Sugar – to quit or not to quit?

‘Quitting sugar’ has become something of a catchphrase in recent years, popularised by celebrities who attribute this silver bullet to everything from weight loss to looking amazing. But is there scientific evidence to support the complete avoidance of sugar in our diets?

It is true that most public health authorities around the world have recommendations on limiting sugar consumption, usually expressed as a percentage that sugar contributes to the total energy intake (wait…what?). We’ll explain: the most commonly stated upper cut-off is 10% of energy from added sugar, which equates to around 50g of sugar/day for an adult, or 12 teaspoons in old money. That’s not a lot, especially when you consider that a glass of fruit juice has around 2 teaspoons, a tub of sweet yoghurt might have 4, and that slice of banana bread that’s been calling your name up to 8!

But guess what? In 2014, the World Health Organisation published guidelines on the additional health benefits that may be expected from halving the upper limit, yep – so that’s dropping from 12 teaspoons to just 6 teaspoons a day. They say that at this lower level, there would be less obesity and chronic disease in people, and less dental caries in kids. 

So how do Aussies stack up? The Australian Bureau of Statistics has data to show that sugar consumption is coming in at 20% of energy, of which 9.7% is from soft drinks, 6.5% from sugars, honeys and syrups and 5.8% from cakes, muffins, scones and cake-type desserts.  

Whoa! There is clearly a case for reducing sugar, particularly that coming from sugary drinks and treats. But let’s be honest, we all love something sweet, so what to do?

Here’s where sweeteners, like the old-school aspartame or the new-kids-on-the-block stevia and monkfruit, might come in. These provide the sweetness without the kilojoules. Win-win. And if you’ve been worried about the safety of these sugar alternatives, relax. Both the Cancer Council and Food Standards Australia New Zealand have exhaustively reviewed the research on this to conclude that there is no adverse health effects at current consumption levels. 

Therefore…the notion of ‘quitting sugar’, if applied sensibly, and not taken to its extreme, can be a useful in practice if it helps us eat less of those sweet foods we know aren’t great for us. However, a small amount of sugar added to something nutritious, like drizzling some honey onto a warm bowl of porridge (on those cool mornings you’re up early for a workout, of course!) is perfectly alright. Moderation and common sense prevail!

Jade Petitat is a Power Living certified yoga teacher, who combines traditional yogic philosophy with a modern-day approach to give participants a challenging, yet nurturing practice. When she is not on her mat, Jade works as an Accredited Practising Dietitian and is mum to a sweet little yogini.