Understanding the Hidden

Sugars Found in Foods

It’s a fact: people love sugar.

But while an occasional candy bar, slice of pie

or can of soda is relatively harmless, Americans

consume much more sugar every day than is

considered healthy—virtually all in the form of

added sugars.

Often we unknowingly consume these added

sugars, with food manufacturers finding clever

ways to sneak sugar into foods you’d never

otherwise suspect.

We’ll explore this and other interesting facts

about the stuff we all love so much—sugar.

While sugar is found in obvious places like soda pop, candy, and cookies, it has slowly

crept into other seemingly harmless packaged foods. This is due in large part to the low-

fat craze that has taken America by storm in recent decades. When fat is removed from

foods, flavor suffers. In response, food manufacturers began replacing fat with sugar.

Foods you’d never suspect now contain added sugars, including many brands of

ketchup, yogurt, and even salad dressings!

Recommendations for the maximum amount of

added sugars a person should consume vary.

The World Health Organization (WHO)

recommends no more than 6 teaspoons (25

grams) per day for a person with a normal body

mass index (BMI).

The American Heart Association (AHA)

recommends no more than 100 calories (6 tsp)

per day for women and no more than 150

calories (9 tsp) per day for men.

To put this into perspective, consider that a 12oz

can of regular soda pop contains between 35

and 41 grams of sugar, on average.

Our understanding of how sugar affects the

body is changing virtually by the day. Sugar

is linked to an increased risk of heart attacks,

diabetes, high blood pressure, and cancer. It

has also been implicated in fatty liver

disease, obesity, and even dementia.

The overweight and obese are higher risk

candidates for disease; however, a

significant number of normal weight

individuals have metabolic syndrome and are

at increased risk for diseases like diabetes.

The dramatic increase in sugar

consumption is in part responsible for

America’s obesity epidemic and for

the increase in diseases like

diabetes, especially Type 2 (adult

onset) diabetes.

The goal is to get pumped, not

plumped. That’s why Promax

Nutrition™ created a line of lower

sugar (LS) protein bars with 3-9

grams of sugar and 12-18 grams of

protein each.

The number one way to reduce your sugar

intake is to eat whole, unprocessed foods.

o Limit consumption of cookies, chips,

and refined grains like white bread

and white pasta.

o Ditch the soda pop altogether.

Choose lower sugar options like

Promax Lower Sugar Protein bars,

which deliver 12-18 grams of protein

per bar and 3-9 grams of sugars.

A caveat to limiting or eliminating

consumption of added sugars revolves

around exercise. When we exercise our

muscle glycogen stores are depleted,

especially with vigorous endurance workouts.

Muscle glycogen stores provide essential fuel

for our muscles. Building and replenishing

these stores by eating carbohydrates

(including sugars) before and after exercise is

important for preventing “bonking,” or “hitting

the wall.”

The nutrition bars in the Original and Pro

Series lines by Promax Nutrition are ideal for

fueling the body and replenishing glycogen

stores before, during, and after workouts.

Since 1996, Promax Nutrition™ has been making some of

the best-selling protein energy bars. The company has

developed a reputation in the industry for high-quality,

great-tasting protein bars that offer trusted nutrition. With a

wide range of products, Promax® is more committed than

ever to developing innovative, convenient, and portable

nutrition products for active people striving stay fit and

achieve a healthy lifestyle.

For more information, please visit

www.promaxnutrition.com.

1. http://www.drperlmutter.com/about/grain-brain-by-david-perlmutter/

2. http://www.heart.org/HEARTORG/GettingHealthy/NutritionCenter/HealthyE

ating/Added-Sugars-Add-to-Your-Risk-of-Dying-from-Heart-

Disease_UCM_460319_Article.jsp

3. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2708080/

4. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15333488