While sugar serves as a source of energy for the body, its excessive intake has become a significant concern in modern diets. Understanding the recommended limits and the different types of sugars is an important step toward managing consumption and maintaining health.
Official Intake Guidelines
Leading health organizations provide specific recommendations for daily sugar intake. The American Heart Association (AHA) advises that most women should consume no more than 100 calories per day from added sugars, which equates to about 6 teaspoons or 25 grams. For most men, the AHA recommends a limit of no more than 150 calories per day, or about 9 teaspoons (36 grams). These guidelines are for added sugars, not those that occur naturally in foods.
The World Health Organization (WHO) offers a similar recommendation, suggesting that free sugars should make up less than 10% of total daily energy intake, and notes that reducing this to below 5% could provide additional health benefits. For children, the AHA recommends that those aged 2 to 18 should consume less than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar daily. Children under the age of 2 should not have any foods or beverages with added sugars.
A single 12-ounce can of regular soda can contain around 8 teaspoons of added sugar, which is close to or exceeds the daily limit for women and children.
Differentiating Sugar Types
An important part of managing sugar intake is understanding the distinction between naturally occurring sugars and added sugars. Naturally occurring sugars are found in whole, unprocessed foods. For example, fructose is the sugar found in fruits, and lactose is the sugar present in milk and other dairy products. When you consume these foods, you are also getting the benefit of other nutrients like fiber, vitamins, and minerals.
Added sugars, on the other hand, are sugars and syrups that are put into foods during processing or preparation. This includes sweeteners like white sugar, brown sugar, high-fructose corn syrup, and honey that are added to products to enhance flavor or extend shelf life. These types of sugars are commonly found in a wide array of products, including sugary drinks, desserts, and sweet snacks.
The dietary guidelines from health organizations are primarily concerned with limiting the consumption of these added sugars. This is because added sugars contribute calories to the diet but offer little to no nutritional value. Your body does not require any carbohydrates from added sugar to function.
Identifying Added Sugars in Foods
Recognizing added sugars in packaged foods is a practical skill for managing your intake. The updated Nutrition Facts label now makes this easier by listing “Added Sugars” as a separate line item under “Total Sugars”. This allows you to see exactly how much sugar has been added to a product, separate from what might be naturally present. A food is considered low in added sugars if it contains 5% or less of the Daily Value (DV) per serving, and high if it contains 20% or more.
Beyond the Nutrition Facts panel, the ingredients list offers more clues. Ingredients are listed in descending order by weight, so if a form of sugar is one of the first few ingredients, the product is likely high in added sugar. Added sugars can appear under many different names. Words ending in “-ose” are often a giveaway that an ingredient is a type of sugar. Some common names include:
- Corn syrup
- Dextrose
- Fructose
- Maltose
- Sucrose
- Molasses
- Cane juice
Be aware that added sugars hide in many unexpected places. While they are obvious in items like candy and soda, they are also frequently found in breakfast cereals, flavored yogurts, condiments like ketchup and barbecue sauce, and even pasta sauces. Reading labels carefully is the most effective way to identify and limit these hidden sources of sugar in your diet.
Health Consequences of Excess Sugar
Consistently consuming more added sugar than recommended can lead to a variety of health issues. A diet high in added sugars is linked to an increased risk of weight gain and obesity. Sugary foods and drinks are often high in calories but low in nutrients, which can contribute to an energy imbalance and fat storage.
Excessive sugar intake is also a significant risk factor for developing type 2 diabetes. High consumption of sugar can lead to insulin resistance, a condition where the body’s cells do not respond effectively to insulin, which can eventually progress to diabetes. Furthermore, high-sugar diets are associated with an elevated risk of cardiovascular disease. This connection is due to sugar’s effects on increasing blood pressure, inflammation, and triglyceride levels in the blood.
Beyond these major conditions, a diet high in sugar can contribute to other problems like chronic inflammation and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, where excess fat builds up in the liver. These health risks are the primary motivation behind public health recommendations to limit the intake of added sugars.