In recent years there has been an increased amount of concern regarding high fructose syrup as a main ingredient in our food and drinks. A study in the Annals of Internal Medicine looked at people who consumed the extra fructose baked into breads or sprinkled into their drinks to see whether or not they gained extra weight compared to those who didn’t consume extra fructose.
Researchers looked at over 30 studies that included over 600 people. They looked at factors such as the types of diets they had, where they got their fructose in their diet and if it lead to increased weight gain.
What they found was if you add extra simple sugar in your diet by sprinkling it on your food or drinks, it’s probably not going to make you gain weight as long as you cut down on other carbohydrates and calories to make up for it. So, the fructose itself didn’t lead to gaining weight as much as total caloric intake.
The bottom line here is if you do want to add that sugar to your coffee or tea, just take a couple of bites less of whatever you’re eating and be mindful of your daily calorie count.