Crystal Nelson
Many people like sweet foods – whether in the form of industrial sugar or artificial sweeteners. But how much sugar per day is healthy? And what is the maximum amount of sweetener you should consume? PraxisVITA explains which daily amounts are recommended.
How much sugar a day? – Recommendations on sugar consumption
The WHO recommends consuming no more than five percent of the daily calorie requirement in the form of sugar. On average, that’s about 25 grams per day. With a calorie intake of 2000 calories a day, that would be 100 calories in the form of processed sugar. That’s about five bars of chocolate or a glass (250 milliliters) of a sugary soft drink.
What is meant here is exclusively free sugar, i.e. sugar that is added to food. This does not include naturally occurring sugars, such as those found in honey or fruit juices.
Sweetener – is there a limit?
If you want to save calories from industrial sugar, you often use sweeteners. Whether in coffee, in the form of sweets, or yogurt – we encounter artificial sweetness in many foods. Since the sweetening power of artificial sweeteners is many times higher than that of industrial sugar, a small amount is enough to create a sweet taste. But what is the maximum amount of sweetener you can eat per day?
According to the WHO, the consumption of sweeteners is harmless as long as a certain limit is not exceeded. With the help of numerous studies, the WHO has defined the so-called ADI value (acceptable daily intake). Lifelong daily consumption is assumed.
Summary table: so much sweetener is harmless
Acesulfame (E950): 9 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day
Aspartame (E 951): 40 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day
Cyclamate (E 952): 7 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day
Saccharin (E 954): 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day
Sucralose (E 955): 15 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day
Thaumatin (E 957): Not established (no health concerns with use according to expert panels)
Neohesperidin DC (E 959): 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day
Steviol glycosides (E 960): 4 milligrams per kilo of body weight per day
Neotame (E 961): 2 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day
Aspartame acesulfame salt (E 962): Not established (experts do not express any health concerns)
Advantame (E 969): 5 milligrams per kilogram of body weight per day
How do I recognize foods that contain artificial sweeteners?
The label of a food that contains sweeteners must say “with sweeteners”. If it contains a mixture of industrial sugar and sweeteners, it says “with sugar and sweeteners” on the product.
In the case of sugar substitutes, the recommended maximum amount per day is not specified because the European Food Safety Authority has not expressed any health concerns. However, foods that contain more than ten percent of these sugar substitutes must be labeled as having a laxative effect if consumed in excess (about 20-30 grams per day), i.e. leading to diarrhea.
These are the currently approved sugar substitutes:
- Sorbitol (E 420)
- Mannitol (E 421)
- Isomalt (E 953)
- Polyglycerol syrup (E 964)
- Maltitol (E 965)
- Lactitol (E 966)
- Xylitol (E 967)
- Erythritol (E 968)
In the list of ingredients of a product that contains additives, these are listed, for example, as “sweetener sorbitol” or “sweetener E 420”.
