The vast majority of children and teens should have less than six teaspoons of added sugar in their diet each day, according to the American Heart Association.
Until age 2, children should consume no added sugars at all, and between ages 2 and 18 they should limit added sugars to 25 grams per day, the organization says.
“I think its become clear over time that heart health and prevention of cardiovascular disease starts in childhood,” said Dr. Miriam Vos, lead author of a statement from the AHA published in the journal Circulation. “We’ve been gaining more information on sugar over time.”
Currently, the average child in the U.S. gets 50 to 75 grams of added sugar per day, or about two to three times the recommended amount, Vos said.
According to the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health in Boston, the average can of sugar-sweetened soda or fruit punch contains the equivalent of about 40 grams, or 10 teaspoons, of table sugar… Read More>>
Source: Reuters
