Americans Get 13 Percent of Daily Calories from Added Sugar, Suggests Study

American adults consume 13 percent of calories from added sweeteners, says new study.

The report suggests that if you are like most adults, you're probably eating, or drinking, too many "added sugars" in the form of sugar, honey, maple syrup, and high fructose corn syrup, the New York Daily News reported.

Researchers at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Center for Health Statistics examined survey data from thousands of American adults, finding that most people get a whopping 13 percent of their total calories from added sugars alone.

Not only does that add a lot of extra calories which contribute to making us fat, sugary items often displace healthier items, such as fruits, vegetables, and foods packed with nutrients.

The data also showed that men consume more sugar per day than women-men take in an average of 335 calories from sugar; women, 239 calories.

Also adults tend to eat the most sugar in their 20s and 30s, with the consumption dropping steadily over time.

For example, men between 20 and 39 years old consumed 397 calories of added sugar per day, on average, while men in their 40s and 50s consumed an average of 338 such calories per day.

The report adds that sugar-sweetened soda is the single biggest source of added sugars in the American diet, yet these beverages overall accounted for only one-third of added sugars consumed by adults, compared with two-thirds from food.

Also, when it comes to added sugars, we tend to eat and drink them mostly at home, the study showed -- 67 percent of added sugars from food were eaten at home, along with 58 percent of added sugars from drinks.

Source: ANI