One can is already too many

About this video

A cold can of cola on a hot afternoon, bread with salty cheese and pickles at breakfast. Sugar and salt make food taste good, and a little of each is fine. But how much is too much?

Health advice about sugar is about free sugars: sugar added to food or drink by the maker, the cook or you, plus the sugar in honey, syrups and fruit juice. The sugar inside whole fresh fruit and vegetables, and the sugar in milk, are not free sugars. Honey, brown sugar, date syrup and white sugar all count the same.

The World Health Organization advises keeping free sugars under 10 per cent of the day's energy: for someone eating about 2,000 kcal, about 50 g, or 12 teaspoons. Under 5 per cent, about 25 g or 6 teaspoons, is even better. Too much sugar is linked to weight gain and tooth decay. Drinks are where sugar adds up fastest: a 330 ml can of regular cola holds about 35 g, more than the whole 25 g for a day.

Salt is made of sodium and chloride, and for health it is the sodium that matters. WHO advises adults to eat less than 5 g of salt a day, just under a teaspoon, and children less; in 2021 the world average for adults was about 11 g, more than double. Too much salt raises blood pressure, and blood pressure that stays high raises the risk of heart attacks and strokes.

Where the salt comes from depends on where you live. In many rich countries, much of it is already in bought food: bread, processed meat, snacks and sauces. In China and in Iran, much of it is added while cooking or at the table. A study in Isfahan in 2014 and 2015 found adults ate about 11 g of salt a day; about half was added at home, then came bread, cheese and salty vegetables such as pickles. So drink water most of the time, cook with less salt and taste before adding more, and compare labels. This video explains sugar and salt, from the lesson Sugar and Salt on Knaph.

Transcript

1. 0:00Cola on a hot day, salty cheese and pickles. A little is fine. How much is too much?
2. 0:06Free sugars are sugar added by the maker, the cook or you, plus honey, syrups and fruit juice. Sugar inside whole fruit and vegetables, or in milk, isn't free. And honey counts the same as white sugar.
3. 0:22The World Health Organization says under fifty grams a day, and under twenty-five is even better. One can of cola holds about thirty-five grams. More than the better limit, in one drink.
4. 0:42Salt. WHO says adults should eat less than five grams a day. In 2021 the world average was about eleven, more than double. Too much raises blood pressure, and with it heart attacks and strokes.
5. 1:00In many rich countries, much of the salt is already in bought food. In Iran, much of it is added at home. In Isfahan, about half came from home, then bread, then cheese, then pickles.
6. 1:20Drink water most of the time. Cook with less salt and taste first. Compare labels on bread and cheese.
7. 1:32Know where your sugar and salt come from.