Gain a better understanding of the role sugar plays in your body and the recommendations of prominent health organizations.

Sugar brings a touch of sweetness to foods and drinks, but can also contribute to health issues like weight gain, diabetes, and cavities.^[1]

Sugar and your brain

Sugar is a carbohydrate (carb), and carbs are your body’s main source of fuel.^[2] Your brain uses roughly half of the sugar in your bloodstream (called blood glucose) for energy.^[3]

One of your brain’s most important functions is to rule over your nervous system.^[4] It controls how you think, feel, move, and speak. It also regulates involuntary actions like breathing and digestion. Do you ever experience confusion or difficulty concentrating when you go too long without eating? That “brain fog” is a sign that you may be experiencing low blood sugar (hypoglycemia).^[5]

Is sugar really that bad for you?

It’s not that sugar is bad for you. It’s that too much of anything, including sugar, can be harmful.^[6] Blood glucose that’s too high (what health care providers call hyperglycemia) can stress your brain.^[7], so it receives too little oxygenated blood. When this happens, it is possible for more permanent memory and thinking problems to occur.^[8]

And sugar, of course, has calories. There are 16 calories in 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar.^[9] The calorie count for other sweeteners varies depending on the type. Over time, excess sugar in your diet can take a toll on your heart, liver, pancreas, and other organs.^[10]

What’s the difference between naturally occurring and added sugars?

People often think of sugar as the white crystals they spoon into their morning coffee or use for baking. But sugar comes in a variety of forms:

• Naturally occurring sugars are present in the normal state of foods or drinks. For instance, lactose is a type of sugar found in milk products. Fructose is a sugar that gives peaches, bananas, berries, and other fruits their natural sweetness.
• Added sugars are ingredients that food manufacturers add to products to sweeten them, such as high-fructose corn syrup and naturally occurring sugars. Added sugar also includes the sugar you add to foods and drinks at home, such as a spoonful of sugar in your coffee or cereal.^[11]

How much sugar is OK to have every day?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend people 2 and older limit added sugars to no more than 10% of calories per day.^[12] Infants and toddlers younger than 2 shouldn’t get added sugars at all.^[13] This recommendation is a little more generous than the American Heart Association recommendations. They suggest limiting added sugars to no more than 6% of total calories per day.^[14]

What this really means for you depends on the guidelines you follow:

• Dietary Guidelines for Americans: If you consume 2,000 calories each day, only about 200 of those calories should come from added sugars. That’s about 12 teaspoons of daily added sugars.^[15]
• American Heart Association: Females should limit added sugars to 6 teaspoons per day (about 100 calories).^[16] Males should stick to about 9 teaspoons (150 calories) per day.^[17]

3 ways to reduce your sugar intake

Reality differs from what health care organizations and providers recommend. Most adult American males over the age of 20 consume an average of 19 teaspoons of added sugars every day for a total of 304 extra calories. Female adults over age 20 take in an average of about 15 teaspoons of added sugar, or 240 extra calories.^[18]

If those numbers are more in line with your daily intake, consider taking these steps to cut back on sugar:

Step 1: Look for low- or no-sugar products

Choose products that have low- or no-added sugars. Since these claims can be confusing, here’s a quick guide:

• No-added sugar products only have naturally occurring sugars. You may also see the claim “without added sugars.”^[19]
• Reduced sugar products have at least 25% less sugar per serving than the standard variety.^[20]
• Sugar-free products have less than 0.5 grams of sugar per serving.^[21]

Step 2: Check the ingredient list

Sugar comes in many forms, and food manufacturers may label them differently. These words on an ingredient list indicate added sugars:^[22]

• Corn syrup or corn sweetener
• Fruit juice concentrates
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Ingredients ending in -ose, such as dextrose, fructose, maltose, and sucrose
• Molasses
• Syrup

Step 3: Read the Nutrition Facts label

Nutrition Facts labels can help you determine if a food or drink has added sugars—and how much is in each serving. Since sugar is a carbohydrate, you’ll find the sugar information underneath total carbohydrates.^[23]

Total sugars reflect the combined amount (in grams per serving) of naturally occurring and added sugars. There’s a separate line for added sugars (also in grams per serving). Next to this, you’ll see the percent Daily Value (written as %DV).

The percent Daily Value helps you know if a product is high or low in added sugars. In general:^[24]

• Products with 5%DV or less are low sources of added sugars
• Products with 20%DV are high sources of added sugars

In summary: Be sugar smart

Sugar plays a key role in our diet: As a carbohydrate, it helps fuel the brain and nervous system. But, using it in moderation is important since consuming too much sugar can have negative health effects. For health benefits, prioritize naturally occurring sugars in your diet. You can decrease your overall sugar consumption by reading Nutrition Facts labels and choosing products that are lower in added sugars.

