Rachel K. Johnson, associate provost and professor of nutrition in UVM's College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, is telling Americans to drastically cut their sugar consumption. And the whole world seems to be listening.
Stories have appeared in media from "The New York Times" and "Wall Street Journal" to Good Morning America. Lead author on a new American Heart Association scientific statement, released Aug. 24, her comments spurred worldwide media coverage that continues into October so far.
In it she offers specific guidance on limiting the consumption of added sugars and information about the relationship between excess sugar intake and metabolic abnormalities, adverse health conditions and shortfalls in essential nutrients. The statement is published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association and sets forth the organization's position.
"Sugar has no nutritional value other than to provide calories," Johnson said. "Consuming foods and beverages with excessive amounts of added sugars displaces more nutritious foods and beverages for many people."
The statement says that most women should consume no more than 100 calories (about 25 g) of added sugars per day. Most men should consume no more than 150 calories (about 37.5 g) each day.
That's about six teaspoons of added sugar a day for women and nine for men. And it cites a report from the 2001-04 NHANES survey that showed the average intake of added sugars for all Americans was 22.2 teaspoons per day (355 calories).
In the Wall Street Journal article, Marion Nestle, professor of nutrition and food studies at New York University, calls this report a significant departure from previous recommendations, because no one has delivered the message of reducing sugar consumption "so forcefully."
Added sugars are defined as sugars and syrups added to foods during processing or preparation, and sugars and syrups added at the table. High intake of added sugars, as opposed to naturally occurring sugars, is implicated in the rise in obesity.
It's also associated with increased risks for high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, other risk factors for heart disease and stroke, and inflammation (a marker for heart disease), according to Johnson.
Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the number one source of added sugars in Americans' diet, according to the statement. "One 12-ounce can of regular soda contains about 130 calories and 8 teaspoons of sugar," Johnson said.
The American Heart Association recommends a dietary pattern that is rich in fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, high-fiber whole grains, lean meat, poultry and fish.
"This new statement expands on earlier recommendations and gives consumers more detailed guidance by recommending a specific upper limit on added-sugars intake," Johnson says.
In addition, the new statement recommends that no more than half of a person's daily discretionary calorie allowance should come from added sugars. Discretionary calories refer to the number of calories "left over" after a person eats the recommended types and amounts of foods to meet nutrient requirements, such as fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, high-fiber whole grains, lean meat, poultry and fish.