According to the USDA, people getting 2,000 calories a day should consume no more than about 40 grams, or 10 teaspoons of added sugar. USDA surveys, however, show that the average American is consuming about 20 teaspoons of added sugar per day, or about 64 pounds a year. Many teenage boys are devouring almost twice that amount. "Added sugars" include sucrose, glucose, dextrose, fructose, corn syrup, beet sugar, cane su

Added sugars now account for 16 percent (up from 11 percent in 1977) of the calories consumed by the average American and 20 percent of calories consumed by teenagers. Soft drinks, which contain about nine teaspoons of sugar per 12-ounce can, are a leading contributor to increased sugar consumption. Soda pop may also be setting the stage for an epidemic in osteoporosis because many teenage girls and young women drink phosphorus-rich soda instead of calcium-rich milk. Teens consume almost twice as much soda as milk.

While we've been so concerned with fats, we've almost forgotten about sugar. Although too much fat in the diet can lead to minor health problems like obesity, heart disease, and premature death, sugar consumption can be much more hazardous to the health. Diets high in sugar may promote, or complicate, problems such as: acne, aging, allergies, appendicitis, arteriosclerosis, arthritis, asthma, autism, bad breath, bladder and bowel problems, bronchitis, bruxism, cancer, canker sores, cataracts, chronic fatigue syndrome, circulation problems, constipation, cystisis, depression, depressed immune system, dermatitis, diabetes, diverticular disease, dysentery, edema, endometriosis, epilepsy, eye problems, fatigue, fever, gallbladder disorders, gallstones, gas, gland problems, glaucoma, gout, heartburn, heart disease, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, hives, hyperactivity, hypoglycemia, hypthyroidism, impotence, indigestion, infection, intestinal parasites, irritable bowel syndrome, kidney problems, kidney stones, liver problems, lupus, lyme disease, memory problems, menopause, menstrual cramps, MS, mumps, obesity, osteomalacia, osteoporosis, Parkinsons disease, period problems, PMS, prostate enlargement, psoriasis, restless leg syndrome, sciatica, sinusitis, skin problems, stomach ulcers, stress, tinitus, tooth decay, tumors, urinary incontinence, urinary tract infection, vaginitus, weakened bones, wrinkles, yeast infection, and other health problems.

Because sugar is addictive, many companies consistently look for new ways to hide more and more sugars to processed foods. Added sugars are found largely in junk foods, but even healthier forms of processed foods regularly contain added sugars. To make matters worse, these processed foods tend to squeeze healthier foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and whole grains, out of the diet. It's probably best to try avoiding processed foods as much as possible.

Fructose, the natural form of sugar found in fruit, is sweeter than refined sugar (sucrose), so you should be able to satisfy your desire for something sweet and eat something healthy at the same time. While eating plenty of fruit is healthy, fruit juice is much like refined sugar, so limit it to one cup daily. Honey has slightly more nutrition than sugar, but is still a calorie dense sweetener much like other forms of refined sugar. Likewise, brown sugar is simply sugar with molasses added, and is little better than white sugar in nutritional terms. While artificial sweeteners are sometimes recommended for those wanting to lose weight, they may be even less healthy than refined sugar. It's best to simply retrain your taste buds to appreciate less sweet flavours.

The more sugar you consume, the more you want; the less sugar you consume, the less you want. Replace sugar with healthier forms of sweeteners (honey, maple syrup, molasses, fruit juice, etc.), and eventually reduce consumption of these. Consume a diet high in complex carbohydrates. Overcome your sugar desire with natural sugars in fruit.

Disclaimer: This article is for entertainment purposes only, and is not intended for use as diagnosis or treatment of a health problem or as a substitute for consulting a licensed medical professional.

About the Author

Charles Browne is a research writer for ounceofprevention.info, a free online encyclopedia concerning herbs and other healing foods used in nutritional healing and disease prevention.