Can you eat sugar one day a week? The American Heart Association recommends that the maximum amount of sugar to consume daily is 37.5 grams. And this amounts to 9 teaspoons daily, which is 150 calories. And for women it is 25 grams daily which amount to 6 teaspoons daily which is 100 calories.
Can you eat sugar one day a week? Istock-photo credit: Anastasiia Dernova
The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends that less than 10% of your daily calories should come from added sugars. A good example is if you are on 2000 calories a day diet that is equal to 50 grams of sugar. The World Health Organization recommends that less than 5% of your total calories should come from added sugars.
What is interesting is the average consumption of added sugars in the United States is higher than the recommended daily value. A 2021 review study showed that from 2017 to 2018, the total daily intake of added sugar for adults from the ages of 19 to 50 years old was 72.3 grams which is 18 teaspoons of sugar and that is 290 calories.
One of the best ways to reduce added sugar intake is to limit your intake of highly processed foods and alternatively choose nutrient dense whole foods.
Sugar can appear in different forms, and it is important to be aware of what that is which is:
- Syrup
- Honey
- Corn Syrup
- Brown Sugar
- Corn Sugar Sweeteners
- High Fructose Corn Syrup
- Fruit Juice Concentrates
If you regularly eat a high number of added sugars, it can increase the risk of Type 2 diabetes. Natural sugars are ideally where you want to get most of your sugar intake, which is from fruits, vegetables and milk. It is alternatively a much healthier approach to sugar consumption.
Added sugars are found in candy, soda, baked goods and processed foods.
The Bottom Line is you can eat sugar one day a week, but the American Heart Association recommends that the maximum amount of sugar that man should consume daily is 37.5 grams of sugar which comes out to 9 teaspoons. And it recommends a woman should consume 25 grams daily which is 6 teaspoons.
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References
- American Heart Association- https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/sugar-101
- Dietary Guidelines For Americans- https://www.dietaryguidelines.gov/sites/default/files/2020-12/Dietary_Guidelines_for_Americans_2020-2025.pdf
- BMJ 2023; 381 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/bmj-2022-071609 (Published 05 April 2023)Cite this as: BMJ 2023;381:e071609
- Ricciuto L, Fulgoni VL 3rd, Gaine PC, Scott MO, DiFrancesco L. Sources of Added Sugars Intake Among the U.S. Population: Analysis by Selected Sociodemographic Factors Using the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 2011-18. Front Nutr. 2021 Jun 17;8:687643. doi: 10.3389/fnut.2021.687643. PMID: 34222307; PMCID: PMC8247592.
