SUGAR — a sweet-tasting substance, usually in the form of tiny hard white or brown grains, also defined as a simple carbohydrate that is sweet-tasting, crystalline, and soluble in water.

Just like the cliché: Too much of everything is harmful; we have to keep in mind that whatever the definition is, too much intake of sugar is detrimental.

A new American Heart Association scientific statement provides specific guidance on limiting the consumption of added sugars and provides information about the relationship between excess sugar intake and metabolic abnormalities, adverse health conditions and shortfalls in essential nutrients.

Excessive intake of sugar, in any form and shape it may be, can cause a stack of health problems especially to those with sedentary lifestyle. Obesity, high triglyceride levels, cardiovascular diseases, Hypertension and stroke, not mentioning the most popular sugar-related disease, Diabetes, are some of the consequences one would have to face in return of a few sweets.

The statement says that the recommended sugar ingestion for most women should consume no more than 100 calories (about 25 grams) of added sugars per day while for most men, they should consume no more than 150 calories (about 37.5 grams) each day. If we convert that to teaspoons serving, that’s about 6 teaspoons of added sugar a day for women and 9 for men.

Can you imagine 6 teaspoons and 9 teaspoons only daily?? That’s a lot less than a normal person’s daily intake which was reported to be at 22.2 teaspoons per day which is equivalent to a whopping 355 calories. That’s more than double the recommended for men and more than triple for women.

To lessen our consumption, all we have to do is to remove soft drinks and other sugar-sweetened beverages in our diet. Yes, this is a whole lot of sacrifice but these are the one source of added sugars in Americans’ diet, according to the statement. A 12-ounce can already contain more than the daily dose allowed for women, because a can contains 130 calories or 8 teaspoons.

To ensure proper nutrient intake in the diet and to limit excess calories, people should be sure foods high in added sugars are not taking the place of foods with essential nutrients or increasing their total calorie intake. Making a dietary pattern that is rich in fruit, vegetables, low-fat dairy products, high-fiber whole grains, lean meat, poultry and fish would do just the trick in cutting unnecessary sugar intake.