Saed News: Many people believe that only sweets and chocolate increase blood sugar, but in reality, even bread, rice, and some fruits also contribute significantly to daily sugar intake. Awareness of the recommended sugar limit can help prevent obesity, fatty liver, and diabetes.
According to SAEDNEWS, the article asks why people are constantly told to reduce sugar intake, why sugar is considered harmful, and what happens to sugar in the body. Since many Iranian households have at least one person dealing with blood sugar fluctuations, it is important to understand these issues, including how much sugar is actually allowed per day.
Any sugar we consume—whether natural or artificial—has two possible outcomes: it is either burned as energy or converted into fat. If you are physically active, sugar is burned and does not pose a risk. However, with low activity, unburned sugar is converted into fat and stored around the abdomen, in the liver, and other organs, or deposited in blood vessels. Over time, this increases the risk of stroke, fatty liver, diabetes, and even death. Therefore, the main cause of obesity is not fat intake, but excessive sugar consumption.
The safe daily limit depends on age, gender, and activity level. However, as a general guideline, for a middle-aged man with normal weight and low activity, more than 50–60 grams per day is excessive, and for a woman with similar conditions, more than 40–50 grams is too much and will be stored as fat. At most, half of this amount should come from added (artificial) sugar, not all from sweets, cakes, or soft drinks. Ideally, sugar should come from natural foods.
Most foods and drinks such as bread, rice, fruits, honey, fruit juice, and soft drinks contain sugar, so even small amounts can quickly reach the daily limit.
For example:
Tea with sugar + 50g of flatbread can equal about 35g of sugar intake
One tablespoon of honey contains about 20g of sugar
One apple contains about 19g of sugar
One regular soda contains about 35g of sugar
100g of cake can contain about 36g of sugar
Combining just a few of these can easily exceed the daily limit. Excess sugar that is not burned through activity turns into fat, leading to a growing belly and fatty liver over time.
It is important to understand the sugar content of foods and drinks and ensure daily intake does not exceed the recommended limit. If you consume too much sugar, immediate physical activity such as walking or exercise can help burn it before it is stored as fat. Excess sugar is considered harmful to the body.
