Most of us think we are careful with sugar. We skip the second cookie, pass on the soda, maybe swap in a yogurt we think of as a smart choice. The numbers still add up by the end of the day.
The average American adult, teenager and child eats about 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day, or roughly 270 calories, according to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health. That is above every daily cap drawn by the biggest health authorities.
The three daily limits most Americans sit above
Three major bodies in nutrition and public health set a ceiling on added sugar. The lines are not identical, and even the loosest one is below what the typical American diet delivers.
The World Health Organization recommends adults and children keep free sugars under 10 percent of total daily calories. For a 2,000-calorie adult diet that works out to about 50 grams, or 12 teaspoons.
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WHO adds a conditional recommendation to go further, below 5 percent, roughly 25 grams, or 6 teaspoons a day, for additional health benefits, including less tooth decay.
The American Heart Association draws two lines. No more than 25 grams (6 teaspoons) a day for women, and no more than 36 grams (9 teaspoons) a day for men, according to MD Anderson Cancer Center clinical dietitian Jessica Tilton.
The FDA sits higher. The Daily Value shown on the Nutrition Facts label is 50 grams a day on a 2,000-calorie diet. That is the number the percent next to added sugars on packaged foods is based on.
Body Also read: How eating black beans every day may affect your heart and cholesterol | Daily limit for an adult |
|---|---|
WHO (strong) | Under 10% of calories (~50 g on 2,000 cal) |
WHO (conditional) Also read: How coffee affects your heart and blood pressure if you drink it every day | Under 5% of calories (~25 g, 6 teaspoons) |
AHA, women | 25 g (6 teaspoons) |
AHA, men Also read: 7 foods research links to better lung function and lower disease risk | 36 g (9 teaspoons) |
FDA Nutrition Facts label | 50 g (2,000-calorie diet) |
Why added sugar at this level is a health problem
Going past these limits regularly is linked to weight gain, insulin resistance, higher blood pressure, type 2 diabetes and heart disease.
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Insulin resistance means the body's cells respond less effectively to the hormone that moves sugar out of the blood, so blood sugar creeps up over time.
Jessica Tilton puts it bluntly. "If you're consuming more calories than you need, sugar is going to be deposited as fat."
Extra calories from sugar can also raise the risk of fatty liver, where fat builds up inside liver cells and strains how the organ handles energy.
Where the added sugar is hiding on your plate
Soda and candy are the obvious offenders. The quieter ones catch most people out. MD Anderson lists tomato sauce, cereal, granola, flavored yogurt, mayonnaise, salad dressing, sports drinks, coffee drinks, smoothies and sodas as common sources of added sugar.
A 12-ounce can of regular soda alone can carry up to 46 grams of added sugar. That one can is already above the AHA's full daily cap for a woman.
The small amounts add up quickly across a normal day. A sweetened yogurt at breakfast, a granola bar mid-morning, a flavored coffee drink and a glass of juice can push an adult past the AHA line long before dinner, with no dessert on the plate at all.
This article is made and published by Jesper Bengtson, who may have used AI in the preparation.