That’s a fact—and it’s bad news. The American Heart Association recommends limits on the amount of sugar you consume every day:

• 25 grams (6 teaspoons) for women
• 36 grams per day (9 teaspoons) for men

According to Anna Taylor, RD, LD, “The average American eats about 68 grams [~16.3 teaspoons] of sugar per day. That can add up to as much as 28 pounds of body fat per year.”

Too Sweet

But it’s even worse than getting fat. According to the AARP Bulletin, May/June 2025, eating a lot of sugar causes your body to age at seven times its natural rate. It ages you in several ways:

• Raising dementia risk by increasing inflammation and weakening the blood-brain barrier.
• Making your belly bigger, which indicates that your liver is storing fat, which can lead to higher cholesterol, insulin resistance, cardiovascular disease, and stroke.
• Storing fat in the liver can also lead to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
• Making it less likely you’ll eat enough healthful foods.
• Increases risk of diabetes.
• Worsens menopausal symptoms, including hot flashes.
• Promotes tooth loss by damaging tooth enamel and creating gum inflammation.

Hidden Sugars

The Cleveland Clinic and the American Heart Association strongly support limiting table sugar. It’s high in calories and offers no nutritional benefit. Besides which, it’s hiding in some favorite foods:

• Condiments such as ketchup and salad dressings
• Pasta and barbecue sauces
• Flavored yogurt, especially low-fat ones
• Granola, instant oatmeal, and other breakfast cereals
• Nut butters, both peanut butter and others
• Drinks, which can contain more than three tablespoons of added sugar per serving

Check your food labels for hidden ingredients. Added sugars now must be specifically listed. Especially look for fructose, glucose, and sucrose.

The good news is that whiskey has no added sugar! The bad news is that it’s still empty calories and is otherwise hazardous to your health.

Naturally Sweet

The best way to sweeten food and drinks is with fresh or frozen fruit, which provide nutritional benefits such as fiber, vitamins, potassium, and antioxidants.

So, what about natural sugars? Things like raw honey, maple syrup, agave nectar, and raw sugar.

The good news is that some natural sweeteners provide a few more nutrients than table sugar. Raw honey and pure maple syrup both help feed gut flora, keeping your digestion on track.

Agave nectar, although natural, provides fewer nutrients than raw honey or pure maple syrup. It contains as many carbs and calories as table sugar. However, it tastes very sweet and so you might use less.

The bad news? They’re all still forms of sugar, high in calories. All natural sugar should be counted toward your daily sugar intake.

(Beware: Honey shouldn’t be given to infants under the age of 1 because of possible botulism bacteria spores.)

Artificially Sweet

So, just switch to artificial sweeteners? Problem solved? NO! Common artificial sweeteners, including saccharin (Sweet n’ Low®), aspartame (Equal®), and sucralose (Splenda®), come with concerns of their own.

According to The Cleveland Clinic, “Just as with sugar, artificial sweeteners may cause you to crave more sweet and sugary foods. Artificial sweeteners often include sugar alcohols. One sugar alcohol commonly used in artificial sweeteners, erythritol, has been linked to increased risk for heart attack and stroke.”

Some researchers suggest artificial sweeteners may be linked to a range of other health conditions , including having obesity, hypertension, Type 2 diabetes, heart disease, and more. However, those outcomes haven’t been validated across the board. Research is still ongoing.

Bottom Line: Roses are red.
Violets are blue.
Sugar is sweet
But BAD for you!