What is sugar?

Sugars are a type of carbohydrate. Like other carbohydrates, sugars provide your body with energy. Some types of sugar occur naturally in foods and drinks and other types of sugar are added during processing.

Naturally occurring sugars

Naturally occurring sugars include:

• lactose in milk
• fructose in fruit and honey
• glucose in fruits and vegetables

Naturally occurring sugars are not always healthier than added sugars. However, natural sugars are often:

• eaten in smaller amounts
• found in foods that have other useful nutrients such as fibre, vitamins and minerals

Added sugars

Added sugars are refined (removed) from plants such as sugar cane and then added to a food or drink. There are many reasons sugars are added by manufacturers, such as to make the food taste sweeter and last (keep) longer.

Added sugars are often found in foods that are also:

• low in vitamins and minerals
• high in kilojoules (the unit used to measure energy in food)
• lacking other useful nutrients such as fibre

Some foods and drinks contain a combination of natural sugars and added sugars. For example, yoghurt contains lactose, which is a natural sugar found in dairy foods. It may also contain added sugar to make it taste sweeter.

What are the health risks of added sugar?

Too much added sugar in your diet can make you more likely to be overweight or obese.

Being overweight or obese can lead to other complications, such as:

• type 2 diabetes
• stroke
• high blood pressure
• some cancers
• heart disease
• kidney disease

Having too much added sugar in your diet also increases your risk of dental problems. Your mouth naturally contains bacteria, which produce acid when you eat or drink sugar. This acid wears away your tooth enamel, which can lead to cavities and tooth decay.

Health risks for children

If your child eats a lot of sugar it can increase their risk of chronic disease later in life.

Children and teens can have too much sugar through sweetened drinks such as:

• soft drinks
• sports drinks
• energy drinks
• fruit and vegetable juices

Children and teens may also consume more snacks that are high in sugar.

Should I limit the amount of sugar I eat?

Australian guidelines recommend that you limit the amount of added sugar in your diet. This is due to the health risks of added sugar.

It can be easy to overeat processed foods that are high in added sugar because often they don't make you feel full.

Over half of Australians have more sugar in their diet than is recommended.

World Health Organization recommendations

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that sugar should make up 10% or less of your daily energy intake. For an adult, this equals about 10 teaspoons (50 grams (g)) of sugar per day. This includes added sugars and naturally occurring sugars.

Reducing your intake to less than 5% of your daily energy intake (6 teaspoons or 25g) can provide more health benefits.

Where do I find added sugars on food labels?

Look at food labels to find out if any sugars have been added to a food. Labels also show the total amount (in grams) of sugar in a food. Learning how to read food labels can help you manage the amount of sugar in your diet.

Ingredients list

On food labels the ingredients are listed in order of their weight. Ingredients at the top of the ingredient list are found in the largest quantity.

Sugar may be listed under different names, such as:

• sucrose
• glucose
• fructose
• dextrose
• maltose
• golden syrup
• maple syrup
  

Nutrition information panel

In the nutrition information panel, sugars are listed under 'carbohydrates'. It will often show the amount of sugar:

• per 100g
• per serve

The amount of sugar per 100g is an easy way to compare the sugar content in products. For example, if one cereal brand has 10g of sugar per 100g and another has 5g of sugar per 100g, the second option is a lower sugar option.

The amount of sugar per serve shows how much sugar you will consume in one suggested serve of the product. This includes both naturally occurring and added sugar.

Foods that are labelled as 'low sugar' contain less than 2.5g of sugar per 100g.

How can I reduce my sugar intake?

To reduce your sugar intake you can:

• check food labels and choose options with less added sugar
• choose wholegrain food options
• choose foods labelled as 'low sugar'

You should avoid having too much added sugar in your diet. However, you should not avoid sugar altogether. Sugar is part of a balanced diet and gives your body the energy it needs.

Fruit, vegetables and dairy foods all contain naturally occurring sugars. These foods are also an important source of:

• fibre
• vitamins
• minerals

Reducing foods high in added sugars

Many packaged foods and drinks contain a large amount of added sugar.

