Estimating the Sugars Content of Diets that Follow Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide
Publication: Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
24 May 2017
Abstract
Purpose: This research aimed to estimate the percent energy (%E) contribution from total and free sugars in the Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide (CFG) dietary pattern.
Methods: The sugar-containing foods in the Canadian Nutrient File were assigned to 1 of 2 categories: total sugars or free sugars based on the source. The total sugars content of foods containing any amount of free sugars was assigned to the free sugars category. We estimated free sugars content from 8000 simulated diets (500 for each of the 16 age and sex groups), consistent with the CFG dietary pattern. Descriptive statistics were used to examine distributions of %E from total and free sugars by age and sex.
Results: The mean %E from total and free sugars of all simulated diets was 21%E and 7%E, respectively. For simulated diets for males and females, 9–18 years of age, the %E from free sugars exceeded 10% at the 75th percentile. Simulated diets for all other age and sex groups exceeded 10%E from free sugars at the 95th percentile.
Conclusions: The majority of the simulated CFG diets met the WHO recommendations to limit free sugars consumption to <10%E. These results will be used to inform future dietary guidance policy development.
Résumé
Objectif : Cette recherche avait pour objectif d’estimer le pourcentage d’énergie (%E) provenant de sucres libres et de sucres totaux dans les modèles alimentaires proposés par le Guide alimentaire canadien (GAC).
Méthodes : Les aliments contenant du sucre selon le Fichier canadien sur les éléments nutritifs ont été classés dans la catégorie sucres totaux ou sucres libres en fonction de la source de ces sucres. La quantité totale de sucre présente dans les aliments contenant toute quantité de sucres libres a été classée dans la catégorie des sucres libres. Nous avons estimé la teneur en sucres libres en fonction de 8000 régimes alimentaires simulés (500 pour chacun des 16 groupes d’âge/sexe.), conformément aux modèles alimentaires du GAC. Des méthodes statistiques descriptives ont été utilisées pour étudier la distribution du %E tiré de sucres totaux et de sucres libres en fonction de l’âge et du sexe.
Résultats : Le %E moyen provenant de sucres totaux et de sucres libres était, pour tous les régimes alimentaires simulés, de 21 %E et de 7 %E, respectivement. Pour les régimes alimentaires simulés des garçons et filles de 9 à 18 ans, le %E provenant de sucres libres dépassait 10 % au 75e percentile. Dans les régimes alimentaires simulés pour tous les autres groupes d’âge/sexe, le %E provenant de sucres libres dépassait 10 % au 95e percentile.
Conclusions : La plupart des régimes alimentaires simulés du GAC étaient conformes à la recommandation de l’OMS, selon laquelle la consommation de sucres libres devrait être inférieure à 10 %E. Ces résultats seront utilisés pour faciliter l’élaboration de futures recommandations alimentaires.
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Financial support: None.
Conflicts of interest: The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.
References
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Published In
Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research
Volume 78 • Number 4 • December 2017
Pages: 204 - 207
History
Version of record online: 24 May 2017
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© 2017.
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Cynthia K.ColapintoPhD, RD, Lisa-AnneElvidge MuneneMSc, RD, and SylvieSt-PierrePhD, DtP. 2017. Estimating the Sugars Content of Diets that Follow Eating Well with Canada’s Food Guide. Canadian Journal of Dietetic Practice and Research.
78(4): 204-207. https://doi.org/10.3148/cjdpr-2017-013
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