The AHA suggests a stricter added-sugar limit of no more than 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams) for most adult women and no more than 150 calories per day (about 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar) for most men.
Men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day. For women, the number is lower: 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day. Consider that one 12-ounce can of soda contains 8 teaspoons (32 grams) of added sugar!
For an adult of a healthy body mass index (BMI), this amount works out to about 12 teaspoons (or 50 grams) of 'free' sugar per day. For more information on the categorisation of sugars used in the diagram above, please refer to the Australian Bureau of Satistics website.
30 grams of granulated sugar equals almost 2.5 tablespoons. 30 grams of caster sugar equals 2.1 tablespoons. How much sugar is 30 grams? 30 grams of granulated sugar equals almost 2.5 tablespoons or 7.2 teaspoons of sugar.
This does not mean that 100g per day is the target amount; rather it is the maximum for the average person consuming 2000 calories per day. 100g of sugar may sound like a lot, and for some people this amount may be more than their body can or should handle.
There are massive health benefits from cutting back on your sugar intake, one of which is losing stubborn belly fat, says Brenda Rea, MD, DrPH, PT, RD, a family and preventive medicine physician at Loma Linda University Health.
Using an average daily intake of 2,000 calories, you should limit yourself to less than 200 calories from added sugar. That amount translates to 50 grams of sugar, or about 12 teaspoons. But not everyone has a recommended daily intake of 2,000 calories.
Eating too much sugar can increase a person's risk of many health problems, including weight gain, obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, and tooth decay.
As far as how many grams of sugar per day you should consume, the American Heart Association recommends most American women eat to no more than 100 calories per day of sugar (six teaspoons or 20 grams) and no more than 150 calories per day for men (or about nine teaspoons or 36 grams).
Cut added sugar and you could lower calories and body weight, which could improve your cholesterol. But it's not just the weight loss. Even at the same weight as others, people who got less than 20% of their calories from added sugars tended to have lower triglycerides.
From a calorie and sugar content perspective, the differences between sugar and honey are minimal, however, overall, honey contains slightly more health benefits than table sugar from its potential antioxidant, antibacterial, antifungal, and anti-inflammatory properties.
Sugars also occur naturally in foods such as fruit, vegetables and milk, but we do not need to cut down on these types of sugars. Be aware that these are included along with free sugars in the "total sugars" figure that you'll see on food labels.
The fruits with the highest sugar content include mangoes, pomegranates, oranges, and pears. If someone has diabetes, they can still have these fruits, but they may wish to ask their doctor if they should eat them in smaller portions.
Bottom Line. For the general public, sugar in fruit is not bad as long as you consume the whole fruit and not just fruit juice or products that contain sweetened fruit pieces. When we are seeking to limit sugars, added sugars are more of a concern.
Sugar in fruit and added sugar are not the same thing, says Lauri Wright, spokeswoman for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. But even for people without diabetes, sugar in fruit is a healthier option than sugar from other sources, according to nutritionist Wright.
High sugar foods to limit or avoid include puddings, milkshakes, ice-cream, fruit juices, sugary soda drinks, cakes (especially with frosting), candies, fruit yogurts, fast foods, cereal bars, and commercial cereals. In this list, both the grams of sugar and teaspoons of sugar is given.
Even one or two colas a day could increase your risk of type 2 diabetes by more than 20%. Sugar intake is linked to high blood pressure, high cholesterol, and excess fat, all of which increase the risk of heart disease. Colas and other sugary drinks have been linked to an increased risk of pancreatic cancer.
Soda is by far the largest source of added sugar in the American diet, accounting for a third of our overall consumption.
Choosing a healthy eating pattern low in added sugars can have important health benefits. The 2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting calories from added sugars to no more than 10% each day. That's 200 calories, or about 12 teaspoons, for a 2,000 calorie diet.
50 grams of sugar = Just under a pint (45cl) of Tropicana orange juice labelled 'No Added Sugar'.
Campbell's Slow Kettle Style Tomato & Sweet Basil Bisque, for example, has 24 grams of sugar per cup. Sure, some that is coming from the tomatoes, but that's still a lot of sweetness to dunk your grilled cheese in.