Whether in the form of sucrose, fructose or even maltose, all forms of sugars must be consumed in a measured manner, according to the health authorities. The National Health Safety Agency (ANSES) specifically recommends not ingesting more than 100g of sugars per day, excluding lactose and galactose, and no more than one glass of sugary drink. For its part, the World Health Organization recommends limiting the consumption of sugars at a maximum of 10% of total energy intake. In short, this amounts to swallowing 50 g of sugar when daily meals total 2000 kcalories.
While the magazine 60 million consumers has been warning for many years about the dangers of sugars hidden in many foods, making it all the more complicated to check your daily sugar intake, a Swedish study which has just been published in the scientific journal Frontiers in Public Health overturns the truths that we thought were well established on this subject, such as avoiding sweets at all costs. The conclusions are much more nuanced and once again raise the subject of the excess sugars contained in sugary drinks, including fruit juices. We already knew that this type of liquid contained proportions of sugars higher than the standards of the World Health Organization, and that it was better to bite into an apple rather than drink its juice.
But this new study carried out on around 70,000 Swedes, followed for 22 years from 1997, sounds the alarm about the harmful effects of sugary drinks, considered worse than any other form of sugar, including sweets. The explanation is ultimately logical: “liquid sugars, present in sugary drinks, generally provide less satiety than solid forms. They make you feel less full, which can lead to overconsumption” analyzes Suzanne Janzi, doctoral student at Lund University and author of this study.
In fact, this analysis reveals how it is not a question of pointing out sugar as a whole, but rather of understanding the way in which carbohydrates are present in a food – and therefore consumed. “This surprising contrast highlights the importance of considering not only the amount of sugar consumed, but also its source and context“, adds the scientist. The risk could not be more serious, since we are talking about developing cardiovascular diseases. This is the case for all sugars, but even more so for fruit juices, sodas and other sugary drinks. Specifically, we expose ourselves to the danger of aneurysm, stroke or heart failure.
And if this study rehabilitates the occasional consumption (we say occasional!) of sweets, the Swedish researchers have also noticed that a consumption too low in sugars is also harmful to health. “These results suggest that extremely low sugar intake may not be necessary or beneficial for cardiovascular health,” adds Dr. Janzi. In the end, the researchers estimated in a press release that “the highest risks of negative health effects occurred in the category of lowest consumption of treats. Occasional consumption of treats was associated with better outcomes than no treats.”
However, take it easy on the sweets! Because previous studies, still carried out by 60 million consumers, had clearly demonstrated the quantity of colorings, additives and even nanoparticles in certain sweets. In short, there’s no need for too much.