In its new nutritional recommendations, the World Health Organization (WHO) wants adults and children to reduce their sugar consumption to 10% of their daily energy intake, in order to reduce the risk of overweight, obesity and cavities. This new recommended limit obviously includes all added sugars, especially in soft drinks, fruit juices and foods. And this is only a first step since the WHO would like this daily sugar intake to soon represent only 5% of our energy intake.
“A reduction to less than 5% sugar, or about 25 grams per day or six teaspoons, would provide additional health benefits,” explained Dr. Francesco Branca, director of the department of nutrition for health and the development at WHO. “A study shows that it would reduce the number of dental cavities to zero,” he added.
This WHO recommendation comes at the end of a consultation procedure launched a year ago and during which more than 170 expert testimonies were analyzed. The stakes are high because non-communicable diseases such as diabetes, cancer or heart disease are the cause of 16 million premature deaths each year worldwide. However, the incidence of these diseases could be greatly reduced through a more balanced diet and lower in sugar. Similarly, too high a level of sugar in the blood (hyperglycaemia) damages the small vessels of the kidneys which no longer play their role as filters and promotes chronic renal failure.
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