A sugar rush is an aftermath effect of taking excess sugar which is why you need to know just how much sugar you should take daily.
Added sugar is about the most destructive ingredient around the world. Why? Because it contains calories, yet it provides the body with no nutrients whatsoever.
Often referred to as empty calories, sugar, when consumed in excess (over time) can lead to a sugar rush, damage a person’s metabolism, among other things.
Although harmful on the long run, sugar doesn’t necessarily have to be completely cut off your entire meal.
ALSO READ: 5 Tips For Nigerians To Make Healthy Eating A Habit
Now, if that is the case, what then is the recommended quantity of sugar an individual should consume daily?
First, we need to understand that there is a difference between added sugar and natural sugar.
Natural sugars are naturally found in like healthy foods like fruits and veggies. They contain water, alongside other micronutrients, which makes them fine and good for consumption.
Added sugar, on the other hand, are added artificially to foods to sweeten these foods.
According to the World Health Organisation guidelines on added sugars, an individual should consume nothing more than 7 teaspoons/cubes (30g) of sugar daily. (Note: 1 teaspoon of sugar is -+about 4g)
Also, according to the American Heart Association (AHA), the recommended amount of added sugar you should eat daily are;
For men– 150 calories per day which is about 37.5 g or 9 teaspoons.
For women- 100 calories per day which is about 25 g or 6 teaspoons.
Minimizing your daily sugar intake to meet any of the following recommendations wouldn’t be a bad place to start.
Note: Just because these recommendations are in teaspoon measurements doesn’t mean that you have to take 6-9 teaspoons daily (asides the additional sugars from your candies, sodas, biscuits, cakes and the likes).
As a matter of fact, the quantity of added sugar in some junk foods (excluding the amount of sugar you get from natural foods) supersedes the daily recommendation, which means that adding an extra 6-9 teaspoon will overshoot your intake.
When this happens, you experience sugar rush, which is as a result of the quick conversion of sugar in the body to glucose.
Unlike the case of added sugar, taking fruits or any other food with natural sugar slow down the rate of digestion and conversion of sugar to glucose because of the presence of other nutrients like fibre in fruits or proteins in dairy products, which is you hardly experience sugar rush by feasting on fruits and other healthy foods.
Now that you know how much sugar you should take on a daily basis, why not share this article to help your overly sugar-eating friend.
