DALLAS—The American Heart Association (AHA) said Americans need to cut back on the amount of added sugars consumed in order to reduce metabolic abnormalities, adverse health conditions and shortfalls in essential nutrients in a statement published in Circulation: Journal of the American Heart Association.
Instead of 22.2 teaspoons of added sugars per day, or 355 calories, which is was the average American eats, the AHA recommends a limit of 6 teaspoons (100 calories or about 25 grams) for women and 9 teaspoons (150 calories or about 37.5 grams) for men.
The AHA said soft drinks and other sweetened beverages are the major contributors to excessive sugar consumption in American diets. However, naturally occurring sugars in nutrient-dense foods such as fruits and vegetables are not implicated by the AHA to cause a rise in obesity, high blood pressure, high triglyceride levels, other risk factors for heart disease and stroke, and inflammation.
Source: Dietary Sugars Intake and Cardiovascular Health: A Scientific Statement From the American Heart Association, Circulation, Published online Aug. 24, 2009
