Sugar is not addictive. At least, your body will not become addicted to it. You are addicted to substances you need, and with use, you require increasingly larger amounts to achieve the same effect. If you stop consuming it, your body will experience withdrawal symptoms, and none of that applies to sugar. Sugar is also not poison. You won't die from it. You even need it.<\/p>\n
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Sugar is not harmful to our bodies in itself, but we eat too much of it. On average, 28 large sugar cubes a day, and because we do not exercise while doing so, we become overweight. Being overweight increases the risk of serious diseases. But being overweight is not the fault of a single nutrient. People become overweight because they eat too much of everything. Sugar is not the only factor.<\/p>\n
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Two years ago, the World Health Organization (WHO) advised that no more than 10 percent of daily energy intake should come from added sugars to prevent overweight. That is 50 grams for women and 60 grams for men. This refers to sugar added by manufacturers or consumers. The Dutch exceed this by well over 80 grams (14 percent of energy intake). Research by Wageningen University shows that only 19 percent of adults and 5 percent of young people meet the WHO guideline.<\/p>\n
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The industry puts too much sugar in products. As a consumer, you can pay better attention yourself. Labels on food and drinks state exactly how much sugar is in a product. Albert Heijn recently announced that it has been working for some time to put less sugar in its products. Watch the Albert Heijn YouTube video below.<\/p>\n