Thailand’s 21-Teaspoon Sugar Habit Prompts Coffee Chains To Reduce Default Sweetness, Alarming Health Risks

On Wednesday, 9 cafes partnered with Thailand's Health Department to run a campaign where ordering drinks with 'Normal Sweetness' automatically means 50 per cent less sugar than the original recipe.

Thailand 21-Teaspoon Sugar: About nine major beverage chains partners with the Thailand's Department of Health to cut defult sugar content in some of their drinks to tackle excessive sugar consumption and reduce risk of obesity and non-communicable diseases.

Thais Sugar Intake Exceeds WHO Limit

A campaign that was officially signed on Wednesday, ordering a drink with 'Normal Sweetness' will automatically mean 50 per cent less sugar than the original recipe. Some of the participating brand include Cafe Amazon, Inthanin, All Cafe, Black Canyon, Punthai and Chao Doi are among many others.

According to the Health Department, the people in Thailand consume an average of 21 teaspoons of sugar per day which exceeds the World Health Organization (WHO) limit of six teaspoons by more than three times. Healthcare professionals warn that adding these much intake can increase your risk of obesity, diabetes and other diseases.

Thailand New Sugar Guidelines

It is important to note that a large coffee cup, approximately containing 16-ounce beverage consist 7.3 teaspoons of sugar, but under the new guidelines it will now have 3.7 teaspoons. Additionally, iced tea or milk tea will drop from 6.6 to 3.3 teaspoons. Healthcare professionals also highlighted the benefits of cutting sugar from your diet by underscoring its importance, such as:

1. Improved skin health
2. Reduced premature ageing
3. Better concentration
4. Less fatigue
5. Lower risks of fatty liver
6. Reduce risk of diabetes
7. Retrain taste buds

With this initiating the Health Department aims to reduce health risks and promote Thailand's long-term wellness, while positioning the country as a leader in public health innovation.

Health Risks Linked With Excessive Sugar Consumption

The global health organization notes that individuals who consume too much added sugar, especially added sugar-sweetened beverages are more likely to have a higher risk of obesity, type 2 diabetes mellitus, dyslipidaemia, hypertension and cardiovascular disease.

Daily intake of sugar for both adults and children, according to the World Health Organization (WHO) guidelines is less than 10 per cent of total daily energy. Whereas, the sugar limit the Institute of Medicine (IOM) suggest is 25 per cent of total calories for adults and children aged less than 1 year old.

A 2014 study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA), scientists found a link between a high-sugar diet and heart disease. At the time, Dr. Frank Hu, professor of nutrition at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, said, "The effects of added sugar intake higher blood pressure, inflammation, weight gain, diabetes, and fatty liver disease are all linked to an increased risk for heart attack and stroke. Basically, the higher the intake of added sugar, the higher the risk for heart disease."

The doctor also outlines that being overzealous in your attempts to cut back sugar intake can backfire by reaching out to certain foods that can interrupt your journey to better health. Dr. Hu said, "You may find yourself reaching for other foods to satisfy your sweet cravings, like refined starches, such as white bread and white rice, which can increase glucose levels, and comfort foods high in saturated fat and sodium, which also cause problems with heart health."

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