You can consume less added sugar by limiting drinks such as:

• soft drinks
• sports drinks
• iced tea
• cordial

It's easy to drink too much of these types of drinks, as they don't make your body feel full. Try alternative drinks, such as:

• plain water
• soda water
• mineral water
• low-fat milk

You can also reduce added sugar in your diet by limiting foods such as:

• cakes, muffins and biscuits
• ice cream, desserts and lollies
• some breakfast cereals and muesli bars

Are sugar-free diets OK?

A diet with low amounts of added sugar can be healthy.

However, there is naturally occurring sugar in many foods such as:

• fruit
• some vegetables
• milk
• grains

These foods are an important part of a balanced diet. Without these foods in your diet, you may:

• have low energy levels
• not have enough of some important nutrients

To make sure you have a balanced diet, use the Australia's Dietary Guidelines. These guidelines show the amounts of different foods you should eat in a day.

If you would like to reduce your sugar intake to improve your health or lose weight, speak to your doctor or a dietitian. They can help you reduce your sugar intake in a healthy way.

Are sugar substitutes better for you?

Sugar substitutes are sweeteners that can be used to replace sugar in some foods and drinks.

There is some evidence that foods and drinks that are made with sweeteners instead of sugar can help with weight loss. This is because many sugar substitutes have fewer kilojoules.

Sugar substitutes may still cause:

• tooth decay
• health problems, if you consume too much

Sugar substitutes are often used:

• to sweeten drinks such as tea or coffee
• as an alternative to sugar when baking or cooking
• to make foods lower in kilojoules

Artificial sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners include:

• aspartame
• saccharin
• sucralose

These sugar substitutes have no kilojoules. They are found in many products in the supermarket and will often be labelled as 'diet' or 'no sugar'.

Nutritive sweeteners

Nutritive sweeteners include:

• fructose
• isomalt
• mannitol
• xylitol
• sorbitol
• polydextrose

These sugar substitutes are not kilojoule-free. They either have the same or less energy than sugar.

Food and drinks that contain nutritive sweeteners may be labelled as 'carbohydrate modified'.

Natural intense sweeteners

Natural intense sweeteners include:

• stevia
• monk-fruit extract

These sugar substitutes are kilojoule-free and are usually made from plants. Natural intense sweeteners are much sweeter than sugar, so most foods and drinks will only contain small amounts.

Sugar substitutes are not suitable for everyone. Ask your doctor if sugar substitutes are right for you.

What if I have a problem digesting sugars?

You may have an intolerance to (problem digesting) some naturally occurring sugars. This is different to food allergies. The symptoms of an intolerance can include:

• bloating
• flatulence
• diarrhoea
• constipation

If eating certain foods causes you to have food intolerance symptoms, see your doctor or a dietitian. They can give you:

• nutritional advice
• an eating plan that considers your medical circumstances

Lactose intolerance

Lactose intolerance is when you have difficulty digesting lactose. Lactose is a sugar found in milk and dairy products.

If you are lactose intolerant, some calcium-fortified milks and lactose-reduced milk may be good alternatives.

FODMAP intolerance

'FODMAP' stands for Fermentable Oligosaccharides, Disaccharides, Monosaccharides and Polyols.

FODMAP intolerance is when some naturally occurring sugars cause symptoms of food intolerance.

To manage a FODMAP intolerance you will need advice from a specialised dietitian.

Resources and support

For more information on sugar and how to have a balanced diet, talk to your doctor or a dietitian.

You can also check out these resources:

• Learn more about food labelling and sugar at Food Standards Australia New Zealand.
• Read about the Australian Dietary Guidelines at Eat For Health.
• Visit Nutrition Australia for tips on using less sugar.
• Heart Foundation has First Nations healthy eating resources, to show the health benefits of reducing your sugar intake.
• Monash University has a website dedicated to the low-FODMAP diet.

You can also call the healthdirect helpline on 1800 022 222 (known as NURSE-ON-CALL in Victoria). A registered nurse is available to speak with you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.