. In their review of 30 trials and 38 cohort studies, Te Morenga, Mallard and Mann found that a higher ad libitum intake of free sugars and SSB was associated with weight gain [6]. This association was driven by energy intake [6], results from randomized controlled trials suggest that there is inadequate energy compensation for energy delivered from sugars [2]. As a result, increasing sugar intake increases energy intake in free-living individuals consuming ad libitum diets [2,7] It is not clear whether this is restricted to liquid calories from SSB or to sugars from the total diet [8]. There is consistent evidence that a higher SSB intake is associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus type 2 [9]
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