In a few short years sugar has replaced fat as the main dietary villain and the lay media is full of horror stories about the role that sugar plays in chronic disease. Scientific reviews of the role of sugar, health and disease by leading nutrition agencies tell a different story, finding sugar is fairly benign with respect to chronic disease. However, dietary quality may be affected at very high intakes of sugar.
Who are the experts?
During the last seven years there have been two comprehensive assessments of the role that sugar plays in health, one in Europe and one in the United States. One review was conducted by the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) and published in 2010. In relation to nutrition, EFSA provides the most up-to-date and comprehensive scientific advice to support EU policy makers in their decision making process in the field of nutrition. EFSA’s advice on nutrient intakes provides an important evidence base to underpin nutritional policies, the setting of diet-related public health targets and the development of consumer information and educational programmes on healthy diets.