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Current perspectives on global sugar consumption: definitions, recommendations, population intakes, challenges and
Janette Walton1, Haley Bell2, Roberta Re2
1Department of Biological Sciences, Munster Technological University, Cork, Republic of Ireland.
Nutrition Research Reviews
|August 9, 2021
Summary
Global dietary sugar intake remains high, particularly for children and adolescents, exceeding recommendations. More comprehensive data and standardized terminology are crucial for effective public health strategies and accurate intake estimations.
Area of Science:
- Nutrition Science
- Public Health
- Dietary Assessment
Background:
- Growing global emphasis on the link between dietary sugar and health outcomes.
- Implementation of national sugar reduction campaigns worldwide.
- Need for consolidated global data on sugar intake and recommendations.
Purpose of the Study:
- To provide context on sugar definitions and recommendations.
- To conduct a global review of dietary sugar intake data.
- To analyze sugar intake by age, country, and sugar form (total, free, added).
Main Methods:
- Systematic review of existing literature on dietary sugar intake.
- Analysis of data stratified by age group, country, and sugar type.
- Comparison of reported intakes against established recommendations.
Main Results:
- Free sugar intake as a percentage of total energy (%E) is highest in children/adolescents (12-14%E) and lowest in older adults (8%E).
- This trend is consistent for added sugars across lifecycle stages.
- Overall free/added sugar intakes generally exceed recommendations, despite some observed reductions.
Conclusions:
- Significant data gaps exist, especially in developing countries, hindering broad conclusions.
- Harmonization of sugar terminology is needed, driven by public health goals.
- Collaborative efforts are essential for updated food composition data to inform recommendations and intake modeling.
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