According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, on average, Americans consume 17 teaspoons (tsp) of added sugar each day. This adds up to 270 calories. The guidelines also say that you should limit added sugars to less than 10% of their daily calorie intake. For example, if you had a daily intake of 2,000 calories, added sugar should account for fewer than 200 calories. The World Health Organization (WHO) advised that people eat half this amount, with no more than 5% of their daily calories coming from added sugar. For a diet of 2,000 calories per day, this would amount to 100 calories, or 6 tsp, at the most.

If you are consuming too much sugar, you may feel sluggish, bloated, or even depressed. Consuming too much sugar can also contribute to long-term health problems such as tooth decay, acne, obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular diseases. Lower your sugar consumption by doing the following:

1. Checking food labels for sweeteners
2. Reducing foods with added sugar
3. Avoiding processed foods in general