Is Sugar Bad for You?
There’s nothing wrong with a little bit of sugar. But eating a lot of sugar can cause problems.1
Why Is Too Much Bad?
The bacteria in your mouth love sugary foods. They turn sugar into acid that is strong enough to drill holes in your teeth, causing cavities.2
Some sugary foods also tend to be high in calories and fat—but low in nutrients. If you fill up on sugar-rich foods, you’ll crowd out healthier foods, such as fruits and vegetables.1, 4
What to Watch
Experts recommend eating sugary foods in moderation. You can begin by limiting major sources of added sugar. These include:
The Nutrition Facts label on foods will only list the total sugar in a food. This includes both added sugars and natural sugars, such as those found in fruit.4
There are many different types of added sugar. These include corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, fruit juice concentrate, glucose, lactose, maltose, malt syrup, raw sugar, sucrose, syrup, molasses, invert sugar, and table sugar.3
If a food or beverage has a lot of added sugar in it, you’ll see one of these names listed as the first or second ingredient. Or the ingredient list will include several of these sugars.4
1“Oral Health Topics: Diets and Oral Health.” American Dental Association, March 14, 2005. www.ada.org/public/topics/diet.asp Accessed 2008.
2“MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Dental cavities.” U.S. National Library of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, May 28, 2008. www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/001055.htm Accessed 2008.
3“Inside the Pyramid – What are ‘added sugars?’” United States Department of Agriculture, September 11, 2008. www.mypyramid.gov/pyramid/discretionary_calories_sugars.html Accessed 2008.
4“Eating Healthier and Feeling Better Using the Nutrition Facts Label.” U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, August 2006. www.cfsan.fda.gov/~acrobat/nutfacts.pdf Accessed 2008.