[Global Network Reporter Li Qingyun]”At the same time as controlling sugar, you should pay attention to controlling total energy intake.” The four institutions of the Chronic Disease Prevention and Control Branch of the Chinese Preventive Medicine Association issued the “Science Three Reduction of Smart Sugar” (hereinafter referred to as the “joint reminder”), in which we conduct daily sugar control, kitchen sugar, and purchase of food, etc. scientific advice.
Weight loss should pay attention to control total energy intake
In fact, sugar is one of the important nutrients that sustain life activities: in addition to providing energy, it is also an important substance that constitutes the body’s tissues and cells, and is also involved in fat and protein metabolism. The key to the relationship between sugar and health is the amount, and excessive intake will be harmful to health.
The “Sugar Intake Level and Risk Assessment Report of Chinese Urban Residents” shows that the average daily intake of 9.1 grams of sugar per person by urban residents aged 3 and above in my country is far lower than that of many other countries in the world, and also lower than the “Diet of Chinese Residents”. The recommended daily limit of 50 grams in the Guidelines (2022). However, it is worth noting that in recent years, the sugar intake of children and adolescents in my country has increased year by year, which is not conducive to the prevention and control of obesity and related chronic diseases.
Chen Junshi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, pointed out that children, adolescents, and overweight and obese people should pay more attention, while ordinary people can enjoy delicious food on the premise of a reasonable diet, without talking too much about the discoloration of “sugar”.
Diversified food and balanced eating are the core of a healthy diet, and only controlling the intake of added sugars cannot fundamentally improve health. Controlling energy intake is an important way to prevent and treat overweight, obesity and related chronic diseases. Controlling sugar is an important aspect but not the whole of energy control.
Ding Gangqiang, director of the Institute of Nutrition and Health of the Chinese Center for Disease Control and Prevention, emphasized that the focus of sugar control is to control added sugars, rather than fructose and lactose naturally contained in fruits and vegetables and milk. The intake of fruits, vegetables and milk among Chinese residents is generally insufficient.
Watch out for sugar in meals
In addition to providing sweetness in food, sugar also affects texture, taste, aroma and color. It is also commonly used as a pickling and preservative raw material, so it is widely used in home cooking and the food and beverage industry. The main source of sugar for Chinese people is cooking. Therefore, controlling the amount of sugar used in home kitchens, canteens, and restaurant kitchens is very important for sugar control and sugar reduction.
Zhong Kai, director of the Kexin Food and Health Information Exchange Center, said that traditional cooking methods such as sweet and sour, braised, shredded, fried sugar, and other traditional cooking methods should not be eaten frequently or in large quantities. When dining out or ordering takeaways, you can ask businesses to put less or no sugar. , Serve with water or tea, and replace dessert with fresh fruit. In addition, when purchasing food, you can choose products that replace or partially replace sugar with sweeteners.
Learn to read labels
Processed food is not the main source of sugar intake for Chinese residents, but with the increasing consumption of prepackaged food, the impact of unreasonable consumption on health should also be paid attention to.
It is mentioned in the “joint reminder” that the top ranking of food ingredients means higher content. In addition to white sugar, sucrose, and syrup, the more hidden forms of sugar include honey, concentrated fruit juice, etc. At the same time, adding a variety of sugar-containing ingredients may cause make it rank lower.
In addition, the “NRV%” in the nutrition label represents the ratio of the nutrient content in the food to the recommended daily amount, which is an important reference for purchasing food. But when estimating, pay attention to whether the nutrition label is “per 100 grams” (or per 100 milliliters) or “per serving”, sometimes a food package has more than one serving.
It is suggested in the “joint reminder” that people who need to control sugar should prefer products with low sugar content, or products marked with “low sugar” and “sugar free” among similar products. You can also help control your energy intake by choosing small-package, small-portion products.
Chen Junshi, an academician of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, pointed out that food and beverage companies need to further improve processing techniques, reduce the amount of sugar added in food and beverages, provide more low-sugar, sugar-free or small-package products for the public to choose from, and study the use of sweeteners to replace sugar. technology. At the same time, corporate publicity should respect science, do not over-market, do not use misleading information, and guide the public to understand sugar and sweeteners scientifically and objectively.