UK Government Committee Recommends Halving Sugar Intake
The U.K. Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) has
released its final Carbohydrate and Health report recommending
that “free sugars account for no more than 5% of daily energy intake.”
Asked by the U.K. Department of Health and the Food Standards Agency
to “examine the latest evidence on the links between consumption of
carbohydrates, sugars, starch and fiber and a range of health outcomes,”
the expert panel commissioned systematic reviews of evidence from
prospective cohort studies and randomized controlled trials, in addition
to considering comments submitted in response to its first draft report.
Based on these findings, the report concludes, among other things, that
(i) “high levels of sugar consumption are associated with a greater risk of
tooth decay”; (ii) “drinking high-sugar beverages results in weight gain
and increases in BMI in teenagers and children”; and (iii) “consuming
too many high-sugar beverages increases the risk of developing type
2 diabetes.” To mitigate these health effects, SACN not only urges
consumers to minimize sugar-sweetened beverage consumption, but
recommends that “the term free sugar is adopted, replacing the terms
Non Milk Extrinsic Sugars (NMES) and added sugars.” The panel also
revised the dietary intake guidelines for fiber as follows: (i) adults over
age 16 should increase their fiber intake to 30 grams per day, (ii) children
ages 11 to 15 years should consume 25 grams daily, (iii) children ages 5
to 11 years should consume 20 grams daily, and (iv) children ages 2 to 5
years should consume 15 grams daily.
“The evidence is stark—too much sugar is harmful to health and we all
need to cut back. The clear and consistent link between a high-sugar diet
and conditions like obesity and type 2 diabetes is the wake-up call we
need to rethink our diet,” said SACN Carbohydrates and Health Chair
Ian Macdonald. “Cut down on sugars, increase fibre and we’ll all have a
better chance of living longer, healthier lives.”
Issue 572
