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Staying Healthy
Is sugar unhealthy?
- By Matthew Solan, Executive Editor, Harvard Men's Health Watch
It depends on the amount and the food source.
Sugar has a complex relationship with health. On one hand, many healthy whole foods contain natural sugar. But the greater concern is the abundance of refined sugar often added to processed foods.
"Sugar is a carbohydrate that provides the body with energy, so it has an important role in nutrition," says Dr. Frank Sacks, a professor of cardiovascular disease prevention at Harvard’s T.H. Chan School of Public Health. "The problem people have with sugar is they often consume too much of the wrong kind."
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Reducing Sugar in Your Diet
Reducing consumption of added sugar is a good place to start in improving the overall nutritional punch of your diet. This Harvard Medical School Guide will help you gain a deeper understanding of the different formsof sugar, what foods contain significant amounts of added sugar, how sugaris metabolized by the body, and the health risks it poses when consumed to excess. We also offer practical suggestions from Harvard experts on how to reduce your intake.
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