According to the American Heart Association, women should have "no more than 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day" and "no more than 9 teaspoons a day for men". However, "adult Americans consume an average of 22 teaspoons of added sugar daily". This amount is very well above the daily recommendation for people of both sexes.
But why does this matter? There is much research suggesting that "excessive sugar intake [leads] to serious health issues, including type 2 diabetes, blood pressure, stroke, and dementia". And once you find yourself eating too much sugar, it will be hard to stop. Sugar consumption causes "[changes that are] similar to changes seen after drug use", with the sugar "activat[ing] the 'reward' centers of the brain".
Sugar, however, is not just present in candy and soda. It can also be found in the likes of bread, pasta, ketchup, etc. It is important to keep track of how much sugar you consume. One way of doing this would be to look at the label of a food or drink, take the number of grams of sugar per one serving, and divide that number by four, giving you the number of teaspoons of sugar per serving that you are consuming.
If you suffer from constant craving, fatigue, or anxiety, you may be displaying symptoms of addiction to sugar. However, it is possible to treat this addiction through "drinking more water, eating a more balanced diet, eliminating soda, and sleeping more". Stress is often a trigger for sugar addition, so it is also recommended to try to reduce or eliminate the source of stress. Remember to stay aware of your health.
Questions to consider: How can people be motivated to cut down on their intake of sugar? How possible is it to maintain a healthy diet in a world ruled by processed foods?
Sources:
http://www.everydayhealth.com/diet-nutrition/are-you-addicted-to-sugar.aspx
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