The American Heart Association has set a recommended level for sugar intake. I’m happy to see this – I think it offers a helpful perspective and guideline.
Here is the statement: Most American women should consume no more than 100 calories of added sugars per day; most men, no more than 150 calories.
What does that mean?
Women: 100 calories of sugar is about 25 grams per day, found in ~ 6 teaspoons.
Men: 150 calories of sugar is about 35.7 grams per day, found in ~9 teaspoons.
Added sugars play a role in obesity and diabetes, and can increase risk for high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke.
The average American intake is thought to be 355 calories a day, or 22 teaspoons of sugar, so this represents a major change. The number one source of sugar is soft drinks (with 130 calories of sugar or 8 teaspoons 32.5 grams per can), but fruit drinks and sweetened coffees and teas are also big contributors.
To put this in perspective, a 6 oz carton of Yoplait yogurt has 27 grams of sugar. Since even a plain (unsweetened ) yogurt contains about 11 grams of natural milk sugar – which is not being restricted and doesn’t impact blood sugars – there are 16 extra grams of sugar added. If you added your own teaspoon of honey to plain yogurt, you’d just add 4 grams. Unless you are diabetic, I think that is better than getting artificial sweeteners with the light versions.
A 4 oz scoop of Baskin Robbins vanilla ice cream has at least 20 grams of sugar once you’ve corrected for the original milk sugar. Since their servings are typically twice that amount, and other flavors have more sugar – think in terms of 40 grams of sugar per cone.
Keep the new guidelines in mind as you read labels. It could help give you a sense of how your sugar is adding up. Keep in mind that refined carbohydrates, like most breads, crackers and cereals, act like sugar in the body. They are not specifically covered in the new AHA guidelines, but it all adds up.
The bottom line: we get too much sugar. Cutting back is a good thing. Choose whole grains, fruits and vegetables for healthy nutrient-loaded carbohydrates.
