Headline after headline tells us that too much sugar is doing our health no favors. And when it comes to excess sugar intake, it’s usually added sugar that’s the real issue.
After all, natural sugars — the ones found in whole, unprocessed foods, including the fructose in fruit or lactose in dairy — supply the body with needed energy in appropriate amounts, and they are often packaged alongside nutrients such as fiber or protein.
“Added sugars, though, are digested rapidly and cause a quick rise in blood sugar, which creates a cascade of metabolically damaging reactions,” explains Julie Upton, RD, who is based in Marin County, California. “High intakes of added sugars can lead to fatty liver disease, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, and systemic inflammation. They are often linked to overweight and obesity.”
RELATED: 6 Tips for Reducing Added Sugar in Your Diet
While U.S. dietary guidelines recommend limiting added sugars to no more than 10 percent of daily calories, research shows that 3 out of 4 people eat more than that.
If you don’t add sugar to food, you may think you’re in the clear, but several foods that fall outside of the dessert category can be surprisingly high in added sugar. Processed foods, many of which are not even sweet, account for 90 percent of all the added sugars people eat, according to a study.
Here are seven common foods that are secret sugar bombs.
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