The Hidden Danger of Sugar

THE HIDDEN DANGER
OF SUGAR

IS THERE SUCH A THING AS
GOOD SUGAR AND BAD SUGAR?

Sugar presents naturally in some food like fruits as fructose and milk as lactose. The typical Malaysian diet also includes added sugar or sweeteners to food and beverages. Apart from that, hidden sugars can be concealed under a different name on food labels.

YOU'RE PROBABLY EATING AND DRINKING
MORE SUGAR THAN YOU REALISE

YOU'LL SEE...

DAILY SUGAR CONSUMPTION IS HIGHER
IN MEN AND RURAL AREA⁴

HOW DID WE GET HERE?

More of our sugar consumption comes from drinks we mix ourselves, rather than ready-to-drink and pre-mixed beverages that we buy from stores.

4 teaspoons of sugar or 3 teaspoons of sweetened condensed milk - that's how much sugar some of us eat per day from sweetened drinks like tea, coffee, flavoured milk, and local kuih⁴

LET'S DO THE MATH

The World Health Organisation recommends no more than 10 teaspoons of added and hidden sugar per day

The average Malaysian adults consume a total of 7 teaspoons of added sugars a day just from beverages

Counting the hidden sugars in our food and processed drinks throughout the day, our daily sugar intake would way exceed the recommended limit

WHAT FOOD CONTAIN HIDDEN SUGAR?

Soft drinks
and flavoured water

Juices and smoothies

Tea and coffee drinks

Some alcoholic
beverages

Sweets

Dairy desserts
and milk products

Soups and sauces

Processed breakfast
foods

Industrial bread

Noodles

Canned vegetables

Salad dressings

Hidden sugars are ingredients in food and beverage products
labelled under a different name than 'sugar'

SUGAR (SUCROSE) HAS SEVERAL
FUNCTIONAL ROLES IN FOOD THAT ADDS
TO ITS FLAVOUR, APPEARANCE,
TEXTURE AND SHELF LIFE

If sugar is removed from food products, manufacturers may need to depend
on additives and other less natural ingredients⁹

Pay attention to the food label to gauge how much sugar is in the product

Excessive sugar intake leads to various nutritional and health consequences

CUTTING DOWN ON SUGAR IS
EASIER THAN YOU THINK

Slowly reduce the amount of sugar you usually add to your self-prepared food or drinks like coffee, tea, pancakes, and baked goods

Limit items with high sugar content in the house

Read the food label and ingredient list to choose the healthier option between similar products

Click to learn how to read food labels

Choose food and drinks products with a Healthier Choice Logo (HCL)

Click to learn more about the HCL

Share your sugary beverages or dessert with others, or opt for a smaller portion to half the sugar intake

Remove visible sugars from desserts that you ordered like sugar coatings on kuihs, or choose desserts that are not sugar-coated like plain doughnuts without toppings

HOW MUCH SUGAR IS IN MALAYSIA'S
POPULAR FOODS?

Knowing how much sugar you're consuming is a critical step in a healthy diet, especially when
you're diagnosed with prediabetes

FOOD

KUIH KOCI

1 piece (40-50 gram)

KUIH KERIA

1 piece (55-65 gram)

SERI MUKA

1 piece (110-120 gram)

DOUGHNUT

1 piece (45-55 grams)

KUIH LAPIS

1 piece (120-140 gram)

LEPAT PISANG

1 piece (65-75 gram)

BINGKA UBI KAYU

1 piece (70-90 gram)

CEKODOK PISANG

1 piece (100 gram)

KUIH APAM BALIK

1 piece (100 gram)

PAU KAYA

1 piece (100 gram)

PAU KACANG MERAH

1 piece (100 gram)

KUIH BAKAR

1 piece

DRINKS

SOYA DRINK

1 serving (300 ml)

TEA

1 serving (240 ml)

GRASS JELLY DRINK

1 serving (300 ml)

ISOTONIC DRINK

1 serving

CARBONATED DRINK

1 serving

ENERGY DRINK

1 serving

FULL CREAM MILK

1 serving

LOW FAT MILK

1 serving

PRE-MIX COFFEE

1 serving

PRE-MIX COCOA

1 serving

BUBBLE MILK TEA

1 serving

IS ALL SUGAR BAD?

WE HAVE 5 MYTHS ABOUT SUGAR CONTROL
THAT YOU NEED TO STOP BELIEVING

The information contained herein develop in collaboration with UPM.

Panel of Advisors

Department of Dietetics

Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences

Universiti Putra Malaysia

References:

1. Amarra MSV, Khor G & Chan P (2016). Intake of added sugar in Malaysia: A review. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr 25(2): 227-240

2. IPH (2014). The National Health and Morbidity Survey 2014: Malaysian Adult Nutrition Survey (MANS). Vol II: Survey Findings. Institute for Public Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Kuala Lumpur

3. IPH (2020). National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2019: Non-Communicable Diseases, Healthcare Demand, and Health Literacy Key Findings. Institute for Public Health, National Institutes of Health, Ministry of Health Malaysia, Selangor

4. NCCFN. 2021. Malaysian Dietary Guidelines 202. National Coordinating Committee on Food and Nutrition, Ministry of Health.

5. Qin, P., Li, Q., Zhao, Y. et al. Sugar and artificially sweetened beverages and risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, hypertension, and all-cause mortality: a dose-response meta- analysis of prospective cohort studies. Eur J Epidemiol 35, 655- 671 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10654-020-00655-y

6. Stanhope KL, Schwarz JM & Havel PJ (2013). Adverse metabolic effects of dietary fructose: results from the recent epidemiological, clinical, and mechanistic studies. Curr Opin Lipidol 24(3):198-206.

7. Stern, D.; Middaugh, N.; Rice, M.S.; Laden, F.; Lopez-Ridaura, R.; Rosner, B.; Willett, W.; Lajous, M. Changes in Sugar- Sweetened Soda Consumption, Weight, and Waist Circumference: 2-Year Cohort of Mexican Women. Am. J. Public Health 2017, 107, 1801-1808.

8. U.S. Food & Drug Administration (2020). Added Sugars: Now Listed on the Nutrition Facts Label. https://www.fda.gov/media/ 135299/download.

9. https://nutrition.moh.gov.my/wp-content/uploads/2018/05Bahagian_Pemakanan_
Putrajaya_Round_Brochure2.jpg
https://www.facebook.com/bahagianpemakanan
/photos/a.488576191169025
/4201982963161644/

Approval Code: MY-NOND-00133