Sugar is in fruits and vegetables and other foods that are part of a healthy diet, like dairy and grains. But there are also sneaky added sugars in many foods, including some you wouldn’t expect. It’s that added sugar you’ll want to watch for and avoid.

Added sugar can lead to serious health issues, including heart attacks and stroke. Other health problems fueled by added sugar include:

• Higher blood pressure
• Inflammation
• Weight gain
• Diabetes
• Fatty liver disease

Sugar Has Many Names

You may see names for sugars like molasses, cane sugar, corn sweetener, raw sugar, syrup, honey or fruit juice concentrates. And, then there are names that end in “ose,” like maltose and sucrose and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS). All of these count as added sugars.

HFCS is one added sugar that is particularly bad for your health. Researchers have found that it is strongly linked to obesity. You may ask how this sugar is worse than others.

HFCS is a highly processed form of corn sugar that has a higher amount of fructose than glucose. When your body processes the fructose, it causes a spike in your body’s blood sugar level. The spike can last for quite some time and spurs your liver to create more fat. This is the process that can lead to obesity. HFCS also raises triglyceride levels and bad cholesterol (LDL). All these things boost your risk for obesity and heart disease.

How Much Is Too Much?

According to the Dietary Guidelines for Americans  people over 2 years old should keep sugars to less than 10 percent of their total daily calories. Children under 2 should not have added sugar at all.

So how much sugar is 10 percent? If you eat 2,000 calories per day, that means you should have no more than 200 calories from sugar. That’s about 12 teaspoons or 50 grams. One 12 ounce can of soda has around 40 grams. A 5-ounce serving of flavored yogurt has 15 grams.

Keep in mind that many people need to eat less than 2,000 calories per day to maintain a healthy weight. That means less sugar, too.

How Much Sugar Are You Consuming?

How can you find out how much sugar you’re taking in? The first step is to take a look at your diet.

Be sure to think about what you drink. For most people, drinks are a main source of added sugar. Some culprits are presweetened drinks like sodas, energy drinks and fruit juices. Also, more sugar than you think may be sneaking in when you sweeten your coffee and tea.

While a lot of added sugars come from foods we think of as sweets, like desserts and candy, there are added sugars in many foods that may not seem sweet. Pasta sauce, gravy, soups, ketchup, salad dressings, nutrition bars, flavored yogurts and even “healthy” cereals all have added sugar.

Check the Label — and the Serving Size

To find out if a packaged food has added sugars, look at the Nutrition Facts panel.  You will see “added sugars” under the line for “total sugars.” If there is no Nutrition Facts panel, look at the list of ingredients.  Ingredients will be listed in the order of how much of an item is in the product. Ingredients that make up more of the food or drink will be listed first.

Also, check the serving size, and pay attention to how much you’re actually eating or drinking. You may be having more than the serving size on the label.

Trim Your Sugar Intake

Taking a closer look at what you eat and making sure you’re not filling up on added sugars can help you feel better and lower your risk for disease. Once you add up all the sugar in your diet, you’ll likely find that you need to cut back.

Here are some easy ways to cut back on added sugars:

• Read the label. Pay attention to what’s in your food. There may be versions with less sugar. Or you can cut back on your serving sizes.
• Cut the sugar you add to your coffee, cereal or tea in half. When baking, slash sugar by one-third to one-half. You may not even notice the difference.
• Buy fresh fruits instead of juice. If fresh fruit isn’t handy, try fruit canned with water.
• Choose water over sodas and sports drinks. If that’s a tough change, start by choosing reduced-sugar juices and zero-calorie drinks, including flavored water, diet soda or unsweetened tea.
• Boost flavor with spices instead of more sugar. Try ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon.

For more tips on nutrition check out the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2020-2025. 

Sources: What is High Fructose Corn Syrup? And Why is it Bad For You,  Cleveland Clinic, 2025; The sweet danger of sugar,  Harvard Medical School, 2022; About Healthy Weight and Growth,  Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), 2024; Get the Facts: Added Sugars,  CDC, 2024; Added Sugars,  American Heart Association, 2021; How to Read Food and Beverage Labels,  National Institute on Aging, National Institutes of Health, 2022; Added Sugars on the Nutrition Facts Label,  U.S. Food and Drug Administration, 2024