We’re swimming in sugar: Americans take in more than 22 teaspoons of added sugar each day (which snowballs into the equivalent of more than 56 pounds annually). For the average American’s 2,000-calorie diet, that means 18% of daily calories are coming from the sweet stuff. Experts previously recommended that no more than 10% of your calories come from sugar, but new guidelines slash that number even further. The World Health Organization announced Wednesday that it now recommends that no more than 5% of your daily calories come from sugar (about 100 calories for the average person). An uncontrollable sweet tooth does more than just make you fat. Recent studies show that excess sugar intake raises risk of death from heart disease by 20% or more, regardless of other health problems. It’s also been shown to mess up metabolism, impair brain function, and raise the risk of diabetes and maybe even cancer. Fortunately, a few diet tweaks can help you quickly reduce your sugar intake, knock down your disease risk, and protect your ticker. Bonus: you’ll probably drop some pounds in the process. Put these five simple sugar-reduction steps into action today. Health.com: 16 Most Misleading Food Labels Nix sweetened beverages Nearly 40% of the added sugar in Americans’ diets comes from sugary beverages like soda, sweet tea, lemonade, and fruit punch. Just one 12-ounce can of regular soda contains about 140 calories, all from added sugar. The American Heart Association recommends limiting added sugars to less than 100 calories daily for women and 150 for men, which means that a single soda meets or exceeds the limit. Kick the habit, and replace sweet drinks with good, old-fashioned H2O spruced up with healthy, flavorful add-ins like lemon, lime, fresh mint, cucumber, or a little mashed fruit. Scope out hidden sources of sugar Sugar hides in dozens of foods you might not suspect. Unfortunately, there’s no way to look at a Nutrition Facts label and tell how many calories come from added sugar. And even the grams of sugar can be deceiving,![]()
