Natural vs. Added Sugar Count: How Many Grams a Day? (2024)

FAQs

Natural vs. Added Sugar Count: How Many Grams a Day? ›

A natural sugar limit has not been set by public health officials. Added sugar intake should be limited to no more than 10 percent of your discretionary calories allowance. Men should eat fewer than 150 calories of sugar per day, which is the equivalent of about nine teaspoons, or 36 grams.

How much sugar can we eat? The government recommends that free sugars – sugars added to food or drinks, and sugars found naturally in honey, syrups, and unsweetened fruit and vegetable juices, smoothies and purées – should not make up more than 5% of the energy (calories) you get from food and drink each day.

In contrast, the US dietary guidelines advise people to limit their intake to less than 10% of their daily calorie intake. For a person eating 2,000 calories per day, this would equal 50 grams of sugar, or about 12.5 teaspoons ( 10 ). If you're healthy and active, these are reasonable recommendations.

Added versus natural sugars

Natural and added sugars are metabolized the same way in our bodies. But for most people, consuming natural sugars in foods such as fruit is not linked to negative health effects, since the amount of sugar tends to be modest and is "packaged" with fiber and other healthful nutrients.

Well, 25 grams is about 6 teaspoonfuls of sugar and looks like this. Sugar comes in many forms, and the 25 grams adds up fast. Some years ago, musician Tom Lehrer, who is still going at age 95, composed a song in which he sang the full Periodic Table of Elements. He now could do the same with all the hidden sugars.

Natural sugar in fruits and vegetables does not count toward the daily intake.

The maximum recommended daily amount of sugar is 30g for adults – which works out at just seven teaspoons a day. Given that a tablespoon of ketchup contains around one teaspoon of sugar, a chocolate biscuit has up to two, and a small serving of baked beans almost three, you can see how quickly the teaspoons tot up.

Added sugars include sugars that are added during the processing of foods (such as sucrose or dextrose), foods packaged as sweeteners (such as table sugar), sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices.

The sugar in fruit is not a cause of concern for most people, considering that it's high in fiber and nutrients. But fruit sugar in the form of sweeteners can become problematic if you consume too much of it in processed foods. Aim to eat 2 cups of fruit per day, along with vegetables, lean protein, and healthy fat.

One serving, or one medium apple, provides about 95 calories, 0 gram fat, 1 gram protein, 25 grams carbohydrate, 19 grams sugar (naturally occurring), and 3 grams fiber.

What is the healthiest form of natural sugar? ›

“Compared to added sugars, honey, maple syrup, and agave nectar are only slightly better as they have a lower glycemic index and contain some vitamins and minerals," Frank Hu, PhD, MD, a professor of nutrition and epidemiology at the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health, told Verywell in an email.

So is there a definitive answer to which is healthier, honey or sugar? Both should be consumed in limited amounts. Honey may have a slight edge, but excess consumption of either is more dangerous to your health than the advantage of choosing one over the other.

Stevia and monk fruit are both naturally derived from plants and some people feel they have a flavor very similar to regular sugar. The FDA says these sweeteners are “generally regarded as safe,” which means they are safe to use for their intended purpose.

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that sugar should only make up 10% or less of your daily energy intake. This equals about 12 teaspoons (50 grams) of sugar per day for an adult. This includes both added and naturally occurring sugars.

Men should consume no more than 9 teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar per day. Women should consume no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) per day.

The definition of free sugars includes: all added sugars in any form; all sugars naturally present in fruit and vegetable juices, purées and pastes and similar products in which the structure has been broken down; all sugars in drinks (except for dairy-based drinks); and lactose and galactose added as ingredients.

[1] Less obvious yet significant contributors are breakfast cereals and yogurt. The AHA suggests a stricter added-sugar limit of no more than 100 calories per day (about 6 teaspoons or 24 grams) for most adult women and no more than 150 calories per day (about 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar) for most men.

How Much Is Too Much? The American Heart Association recommends no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar a day for women and 9 teaspoons (36 grams) for men. But the average American gets way more: 22 teaspoons a day (88 grams).

“The American Heart Association is a little more stringent, and for people at risk for heart disease, including those with prediabetes, it recommends less than six teaspoons of sugar a day for women (about 25 grams) and less than nine teaspoons (about 36 grams) a day for men.”

100g of sugar may sound like a lot, and for some people this amount may be more than their body can or should handle. For example, if you are consuming 1600 calories per day, then your daily maximum should be 80g of total sugar.