Sugar Should Make Up Less Than 5 Percent of a Person's Total Daily Energy Intake

The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that sugar should make up Less than 5 percent of a person's total daily energy intake. The UN agency urged a dramatic drop in the consumption of sugar, hidden in everything from sodas and ketchup, as it steps up the fight against obesity. The WHO's previous guidelines suggest that sugars should make up less than 10 percent of a person's total daily energy intake, but following a year of discussions among WHO member states, the UN agency has now urged countries to strive for half that. Setting the bar at 5 percent would mean people should consume no more than 25 grams, or the equivalent of 6 teaspoons of sugar a day, less than the 10 teaspoons in your average can of soda.

The WHO guidelines do not refer to sugars in fresh fruits, vegetables and milk, since there is no evidence they are harmful. The WHO said, "Much of the so-called free sugars we consume today are hidden in processed foods that are not usually seen as sweet, like ketchup, which contains a full teaspoon of the sugar in each tablespoon. The five-percent recommendation however remains conditional, since too few epidemiological studies have been carried out in populations with such low sugar intake to allow a clear comparison."

Source-Medindia