Now that you know the benefits of eating less sugar, you may be curious about how to make smart shopping choices. The Sincerely Health nutrition tool in the grocery app can help.

You can start by downloading the grocery app. You’ll save $10 on groceries* for creating an account. Next, create a personalized Sincerely Health nutrition profile to receive 1,000 points*.

Your nutrition profile allows you to:

• Set specific nutrition goals.
  • Earn 10 points for items you purchase for a maximum 100 points per order (that’s 10 items at 10 points each).*

FAQs about sugar

How does too much sugar affect your health?

Too much sugar in your diet can damage blood vessels in your brain. Sugar also has calories that can contribute to weight gain. Excess pounds can be bad for your heart, liver, and other organs.

How much sugar is safe to have in a day?

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommend people 2 and older limit added sugars to no more than 10% of calories per day.^[25]

What steps can you take to cut back on sugar?

To cut back on sugar, read a product’s Nutrition Label and ingredient list. Choose foods and drinks that have little, if any, added sugar.

Sign up for Sincerely Health and create a nutrition profile to help you get healthy today!

Download your app on the App Store today

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[1] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Get the Facts: Be Sugar Smart: Limiting Added Sugars Can Improve Health. Last reviewed March 28, 2023. https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/data-statistics/be-sugar-smart.html

[2] Mayo Clinic. Carbohydrates: How Carbs Fit Into a Healthy Diet. Last reviewed March 22, 2022. https://www.mayoclinic.org/healthy-lifestyle/nutrition-and-healthy-eating/in-depth/carbohydrates/art-20045705

[3] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Effects of Diabetes on the Brain. Last reviewed May 21, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/diabetes-and-your-brain.html

[4] Cleveland Clinic. Nervous System. Last reviewed November 16, 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/body/21202-nervous-system

[5] Cleveland Clinic. Hypoglycemia (Low Blood Sugar). Last reviewed January 21, 2023. https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/diseases/11647-hypoglycemia-low-blood-sugar

[6] Harvard Health Publishing. The Sweet Danger of Sugar. Last reviewed January 6, 2022. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar

[7] Harvard Health Publishing. The Sweet Danger of Sugar. January 6, 2022. https://www.health.harvard.edu/heart-health/the-sweet-danger-of-sugar

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Effects of Diabetes on the Brain. Last reviewed May 21, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/diabetes-and-your-brain.html

[8] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. The Effects of Diabetes on the Brain. Last reviewed May 21, 2022. https://www.cdc.gov/diabetes/library/features/diabetes-and-your-brain.html

[9] Food Data Central. Sugars, Granulated. Last reviewed December 16, 2019. https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/746784/nutrients

[10] Mount Sinai Medical Center. Effects of Sugar on Your Body. Last reviewed December 16, 2016. https://www.msmc.com/effects-of-sugar-on-your-body/

[11] American Heart Association. Sugar 101. Last reviewed November 2, 2021. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/sugar-101

[12] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Get the Facts: Added Sugars. Last reviewed November 28, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/data-statistics/added-sugars.html 

[13] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Get the Facts: Added Sugars. Last reviewed November 28, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/data-statistics/added-sugars.html 

[14] American Heart Association. Added Sugars. Last reviewed November 2, 2021. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/added-sugars

[15] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Get the Facts: Added Sugars. Last reviewed November 28, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/data-statistics/added-sugars.html 

[16] American Heart Association. Added Sugars. Last reviewed November 2, 2021. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/added-sugars

[17] American Heart Association. Added Sugars. Last reviewed November 2, 2021. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/added-sugars

[18] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Get the Facts: Added Sugars. Last reviewed November 28, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/data-statistics/added-sugars.html 

[19] American Heart Association. Sugar 101. Last reviewed November 2, 2021. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/sugar-101

[20] American Heart Association. Sugar 101. Last reviewed November 2, 2021. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/sugar-101

[21] American Heart Association. Sugar 101. Last reviewed November 2, 2021. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/sugar-101

[22] American Heart Association. Sugar 101. Last reviewed November 2, 2021. https://www.heart.org/en/healthy-living/healthy-eating/eat-smart/sugar/sugar-101

[23] U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label. Last reviewed March 5, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/added-sugars-nutrition-facts-label

[24] U.S. Food and Drug Administration. Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label. Last reviewed March 5, 2024. https://www.fda.gov/food/nutrition-facts-label/added-sugars-nutrition-facts-label

[25] Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Get the Facts: Added Sugars. Last reviewed November 28, 2021. https://www.cdc.gov/nutrition/data-statistics/added-sugars.html