How Many Grams of Sugar Per Day is Harmful to Your Health?
You keep hearing that you should be avoiding sugar to improve your health and lose weight, but exactly how much sugar is too much? And does it matter what type of sugar you eat? Here is your full breakdown on what counts as sugar, and the recommended daily sugar intake based on your gender, health, and fitness goals.
How Much Sugar Can You Eat?
The World Health Organization suggests that adults should not eat more than 50 grams of sugar per day, and no more than 5% of their daily calories from added sugars. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugar intake below 9 teaspoons (36 grams) for men, and less than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) for women. And according to The Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2020–2025) added sugar intake should be less than 10% of daily calories; for a 2,000 calorie diet that would equal 200 calories or 12 teaspoons.
However, using these guidelines and a combination of fitness and health factors, you can get a pretty good estimate of how many grams of sugar to shoot for.
- For women
- For men
- For diabetics
- For weight loss
Like most things, the exact amount of sugar you should be eating each day can differ from one person to the next and depend on individual factors. For some, like athletes, eating more sugar around their workouts can provide performance and muscle gain benefits. Whereas those who live a sedentary lifestyle or those with type 2 diabetes could benefit from a decrease in sugar intake.
This is why even the experts have trouble agreeing on exactly how many grams of sugar per day we should be consuming as a general recommendation.
How many grams of sugar should women eat?
Women who are sedentary or who are concerned about heart health should aim to keep their added sugar intake within the AHA guidelines - below 25 grams per day. This is equivalent to roughly one 8-ounce soda per day or fewer than 2 dessert options per week.
For more active women, increased carbohydrate intake from nutritious whole food sources can help support fitness goals. However, limiting sugar intake to less than 50 grams per day or 10% of calories is still recommended for health reasons.
How many grams of sugar should men eat?
Men who live a sedentary lifestyle or who are at higher risk for developing heart disease should aim to keep their added sugar intake within the AHA guidelines - below 36 grams per day. This is equivalent to roughly less than one 12-ounce soda a day or 3 dessert options per week.
For those who are more active, choosing more carbohydrate-rich foods can support performance and muscle-building goals, but limiting added sugar intake to less than 50 grams per day or 10% of calories is still recommended for health reasons.
How many grams of sugar should diabetics eat?
The amount of sugar recommended for a diabetic should be determined with the help of a dietitian and primary health care provider. Diabetics need to consider total carbohydrate intake along with nutrient pairing and timing to support their individual health goals best, and a well built out nutrition plan can help them achieve this.
Because diabetics are at increased risk for heart health complications, the AHA guidelines for both men and women would ideally be recommended when it comes to added sugar intake - less than 25 grams a day for women and fewer than 36 grams a day for men.
How much sugar should I eat to lose weight?
Low-sugar diets have become a popular approach to weight loss because of their positive impacts on appetite and energy levels. Additionally, following a macro-based diet approach is thought to support improved body composition. However, weight loss is more strongly impacted by daily calorie intake than added sugar intake.
To gain the possible health benefits, aim to keep added sugar intake below 10% of your daily calories or less than 50 grams of added sugar per day.
