Heart Association Recommends Specific Limits to Sugar Intake

DALLAS — For the first time, the American Heart Association has made specific recommendations for how much sugar people should consume. Before now, the association has just advised moderation in sugar consumption.

In a recent AHA study, researchers found that Americans on average are consuming 22 teaspoons of added sugar daily, more than twice the amount the AHA recommends. In a statement this week in the association's journal, Circulation, the AHA makes the following recommendations: Most American women should limit their intake to no more than six teaspoons (about 100 calories) daily, and most American men should limit their daily intake to no more than nine teaspoons (about 150 calories).

High intake of added sugars is implicated in numerous poor health conditions, including obesity, high blood pressure and other risk factors for heart disease and stroke, the study shows. Soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages are the number one source of added sugars in the American diet, researchers said. The AHA guidelines do not apply to naturally occurring sugars like those found in fruit, vegetables or dairy products.

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