In less than a second, the Google search engine is capable of finding 105 million results on that sweet word. And the figure shoots up to 1.710 million with the term in English. The social and media interest in sugar, loved and reviled in equal measure, is unquestionable. Like the scientist: every year new studies appear that shed light on the effect of its consumption on the body; that delve into the mechanism from which the brain obtains its gasoline, glucose; or that suggest a supposed addictive power.
With the data available at that time, the World Health Organization (WHO) launched its guideline in 2015 on the intake of this common ingredient in our diet. The main advice, still in force, is to reduce the consumption of free sugars throughout the life cycle . With this term, the WHO defines the monosaccharides and disaccharides added to food and beverages by the manufacturer or the consumer, in addition to the sugar naturally present in honey, syrups, fruit juices and juice concentrates.
For both adults and children, the current WHO recommendation is to maintain a sugar consumption below 10% of our total caloric intake , without losing sight of the fact that leaving it below 5% would produce additional health benefits. The empirical evidence collected so far already indicated that adults who include moderate amounts of sugar in their diet have less body weight, and that increasing the dose is associated with greater weight. Likewise, they showed that a consumption of free sugars higher than the aforementioned 10% produces higher rates of dental caries.
The additional 5% reduction is only conditional. The reality is that, at least until 2015, there were few epidemiological studies in populations with such low consumption that it could be sustained. The WHO reserves this formula for matters of public health importance even when the quality of the evidence is not high.
In any case, news is expected over the next few months. The WHO has on the table to review the new research, which will lead to an update of the international guideline. Also the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), based in Parma (Italy), has announced that from 2020 it will provide scientific evidence on the recommended daily intake and its effects on health.
To date, the most up-to-date recommendations document, as explained by Alma Palau, president of the General Council of Dietitians and Nutritionists (CGDN), is a practical guide for infants, children and adolescents prepared by the Nutrition Committee of the European Society of Gastroenterology , Hepatology and Pediatric Nutrition (ESPGHAN). This report sets clear limits for the consumption of free sugar in children and adolescents: 5% in those over two years of age and the lowest possible in babies. It also offers advice applicable to all ages.
The ESPGHAN recalls that exceeding the recommended levels presents a greater risk of developing overweight and obesity and is related to cardiovascular diseases and type 2 diabetes , in addition to gastrointestinal problems or tooth decay.
Very soon we will know what is new.
By Esther Martín del Campo
