A well established nutritional recommendation is that sugar should make up less than 10 per cent of human total energy intake per day. Now the World Health Organisation (WHO) has issued a draft guideline suggesting that reducing our intake to below 5 per cent of daily energy intake would have "additional (health) benefits."
For an adult with Body Mass Index (BMI) within the normal range, the new target is the equivalent of about 6 teaspoons a day of sugar. Taken as an additive to tea or coffee, this daily total target will probably feel achievable to those who do not possess a sweet tooth. However, when the many “hidden” sugars in processed foods are taken into account, the target becomes a challenge of entirely different proportions.
For example a tablespoon of ketchup contains about a teaspoon of sugar. And a single can of a sugar-sweetened carbonated drink may contain up to 10 teaspoons of sugar. With the proposed recommended limit including all forms of sugar naturally present in honey, fruit juices and fruit concentrates as well as sugar added to food by manufacturers, those fond of a sugary taste could be forgiven for feeling somewhat despondent about their prospects of meeting any guideline resulting from the current WHO consultative process.
While there can be no arguing with the world health body’s motivation in suggesting a reduction in overall sugar consumption in the light of increasing levels of obesity and tooth decay, some caution is warranted. Broadly the human diet consists of fat, protein and carbohydrate. Some decades ago fat was demonised by doctors and nutritionists due to its presumed role in causing cardiovascular disease. However, encouraged to reduce both the overall and constituent type of fat, unsurprisingly people increased their consumption of protein and carbohydrates (including sugar). This had unforeseen consequences for human health, some of which are only now being fully recognised.