Dietitian Shares How to Spot and Limit Refined Sugars in Singapore
Role of Sugars in the body
Sugars are a type of carbohydrate that provides energy to the body. Our body’s preferred source of energy is from carbohydrates in which the body breaks down into sugars, which is also known as glucose in the digestion process. It is absorbed and used to produce energy.
Sources of Sugar in the diet (reading the ingredient list)
That being said, many people are often confused between sugars and sugar. “Sugars” actually refer to the natural occurring sugars in foods, whereas “sugar” refers to refined sugars found in processed foods.
Natural sugars can be found in:
- Fruits
- Vegetables, including starchy vegetables
- Milk and dairy products
- Cereals and grains
These are food groups that provide essential nutrients like vitamins, fibre, minerals and in addition to sugars. They are important to be incorporated into your diet in order to achieve a balanced diet.
On the other hand, sugar or refined sugar can be found in:
- Cakes
- Confectionary
- Sauces
- Snack bars
- Canned drinks
- Cordials
- Sweetened fruit juice
- Sweetened drinks
These are foods that are often high in refined sugar and fat. Manufacturers use them to enhance flavours, sweetness and create bulk. They also act as preservatives too.
Why Should we limit intake of sugar
Although sugar provides less calories than fat, it can contribute to the energy density of foods and drinks. Thus, potentially displacing many other more nutritious foods from the diet. Without sufficient physical activity, excessive intake of sugar can lead to weight gain which in turn increases the risk of many other diseases such as diabetes, heart diseases, high blood pressure and many more. For pregnant women, excessive weight gain during pregnancy can lead to higher risk of gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia, to name a few. As for breastfeeding women, excessive calorie intake in can make it even more challenging to lose weight during postpartum. Besides that, high intake of sugar can also lead to poor dental health as the sugary foods cling to the teeth and encourage bacteria growth which produces acids that degrade the enamel.
How to limit sugar intake (nutrigrade)
According to the Ministry of Health, the average Singaporean consumes approximately 12 teaspoons of sugar daily. Half of which comes from packaged drinks!
Singapore Health Promotion Board and the World Health Organization recommend that sugar intake should be no more than 10% of our daily energy intake. For most adults, it’s 10 teaspoons of sugar based on a 2000 kcal diet.
That is why the Nutri-Grade was created by the Ministry of Health Singapore. It helps us understand how much sugar and saturated fat is available in our drinks. Not many people realise that saturated fat is often added into our drinks to improve the “mouth-feel” but having too much of both sugar and saturated fat can lead to higher risk of diabetes.
Nutri-Grade helps to grade your drinks based on the sugar and saturated fat levels. Grade A has the lowest sugar and saturated fat content, while D has the highest. You can find this Nutri-Grade mark on many pre-packaged drinks in Singapore. The good thing is that since 30th December 2023, even freshly prepared drinks like kopi, teh, bubble tea, milkshakes, smoothies and more.
| Nutri-Grade | Sugar level, per 100ml | Saturated Fat level, per 100ml | Examples |
| A | < 1 g
No sweetener |
< 0.7 g | Kopi/ Teh Kosong, Plain teas, Bubble Tea (0% sugar, no milk & toppings) |
| B | 1-5 g | 0.7-1.2 g | Kopi/ Teh Siu Dai, Malted Drinks Siu Dai, Bubble Tea (30-50% sugar, no milk & toppings) |
| C | 6-10 g | 1.3-2.8 g | Kopi/ Teh, Malted drinks, Bubble Tea (70% sugar, no milk & toppings) |
| D | > 10 g | > 2.8 g | Kopi/Teh Ga Dai, Malted Drink Dinosaur, Bubble Tea (100% sugar with milk & toppings) |
Source: Healthhub Sg
Therefore, it is best to pick grade A and grade B drinks or simply choose water while drinks that are graded C and D should be limited. .
So does this mean that it’s healthier to drink soft drinks that are graded A and B often?
It is important to note that although dairy drinks such as full cream milk or fresh milk are typically graded as C or D due to their higher saturated fat content, these types of milk are necessary to provide adequate fat, vitamins and minerals for the growth and development in children aged 1-2 years. For pregnant or breastfeeding mothers, it is recommended to choose low fat milk or soy milk without added sugar which are graded A or B. They are good sources of calcium and protein for mothers.
Similarly, when it comes to fruit juices, they are often high in “natural sugars”, thus, they are typically graded C or D too. The phrase “no added sugar” often labelled on these drinks implies that there was no sugar added to the drinks during manufacturing, but that does not mean that the drink in itself is without any sugars. Fruit juices are suitable for people who may not be able to chew whole fruits well which is often a challenge for many elderly. Fruit juices are not off limits for pregnant or breastfeeding mothers. However, it may not be suitable for regular consumption as it leads to excessive calorie intake, resulting in difficulty managing weight during pregnancy and postpartum. Best to have whole fruits which are lower in calories and rich in fibre instead.
Even though some soft drinks are lower in sugar and fat, they do contain little to zero nutrients. Thus, it is always best to choose water instead as a thirst quencher.
Conclusion
In summary, apart from keeping an eye on caffeine and alcohol content in drinks and food, it is important to look out for sugars and saturated fat intake too during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Do use the Nutri-grade marking as a guide in helping you choose healthier choices during this time as you plan for both your pregnancy diet and lactation food singapore.
