There are similar risks with non-nutritive sweeteners. The Cambridge University researchers note that, despite their lack of dietary energy, recent reviews, “suggest consuming non-nutritive sweeteners may be linked with type 2 diabetes and heart disease and can disrupt the gut microbiome.”
Cakes, doughnuts, and chocolate bars might spring to mind when you think of sweet, sugary foods, but you could be consuming excess sugar without realizing it.
That’s because savory foods and even foods marked as ‘healthy’ often contain ‘hidden’ sugars. In fact, Palmer-Wright says much of the sugar we consume these days is from hidden sugar.
“Many cereals and cereal bars are full of sugar (some brands contain up to 12g of sugar in just one bar!) and fruit yogurts can contain a lot of sugar too,” she points out.
“Ironically, some low fat or ‘diet’ products are also high in sugar, because when the fat is removed from the food, much of the flavor goes too, so manufacturers have to replace the fat with sugar or with artificial sweeteners,” Palmer-Wright adds.
Other high-sugar offenders include fruit juices, energy drinks, soups, salad dressings, and condiments like ketchup.
