Abstract

MARINHO, Ana Rita; RAMOS, Elisabete; TORRES, Duarte  and  LOPES, Carla. Added and free sugars: review in the literature of estimated intakes and its main food sources. Acta Port Nutr [online]. 2019, n.19, pp.60-63. ISSN 2183-5985.  https://doi.org/10.21011/apn.2019.1911.

Excessive sugar intake in the population has become an increasingly Public Health issue, in particular, added and free sugars. However, there is still insufficient information on added and free sugars intake across populations and the main food sources at different age groups, namely due to inconsistency on the definitions and lack of a systematic approach to estimate its content in foods. The present review aims to explore the available data in the literature on added and free sugars intake at the population level and its main food sources, discussing definitions and assessment methods. Emerging evidence suggests an association between free sugar intake and several health-outcomes, which motivated several health authorities to recommend a limit of added and free sugars intake below 10% of energy intake. National dietary surveys (including data from Portugal) reported that children and adolescents had the highest intake of added and free sugars, thus showing the lowest adherence to recommended values (free sugar intake below 10% of total energy intake). The main food sources contributing to added and free sugars intake were mostly processed foods, such as sweets, cakes and soft drinks. Accordingly, standardized definitions and methods for reproducible research on the estimation of added sugars intake are needed, in order to allow comparisons across different populations. Also, the information from regular dietary surveys is required to support the development and assessment of policies’ effectiveness.

Keywords : Added sugars; Dietary surveys; Free sugars; Sugars.

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