You "Ask", I Answer: Sugar and Satiety

[In regards to your Reuters.com interview about added sugar in the diet, some of your comments are inaccurate.]

There is no daily maximum recommendation for added sugars.

Based on insufficient evidence of links to dental caries, behaviour problems, cancer, risk of obesity and risk of hyperlipidemia, no upper limit (UL) was set within the Dietary Reference Intakes for added sugars.

However, although a UL was not set, a maximum intake level of 25% or less of energy was suggested based on the decreased intake of some micronutrients of American subpopulations exceeding this level.

25% or less of a 2,000 calorie diet is 125g of sugar.

[Also,] I am not sure how you can say that a muffin is not satiating.

A muffin contains more than sugar. It contains fat and some protein (more if it contains nuts) and, depending on the type of muffin, possibly fiber.

All of these components are strongly linked to satiety. -

- Kristy [last name unknown]
Via the blog

There most certainly are maximum recommendations for added sugars.

The United States Department of Agriculture recommends that people consuming 2,000 calories consume no more than 40 grams per day.

If you take in 1,600 calories, that figures drops to 24 grams. Those of you on a 2,800 calorie plan can consume up to 72 grams.

I am not sure where the 25% of calories figure you mention comes from, as I have never seen it before.

Onto your muffin comment.

While these baked goods are certainly not pure sugar, the percentage of calories from the sweet stuff is quite high.

In the case of a Starbucks 360-calorie low-fat blueberry and apricot muffin, 12.5 percent of calories come from fat, 7 percent from protein, and a stunning 50 percent from sugar (not general carbohydrates, just sugar!)

Even the full-fat muffins get a full quarter of their calories from sugar!

In both cases, fiber barely registers at just 2 grams.

I never said that muffins "do not satiate".

Instead, I pointed out that the high amounts of sugar are troubling because absolutely none of those calories contribute to a feeling of fullness.

Satiety can be achieved with less calories by replacing sugar grams with ones of fiber.

Why achieve satiety with 500 calories when you can achieve it with 275 of oatmeal, milk, and fruit?