Hi ! 

Recall that we’ve changed the format of our newsletter. Instead of briefly covering three distinct topics, each newsletter will focus on the same theme for one month. We’ll explore the who, what, where, when and why of topics dear to you so by the end of the month, you’ll have the information and confidence to make meaningful changes to eat and live better with IBD.

This month’s theme: Added sugar and IBD

Quick recap: Last week we defined added sugar, gave examples of why too much sugar is bad for IBD, discussed why many people with IBD eat lots of sugar, and recommended a cap for daily sugar intake.

This week we’ll show you where to look for hidden sugar in your diet.

Added sugar is sweet and sneaky and shows up in places you might not expect — even organic products (gasp)! 

You can find sugar in all kinds of favorite foods, including:

• Flavored yogurt
• Cereal (even multigrain!)
• Granola bars / Snack bars / Protein bars
• Nutritional shakes (e.g. Ensure)
• Sports drinks (e.g. Gatorade)
• Barbecue sauce
• Salad dressing
• Pasta sauce
• Teriyaki sauce
• Dried fruit
• Ketchup

Here’s some good news. As of 2018, foods and beverages with added sugars must declare how many grams they have per serving on the Nutrition Label. Look for “Total Sugars” under “Total Carbohydrates.” To find out the source(s) of added sugar, head to the Ingredient List. That’s right, one product can have many types of added sugar.

Here’s the ingredient list for a childhood favorite, Honey Nut Cheerios:

Whole Grain Oats, Sugar, Oat Bran, Corn Starch, Honey, Brown Sugar Syrup, Salt, Tripotassium Phosphate, Rice Bran Oil and/or Canola Oil, Natural Almond Flavor.

The sugar, honey and brown sugar syrup add up to 12 grams of added sugar per 1 cup serving. A serving of Oreo cookies has 14 grams, so these aren’t much better! BTW, this is not an endorsement for eating Oreos for breakfast :)

Let’s look at another example. Here’s the ingredient list from a popular sports bar, Clif Chocolate Chip:

Organic Brown Rice Syrup, Organic Rolled Oats, Soy Protein Isolate, Organic Cane Syrup, Organic Roasted Soybeans, Rice Flour, Cane Sugar, Unsweetened Chocolate‡, Organic Soy Flour, Organic Oat Fiber, Organic High Oleic Sunflower Oil, Cocoa Butter‡, Barley Malt Extract, Sea Salt, Natural Flavors, Soy Lecithin, Organic Cinnamon.

These four bolded ingredients add up to 21 grams of added sugar per 1 bar. Like many other protein or snack bars, it’s a glorified candy bar.  

CHALLENGE: Find out how many grams of added sugar are in some of your everyday foods.

My everyday foods have lots of added sugar, now what? 

1. Keep in mind that a little added sugar is OK! Keep your daily intake under 25 grams. Most of the time, anyway. There will be days when you eat more than 25 grams of added sugar and that’s OK!

2. Comparison shop. Maybe you just found out that your Ensure nutritional shake has 15 grams of added sugar (plus artificial sweeteners — Ick!), find one with less sugar and no artificial sweeteners, like Orgain.

3. Maybe you’re shocked by how much added sugar your sports drink has, but you need a little extra sugar and salt to rehydrate. Consider diluting it with water or make your own. NOTE: Some people with IBD need to drink extra salt and glucose to replace excess fluid losses, and that’s OK. But most people will not need more than they get from a healthy diet.

4. Gradually cut back. If you eat 3 cookies every night, eat two, then 1. Then 1 every other day. If you put 2 tsp of sugar in your tea, try 1 tsp. Repeat. Your taste buds will adjust.

What about honey and maple syrup? 

We received quite a few questions about honey and maple syrup in response to last week’s newsletter. Honey and maple syrup are sources of added sugar, but that doesn’t mean you can’t eat them in small amounts. We recommend limiting added sugar to less than 25 grams per day. One teaspoon of honey is about 4 grams, so don’t feel guilty about adding a tsp of honey to your tea or yogurt. There is nothing wrong with small amounts of sugar, especially in the setting of an otherwise healthy diet. 

Coming up later in the month:

Next week Scott will share his up and down relationship with sugar and Crohn’s disease. 

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Remember, there’s no one perfect diet for everyone with IBD. If you or anyone you know struggles with what to eat with Crohn's or Ulcerative Colitis, then check out our ebook, Eating with IBD: The Essentials.

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Do you have a question about these topics, or something else? Just reply with your question to this email and it may appear in an upcoming newsletter.

In good health,

Colleen, Bertina & Scott

This newsletter is for informational purposes only and is in no way intended as medical counseling or medical advice. Results may vary