How Much Sugar Can You Eat Per Day? AHA, WHO & Indian Guidelines Compared

How Much Sugar Is Safe To Eat Per Day?

Sugar is in almost everything we eat—chai, snacks, cold drinks, and sweets. But experts agree: too much sugar raises your risk of diabetes, weight gain, and heart disease.

Simple daily limits:

• AHA (USA):

  • Men: No more than 36 g (about 9 teaspoons) of added sugar.

  • Women: No more than 25 g (about 6 teaspoons).

• WHO (global):

  • Free sugars should be less than 10% of daily calories.

  • For extra health benefit, aim for less than 5% (about 25 g on a 2,000‑calorie diet).

• India‑friendly target:

  • Many Indian experts suggest around 25–30 g of added sugar per day for most adults, especially if you have diabetes or heart issues.

One regular soda can already contain 30–40 g of sugar, which alone can cross your daily limit.

Easy ways to stay under 25–30 g/day:

• Cut sodas, sugary juices, and very sweetened tea/coffee.

• Avoid daily sweets and packaged snacks high in sugar.

• Read labels and choose items with less than 5 g sugar per serving.

If you simply try to keep added sugar under 25 grams most days, you’ll be closer to the safest targets from AHA, WHO, and Indian experts—without drastic diet changes.