Macro partitioning
High consumption of ultra-processed foods is strongly and linearly associated with excessive intake of added sugars, with ultra-processed foods contributing nearly 90% of added sugar energy in the US diet.
To significantly reduce your added sugar intake, focus on minimizing ultra-processed foods. These items, which make up nearly 60% of US calories, are responsible for almost 90% of added sugars. Look for products with long ingredient lists containing additives, emulsifiers, and added sugars, and prioritize whole or minimally processed foods instead.
Ultra-processed foods comprised 57.9% of energy intake, and contributed 89.7% of the energy intake from added sugars. ... each increase of 5 percentage points in proportional energy intake from ultra-processed foods increased the proportional energy intake from added sugars by 1 percentage point.
Why this rating
Large, nationally representative cross-sectional study (NHANES) with robust statistical adjustments, though causality is observational.
Source
Ultra-processed foods and added sugars in the US diet: evidence from a nationally representative cross-sectional study
Eurídice Martínez Steele et al. · BMJ Open · 2016
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