What is the average grams of sugar per day

The average person in the United States consumes around 17 teaspoons , or A gram g of sugar contains about 4 calories , which means that many people consume almost calories a day from added sugar alone. In this article, we look at the recommended sugar limits for different types of people and provide information on how to reduce the intake of sugar. Discretionary calories are those that are left over once a person has met their daily nutritional needs. A person who has consumed calories from high-nutrient foods throughout the day can use up this extra calorie allowance on treats, such as sugary or fatty foods.

According to AHA guidelines, most men should consume no more than discretionary calories of sugar per day. This is equivalent to 38 g or 9 teaspoons tsp of sugar. Women should use no more than discretionary calories on sugar per day.

This is around 25 g or 6 tsp of sugar. Children between the ages of 2 and 18 should consume no more than 25 g , or 6 tsp, of added sugar daily. Diabetes makes it difficult for the body to use glucose effectively. Since the body converts both naturally occurring and added sugars into glucose, people with diabetes must monitor their overall sugar intake. But some foods affect blood glucose levels more than others, depending on their glycemic index GI.

Foods with a higher GI raise blood glucose more than foods with a lower GI. A person with diabetes should regularly check their blood glucose level to ensure that it is within a safe range. This range will vary slightly from person to person. Avoiding added sugars and focusing on consuming the right amounts of fiber and nutrient-dense carbohydrates from whole foods can help stabilize blood sugar levels. For example, fruits and some vegetables contain the sugar fructose, and milk contains a sugar called lactose.

These foods also contain nutrients and may be sources of dietary fiber. Added sugars can be natural or chemically manufactured. Examples of natural sugars that manufacturers add to provide sweetness include honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar. Examples of added sugars to look for on food labels include:. The type of sugars most adults and children in the UK eat too much of are "free sugars". We do not need to cut down on these sugars, but remember that they are included in the "total sugar" figure found on food labels.

Free sugars are found in foods such as sweets, cakes, biscuits, chocolate, and some fizzy drinks and juice drinks. These are the sugary foods we should cut down on. For example, a can of cola can have as much as 9 cubes of sugar — more than the recommended daily limit for adults. Find out what the top sources of free sugars are.

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.

Find out more about nutrition labels and sugar for help on how to tell the difference. The Food Scanner app from Change4Life can help you check how much sugar you or your child is having.

Using your smartphone, the app can scan the barcode on food packets to find out exactly how much sugar is in it. Get it on the App Store and Google Play. Find more ways of cutting sugar out of your diet. Look at information on nutrition labels and ingredients lists to help reduce your intake of free sugars.

Nutrition information can be presented in different ways, including on the front and the back of packs. It's important to look for the "of which sugars" figure on nutrition labels, which is part of the carbohydrate information. While this does not tell you the amount of free sugars, it's a useful way of comparing labels and can help you choose foods that are lower in sugar overall. Products are considered to either be high or low in sugar if they fall above or below the following thresholds:.

If the amount of sugars per g is between these figures, that's regarded as a medium level. Make sure to read labels and be aware that food producers often disguise added sugar using alternative names.

Some people can handle a little bit of sugar in their diet, while for others it causes cravings , binge eating, rapid weight gain, and disease.

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