Added Sugar

Added sugar is bad for your waistline and your heart. Women, aim for less than 25 grams a day. Men should eat no more than 37.5 grams.

Even if you don’t own a sugar bowl, you may still be consuming unhealthy amounts of added sugar. “Added sugar” is a catch-all phrase for caloric sweeteners that aren’t found naturally in foods. Those include high-fructose corn syrup, cane sugar, honey and lactose — to name a few.

According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average American swallows about 156 pounds of added sugar a year. While soda and sugary beverages are largely to blame, other seemingly healthful foods like yogurt, whole-grain cereal and sports bars can also be high in sugar. Besides adding unwanted calories to your diet, excess sugar may elevate the risk of heart disease and diabetes. The American Heart Association advises women to keep their added sugar content below 25 grams, or six teaspoons, a day; men should aim for fewer than 37.5 grams, or nine teaspoons, daily.

To reduce your sugar consumption, buy unsweetened food products as often as possible and sweeten with fruit.