THE SWEET KILLER HEALTH IS WEALTH

to the 20-ounce bottle of soda and it can be a whopping 54 grams of sugar! And don’t think you are safe if you opt for those “healthy”, “all natural” (allegedly) fruit juices, as those typically pack somewhere between 25 and 40 grams of sugar.

The American Heart Association suggests that men intake less than or equal to 36 grams per day of sugar, yet most of us likely intake 2-3 times that much! Maybe more.

Consider that 1 teaspoon of sugar equals 4 grams, and many of us add several teaspoons in our coffee each morning, we’re well on our to reaching that sugar intake limit prior to consuming even 1 meal. And that’s before adding creamer (~6 grams of sugar per serving in some cases). You may then be surprised how much sugar is hidden in the various foods that we eat, particularly processed foods. Cereal. Salad dressing. Condiments. Granola bars. Spaghetti sauce. Jelly. Pasta. Bread. And more. They are packed with added sugar and as we ingest these foods the sugar count adds up throughout the day. And then once you throw in any flavored drinks, we’re really in

Diets high in sugar can lead to several health consequences, including cardiovascular disease, colon cancer, diabetes, tooth decay, kidney disease, liver disease, pancreatic cancer, and obesity (amongst others).

Consider taking an inventory of your eating and drinking habits to determine whether you are intaking more than the recommended 36 grams of added sugar per day and make the necessary adjustments to reduce your intake. Your life could depend on it. For any packaged foods or drinks that you purchase, take 5 seconds, flip to the back, look at the nutrition label, and check the line that displays the amount of sugar. You may be surprised (and concerned) about what you see.

Bro. B. Michael Young, Treasurer