The American Heart Association (AHA) says the evidence is clear: added sugars are a detriment to heart and brain health, sugary drinks are the top single source of added sugars in the American diet and children are consuming ten times the amount of sugary drinks recommended.
A report from public health experts found that people in Berkeley drank fewer sugar-sweetened beverages (SSB) after the city passed an excise tax on them. They also drank more water. A lot more water.
Children ages 2 to 18 should eat or drink less than six teaspoons of added sugars daily, according to the scientific statement recommending a specific limit on added sugars for children, published in the American Heart Association journal Circulation.
The federal government has released its “2015-2020 Dietary Guidelines,” which it says focuses on the big picture with recommendations to help Americans make choices that add up to an overall healthy eating pattern.
We knew it helped make us fat, but in a study released recently by the CDC, excess sugar is also blamed for significantly increasing our risk of death from heart disease. The study focused on refined sugar, which is found in non-diet soda, cakes, cookies and candy.
