AN ANALYSIS OF THE RECOMMENDATIONS ON THE CONSUMPTION OF SUGARS PUBLISHED THROUGHOUT THE WORLD BETWEEN 1961 AND 1991

It is study made an analysis of national expert reports on dietary gui delines published all over the world in the 30-year period between 196 1 and 1991. The aim is to identify what the reports recommend about th e consumption of sugars and their relation to chronic diseases, and al so what advice should be given to the public and appropriate authoriti es regarding levels of sugars in the diet. Information was gathered fr om 115 reports published by experts committees in 36 different countri es and regions of the world, including developed and developing countr ies. The results showed that the great majority (84,5%) of the reports analysed make recommendations on the extrinsic consumption of sugar a nd that there is an agreement that these sugars, especially sucrose, m ust be reduced in the diet. The commonest level proposed is that 10% o f total calory intake from extrinsic sugars should be considered the m aximum level. Such advice is often addressed to the general population and it is offered with a view to the maintenance of general health an d especially to the prevention dental caries and obseity. It was concl uded that advice on the intake of sugars given by dietary guidelines i n the last three decades is coherent with the existing scientific evid ence on the relationship between sugars and human diseases and, theref ore, they should be integrated into national food and health policies.