The added sugar hidden in food that damages your health, and easy ways to cut down on it

You are eating more sugar than you realise, and that is bad for you. But there are ways to cut down, including eating non-processed food

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Added sugar can be found in almost all processed foods. Women should limit their intake of added sugars to 25 grams a day, and men should limit theirs to 36 grams. There are easy changes to your diet that can lower the amount you eat. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 4:15pm, 31 Jan 2025

Hidden in everything from breakfast cereals to your favourite sandwich bread, added sugar is a nearly unavoidable part of our modern diet. Although reducing your intake might seem overwhelming, the health benefits make it worth the effort.

Research shows excessive sugar intake increases the risk of cardiovascular disease and other health issues, according to the American Heart Association.

Women should limit added sugars to 25 grams, or six teaspoons a day, while men should limit their intake to 36 grams (1.27 oz). However, many Americans consume an average of 17 teaspoons per day.

“I don’t have a sweet tooth,” ABC News chief medical correspondent Dr Jennifer Ashton wrote in her book The Self-Care Solution, “but when I really examined how much sugar I was eating, I was shocked.”

If health experts can be surprised by their sugar intake, we could all use some practical strategies.

Here are a few recommendations to get you started, according to Everyday Health.

The nutrition label on a box of cereal shows it has 12 grams of added sugar per serving. In the US these added sugars are listed separately. Photo: Shutterstock