Shocked to learn about daily reccomended amount of sugar

I work in public health in the UK. Companies making products in specific categories have been strongly encouraged to reformulate their products (through the Sugary Drinks Industry Levy, the voluntary reformulation targets of reducing sugar by 20%, and through front of pack labelling. However the food industry is very powerful, and fights us every step of the way. Coca Cola previously had cocaine in it, and whilst they've moved on from that, their fundamental product strategy of addictive stimulants is still the same.

Sugar is generally pretty bad for you. Getting it from whole fruit or vegetables is generally fine because you are getting it with a good amount of fibre that smoothes out the insulin spike, and makes you feel more full (so you eat less overall sugar). Getting it from processed foods (including blended fruit smoothies) where it has been made super easy to digest will lead you towards being pre-diabetic.

That said, I would try to find a balance. If you really enjoy sugary treats and have a sweet tooth, enjoy it. The NHS recommendation of 30g a day is a vast population-level average. If you have limited sugar intake on most normal days and have occasional treats, you'll be fine. Just watch your weight and your intake. See if you can see where you are getting sugar from processed foods that don't even satisfy your sweet tooth urge (think hidden sugar in some breads etc), those are the easiest to change.

/r/nutrition Thread