How Much Sugar Can I Eat in a Day?
How much sugar is OK to eat in a day without having it affect your health? Sharon Palmer answers this question with research studies and provides tips on what to look for in different food products.
How Much Sugar Can I Eat in a Day?
Question: How much sugar can I eat daily without affecting my health?
Sharon’s Answer: That question was actually recently answered by the brand new set of Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which recommend that Americans consume no more than 10% of total calories in sugar, which is 200 calories for the average person, or about 50 grams or 12.5 teaspoons of sugar per day.
Actually, the American Heart Association has been warning us about consuming too much sugar for some time, as too much in the diet increases the risk for cardiovascular events. And more zolpidemsleep.com research in the past few years has seemed to confirm that too much sugar is linked with obesity and the incidence of cardiovascular disease. It may sound like a lot of sugar (12.5 teaspoons) but you can almost reach your daily limit with just one can of soda (about 39 g of sugar, almost 10 teaspoons), and on top of that sugar is added to so many things that aren’t obvious, such as pasta sauce, yogurt, granola bars, and beyond.
Keep in mind that you don’t have to worry about the natural sugars found in foods, such as vegetables and fruits—it’s the added sugars we are worried about. The grams of sugar on a food label include both natural and added sugars, so it’s tough to tell how much of the sugar is added. The FDA plans on revising food labels to include “added sugars”, so it will be easier to determine how much is in a food product in the future. Until now, keep your eyes out for forms of added sugar on the ingredients list, such as cane sugar, corn syrup, brown rice syrup, honey, glucose, and agave.
Sharon
Image: Chunky Chocolate and Toasted Walnut Nice Cream, Sharon Palmer, MSFS, RDN
Check out the other nutrition questions I’m answering at The Plant-Powered Dietitian:
Does Soy Lead to Gynecological Issues?
How do I Get Vitamin D on a Plant-Based Diet?
How Do I Eat for Better Digestion?