How to Be a Conscious Eater

47

ADDED SUGARS AND

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS

I

f you remember nothing else about sugar and sweetness

from this book, remember that the simplest, most healthful

goal you can set in this arena is to keep the amount of added

sugar as low as possible. Although the Daily Value is 50 grams, the

American Heart Association recommends keeping it to 25–36

grams per day.

AHA-RECOMMENDED DAILY SUGAR VALUES

Men 9 teaspoons 36 grams 150 calories

Women 6 teaspoons 25 grams 100 calories

Children 3–6 teaspoons

(depends on age

and caloric needs)

12–25 grams 50–100 calories

Also under the heading of sugar-related “good intention,

wrong abstention” is the tendency among many consumers to

believe that added sugars that are either naturally derived or

zero-calorie are more healthy.

Much marketing has gone into convincing us that anything

“natural” must be healthier than something artificial. Some

of the naturally derived sugar sources like agave nectar and

maple syrup do have nutrients, whereas all the nutrients have

been stripped out of table sugar. But you’d have to consume

unhealthy quantities of those natural sweeteners to reap any

health benefits, so it’s a moot point. Added sugars behave basically

the same way in the body, whether we’re talking about white sugar,

196 how to be a Conscious Eater

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