Sugar Tax!

5 Tips To Cut Down On Sugar

As you all should know  = sugar is bad for your teeth-FACT!

TOOTH DECAY happens when the sugar reacts with the bacteria in plaque stuck on your teeth.

This forms acid that attack the teeth and destroys the enamel (outer part of the tooth).

After this happens many times, the tooth enamel may breakdown, forming a hole or ‘cavity’ into the dentine (the inner part of the tooth). The tooth can then decay more quickly.

So if you were to reduce the sugar in your diet, it wouldn’t just be a benefit to your teeth it would be a benefit to your waist too!

Eliminating all sugar would be very difficult, but it’s actually all about being sensible with your diet.

Sugar comes in many forms. Usually ingredients ending in ‘ose’ are sugars, for example: sucrose, fructose and glucose are three common types but they can all cause damage to your teeth.

Nearly a quarter of the added sugar in our diets comes from sugary drinks, such as fizzy drinks, sweetened juices, squashes, and cordials.

It is recommended to limit your sugar intake to no more than 30g per day for an adult.

TIP 1     Look out for the hidden sugars in cereals, sauces, soups and ready meals.

TIP 2     Don’t snack on sugary foods and drinks between meals.

TIP 3     Don’t add sugar to foods and drinks such as on cereals and in hot drinks.         

TIP 4     Drink more water instead of fizzy drinks and juices.

TIP 5     Save your sugary treats until the end of a meal and eat all in one go.

Remember to keep brushing twice a day with fluoride toothpaste to protect your teeth too!

The NHS Change for Life sugar swaps campaign has tips and idea for cutting down on sugary foods and drinks and has resources to help support a switch to healthier eating and drinking choices.

By Katie & Jodie