Sometimes a small cookie, sometimes a chocolate and a glass of juice in between: these days we like to sweeten our lives. And as we all know, children are happya lot on sweets. Everyone now knows that excessive consumption of foods containing sugar can have negative consequences for our health. But how much sugar a day is actually okay and what is the upper limit for children and adults? Is there even healthy sugar? We are trying to find the answer to these and other questions.
How much sugar can you eat per day?
Most processed foods taste good, but contain far too much sugar. And it has negative effects on our bodies. In the short term, excessive consumption can make us unable to work and tired; in the long term, it can cause us to sufferother things, stomach problemsand lead to sleep disorders. Anyone who consumes too much sugar is also more susceptible to bacteria, fungi and viruses. The immune system is weakened by an unhealthy diet and can no longer properly protect the body. Increased sugar consumption quickly leads to obesity. The more sugar you eat every day, the more of the hormone insulin your body releases. The increased insulin production could lead to type 2 diabetes. People who like to eat a lot of sweets are also at risk of cardiovascular disease. The brain also suffers in the long term because it produces new nerve cells much more slowly.
But sugar doesn't just have negative effects on our bodies. A hundred years ago it was used to heal wounds. Our grandmothers made jam with extra sugar because it has excellent preservative properties. The right amount of sugar can also promote concentration.
Whether heharmful or healthyis for us and how many grams of sugar we can eat per day are complicated questions. The answer depends primarily on what type of sugar we are talking about. There are three types of sugar: glucose, fructose and lactose.
The types of sugar at a glance: glucose, lactose, fructose and table sugar
1. Glucose, popularly known as glucose, is found in fruits such as apples, apricots, bananas, grapes, in vegetables such as carrots, peppers, onions and in grains such as corn. It is also obtained industrially from corn starch through hydrolysis. On average, an adult's blood contains 100 mg of glucose per 100 ml of blood. Our body needs two teaspoons of glucose daily for the brain and nervous system to function properly. For this purpose, he usually processes bread, potatoes, pasta, as well as fruits and vegetables with a high glucose content into energy. This then supplies important organs. When too much glucose is produced, the excess is stored in the cells. It is a popular sweetener and humectant.
2. Lactose is still called milk sugar. As the name suggests, dairy products such as cheese, quark or yoghurt contain the sugar lactose. But ready meals such as pizza and ready-made sauces can also have a high lactose content. As a rule, 12 g of lactose per day is considered to be tolerated. However, some people develop a deficiency in the enzyme lactase as they get older. Those affected cannot convert the lactose into glucose and process it further.The lactose-intolerant patientYou should keep your milk consumption to a minimum, while yogurt is considered safe.
3. The fructose is incontain many fruits. It is considered harmless and can be easily processed by the body as long as it is not processed industrially. The sugar found in fruits and vegetables is considered unproblematic. However, daily consumption of packaged sweets with a high fructose content is not recommended.
4. The situation is different with table sugar (sucrose), which consists of 50% glucose and 50% fructose. According to statistics, an adult in Germany consumes over 30 kg of household sugar annually. This is very problematic because a lot of glucose and fructose end up in our blood and the cells of the most important organs. The consequences are frightening: more and more people are developing fatty liver disease and diabetes. Then most people ask themselves the question: “How much sugar can a person eat a day?”
How much sugar can a person eat per day?
But what is the upper limit for daily sugar consumption and how much sugar is too much? The World Health Organization recommends severely limiting daily consumption. If you want to stay healthy, you should not consume more than 6 teaspoons (25 g) daily. This also includes household sugar, which is processed industrially in various wayscontain foodsis. This means that the maximum sugar content in the diet is set at 5%. The recommendation applies above all to table sugar, fructose and glucose, which are often used to sweeten foods, desserts, sweets, instant dishes and drinks.
How much sugar is too much according to the German Nutrition Society?
The German Society for Nutrition and the German Diabetes Society recommend not exceeding 50 g of household sugar per day. Overall, sugar in any form should not cover more than ten percent of your daily energy needs. At the moment the situation looks different for both adults and children. Because women consume around forty percent and men thirty percent more than the recommended maximum. In children, the percentage of sugar is an astonishing 75% - well above the daily limit.
Confectionery is the main source of sugar. Around a third of household sugar intake comes from packaged sweets. Juices and drinks make up around 1/5 of your daily sugar intake. We explain how much sugar is in different foods.
How much sugar is in 1 liter of cola? One liter of Cola contains 106 grams of sugar, which is around 35 cubes of sugar. Incidentally, Coca Cola has now changed the recipe and already contains 4 fewer sugar cubes. Soft drinks like Fanta or Sprite still contain 90 grams of sugar per 1 liter. Surprisingly, juices contain a comparatively high amount of sugar. Consumers should also read the label carefully when it comes to nectars, as up to 200 g of sugar per liter is permitted by law. That's twice as many sugar cubes as in soft drinks! Incidentally, iced tea also contains a surprising amount of sugar - up to 28 sugar cubes per liter. A 1L bottle of lemonade contains 26 sugar cubes.
How much sugar can a child eat per day?
Nowadays, it is clear to all parents that the packaged sweets and most soft drinks are unhealthy due to the high sugar content. But how much sugar can a child eat per day? The sugar that children get from eating fruit, milk and vegetables is considered harmless.
How much sugar for toddlers: One-year-olds should ideally not consume more than 13 grams of sugar. Children between the ages of 2 and 3 should not exceed the upper limit of 17 grams of sugar per day. Toddlers between 4 and 6 years old should not eat more than 23 grams per day.
Parents who want to stick to this should, among other things, read the labels of fruit juice drinks and breakfast cereals, because these foods in particular are considered real calorie bombs.
Why is sugar unhealthy for children, explained in a child-friendly way
Children love sweets and unfortunately no explanation can help parents. But it is still important to explain to children in a child-friendly way why sugar is unhealthy even though it tastes so good. A few tricks can help parents of small children with the task.
For babies and toddlers up to three years old, it often helps if fruits and vegetables are arranged beautifully on the plate. The more colorful and imaginative, the better. At this age it is also advisable to prepare iced tea and juices yourself. This means parents can check the sugar content at any time.
The candy box is ideal for small children between 4 and 6 years old. The goal is to train people to handle confectionery better. Once a week the family sits down and each child fills their box with seven portions of candy. The child can then eat some whenever they want during the week. In the first few weeks the candy box will be empty quickly, but after a month most children start dividing the candy among the days of the coming week.
Children in primary school can, together with their parents, place different sweets on plates and print out the sugar content using sugar cubes right next to them. Then the parent can ask the child to eat several sweets. After the snack break, everyone can calculate together how much sugar the child has consumed.
