How Much Sugar Should You Eat in a Day?

Sugar is delicious and can quickly replenish energy. However, many people are increasingly concerned about what they eat, including how much sugar consumption is excessive.

Popular diets describe the benefits of reducing sugar and carbohydrates, but not all sugars are the same. Many foods contain natural sugars. For example, fruits contain fructose, and dairy products contain lactose. Added sugars are those added to foods during processing or preparation, such as adding honey to cereal.

Many people in the United States consume about 17 teaspoons of added sugars daily, exceeding the recommended amount. Excessive consumption of added sugars is linked to conditions such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and dental caries.

This doesn't mean you need to avoid sugar completely. However, it's important to pay attention to intake levels and which foods may contain unexpected amounts of sugar.

Recommended Daily Sugar Intake

There is no fixed recommendation for how much natural sugar you should consume, but there are guidelines for added sugars.

Americans average 13% of their calories from added sugars, which is higher than the current recommended intake. The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend that adults limit added sugar intake to less than 10% of total calorie intake.

For reference, if you consume 2,000 calories per day, the guidelines suggest limiting added sugar intake to 12 teaspoons (50 grams) per day.

The American Heart Association (AHA) has more ambitious recommendations. They suggest that adults limit added sugar intake to within 6% of their daily total calories. For a 2,000-calorie diet, this means 6-9 teaspoons, or about 30 grams of sugar.

The recommended intake for children is lower. According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, infants under 2 years old should not consume any added sugars. Adolescents and children older than 2 should not exceed 6 teaspoons (25 grams) per day.

Reading Nutrition Labels

You can check the natural and added sugar content of foods by reading nutrition labels:

Total Sugars: This number includes both natural and added sugars.
Added Sugars: This number is either equal to or less than total sugars. If it equals total sugars, it means all the sugar in the product is added. On the other hand, a product may contain 10 grams of total sugar but only 1 gram of added sugar.

Natural vs. Added Sugars

Your body generally processes all forms of sugar the same way, with a few exceptions. Carbohydrates in whole foods like fruits, vegetables, beans, and whole grains contain various starches, including complex carbohydrates and fiber. Sugar and other sweeteners are simple carbohydrates.

Complex carbohydrates contain three or more sugars and also provide nutrients such as fiber. Therefore, they digest slower, preventing blood sugar spikes.

Your body also produces short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) to digest the fiber in complex carbohydrates. SCFAs promote gut health by fermenting in the colon, fostering the growth of beneficial bacteria.

In short, when it comes to monitoring sugar intake, focus on added sugars.

Health Effects of Eating Too Much Sugar

Moderate intake of sugar, especially natural sugar, is acceptable. However, excessive sugar intake leads to excess calorie intake, causing weight gain. Excess body fat is associated with many health issues, including:

Hypertension
Heart disease
Sleep apnea (a chronic breathing disorder where your breathing repeatedly stops and restarts during sleep)
Osteoarthritis (a joint disease that occurs when the cartilage around the joints, the connective tissue surrounding the bones, gradually breaks down over time)
Chronic pain
Cancer

Added sugars include fructose, honey, maple syrup, agave, and others.

Dental Caries (Cavities)

You may remember adults warning you that candy causes cavities. Sugar, especially added sugar, is a major risk factor for dental caries in both children and adults.

Studies have found that people with higher intake of added sugars are more likely to have dental caries. Meanwhile, consuming no more than 10% of total calories from added sugars can significantly reduce the risk of cavities and dental caries.

Foods containing natural sugars (such as milk and fruits) may not pose the same risk to dental health. Researchers believe this is because these foods contain other nutrients, such as fiber, water, calcium, and antioxidants.

That said, dried fruit can pose problems for teeth because it gets stuck between them.

Heart Disease

The American Heart Association has strict recommendations for added sugars because they are associated with cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk. However, this relationship is not as straightforward as you might think.

Recent reviews and meta-analyses have studied this relationship. Some reviews have found a close association between added sugar intake and cardiovascular disease risk, especially from sugary drinks.
The results of other studies are mixed.

These differences may be due to the fact that most studies are observational. In observational studies, researchers collect information from participants or review past information. This can make it difficult to determine causality—in this case, whether added sugars cause cardiovascular disease. More high-quality research is needed to test this possible relationship.

Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes is often associated with sugar and other carbohydrates. If you already have diabetes, you indeed need to pay attention to sugar intake to prevent blood sugar spikes. However, if you want to prevent the disease, it's not so simple. Research on added sugars and diabetes risk is largely inconclusive.

Risk factors for diabetes include genetics, sedentary lifestyles, and being over 45 years old. Added sugar intake is not considered a major risk factor.

The American Diabetes Association notes that sugary drinks are associated with type 2 diabetes, so they recommend limiting these drinks as much as possible and drinking more water.

They also point out that, besides solid fats and excess calories, consuming added sugars is also associated with type 2 diabetes. Therefore, it may not just be added sugars that increase the risk of diabetes.

Foods That Keep You Full Without Spiking Blood Sugar

Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD)

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a condition where too much fat accumulates in the liver. It is one of the most common causes of liver disease in the United States.

Evidence suggests that consuming large amounts of added fructose, often found in sugary drinks, increases the risk of NAFLD.

Research on NAFLD and sugar has primarily focused on sugary drinks. For example, a 2019 study found a significant association between higher consumption of sugary drinks and NAFLD.

Again, these studies are mainly observational. They suggest an association between added fructose and NAFLD but do not provide definitive evidence that fructose causes NAFLD. Many factors increase your risk of NAFLD, including type 2 diabetes and genetics.

Best Foods for Liver Health

Foods High in Sugar

Beverages are the most common source of added sugars. This includes soft drinks, fruit-flavored drinks, sports drinks, coffee, and tea. These beverages account for about 50% of all added sugars.

Foods such as candies, desserts, and other sweet treats obviously have high sugar content, but some high-sugar foods may surprise you. The most common sources of added sugars for Americans are:

Sandwiches
Breakfast cereals and energy bars
Sugared yogurt

Sandwiches contribute 7% of Americans' added sugar intake. Sugar is often used as a preservative for bread or condiments. Breakfast cereals, oat bars, and sugared yogurt are other common sources of added sugars in the diet.

For example, a popular Greek vanilla yogurt contains about 9 grams of added sugar.

How to Reduce Sugar Intake

Since many Americans consume more added sugars than recommended by guidelines, you may wonder how to be more mindful of sugar intake. First, consider which high-sugar foods you eat most often. Then, think about how to enjoy your favorite foods and drinks while reducing added sugars. Here are some ideas:

Request less sweetener (or no sweetener) when ordering coffee
Drink more low-sugar beverages, such as water, unsweetened tea, milk or low-sugar, lactose-free milk, and sparkling water
Eat a variety of foods containing fiber, protein, and healthy fats throughout the day to prevent constant late-night cravings for high-sugar foods
Choose snacks like whole fruits, nuts, seeds, vegetables, and hummus instead of relying on highly processed, higher-sugar foods
Prioritize products without added sugars whenever possible—for example, buy unsweetened yogurt, nut, and seed butters
Purchase unsweetened products and then add sweetness yourself with fruit or a bit of honey or another sweetener.