

“Natural sugars are already present in foods like fruit and plain dairy products, while added sugars are extra and enhance the flavor of food. Most labels include a line for added sugars.Īnd remember, there is a difference between added sugars and natural sugars, says Coates.

When you digest something, the sugar enters your blood.

But she also says to watch for undercover culprits, including: Examples of added sugarsĬoates lists the obvious - cookies, candies and some cereals. “It’s less about sugar being bad and more about how much of it we eat,” notes Coates. But research shows that consuming too much added sugar leads to chronic inflammation. It has become increasingly difficult to avoid added sugars because food manufacturers add large doses to improve the flavor of many packaged foods. We should be averaging around six teaspoons or less per day. The average American consumes around 17 teaspoons of added sugar per day. To help navigate the grocery aisle, Coates shares five top inflammatory food offenders. And when you make your grocery list, add less inflammatory foods and more anti-inflammatory foods like vegetables, fruits, nuts, beans, seeds and fatty fish,” adds Coates. “If you want to battle inflammation, start by taking a look in your kitchen. While intermittent inflammation can be protective, chronic inflammation has been linked to many serious illnesses. Coates says that inflammation is often triggered as a way to protect your health when the immune system notices anything foreign in the body. “What you eat can affect inflammation,” explains registered dietitian Erin Coates, RDN, LD. We do not endorse non-Cleveland Clinic products or services. Advertising on our site helps support our mission. Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.
