SUGAR - A HARMLESS INDULGENCE

The consumption of sugar is relatively high in Denmark - and other ind ustrial countries - and many persons have a consumption which exceeds the recommended level of maximally 10% of energy intake. A high sugar consumption may reduce the nutrient density of the diet and increase t he risk of vitamin and mineral deficiency, especially in low energy co nsumers. The sugar intake and the fat intake, expressed as percentage of energy, usually show an inverse association. This has lead to the s tatement that a diet with both a low sugar content and a low fat conte nt is incompatible, but we will argue that this is not the fact. The s ignificance of sugar for the development of obesity is not clarified. A high fat content in the diet seems to promote the development of obe sity, while a high carbohydrate content tends to reduce obesity. It is not known if sugar in this connection is comparable to the other carb ohydrates in the diet, primarily because of the high energy density of sugar. Diabetes mellitus and heart diseases do not seem to have any d irect connection with a high sugar consumption. Sugar continues to be a risk factor for the development of caries. Further, it cannot be exc luded that high sugar consumption is a risk factor for cancer in the g astrointestinal tract or for Crohn's disease. It seems reasonable to k eep the current recommendations about sugar intake.