Answered by Dr Itender Pal Singh
This question comes up often, usually after a patient looks at a nutrition label and feels a little shocked. My honest answer: most health guidelines recommend keeping added sugar under 25-36 grams (about 6-9 teaspoons) per day for adults.
That’s added sugar specifically — sugar in fruit or plain dairy doesn’t count the same way, since it comes packaged with fiber, protein, or other nutrients that slow absorption.
Why it matters: Regularly exceeding this limit is linked to a higher risk of weight gain, type 2 diabetes, fatty liver disease, and heart disease over time.
The tricky part: Added sugar hides in places you wouldn’t expect — bread, pasta sauce, flavored yogurt, and salad dressing all commonly contain it.
My advice: Don’t obsess over hitting an exact gram target. Focus on cutting back the obvious sources — soda, candy, sweetened coffee drinks — and read labels on packaged foods. Small, consistent reductions matter more than perfection.
We have a very strict reviewing guidelines on how to run every article in the website. Everything we write follow a very strict reviewing process by following high quality peer-reviewed studies. Every source we follow are credible and accurate and again reviewed by our doctors to give you all high quality advise and content.
For the latest health trending topics and top of the line updated health and fitness related news and conditions with insights from board certified experienced health professionals, follow Healing Doctor on Facebook, Instagram and Whatsapp.
