Recommendations:

Sugar is on the U.S. Food and Drug Administration's (FDA) list of safe foods. It contains 16 calories per teaspoon and can be used in moderation. All of the types of sugars described in this article can be used in moderation.

The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends limiting the amount of added sugars in your diet. The AHA recommendations focus on all added sugars, not just one type, such as high fructose corn syrup.

• Women should get no more than 100 calories per day from sugar (about 6 teaspoons of sugar)
• Men should get no more than 150 calories per day from sugar (about 9 teaspoons of sugar)

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans also recommends limiting added sugars. Strategies to reduce added sugars include:

• Drink water instead of regular soda, "vitamin-type" water, sports drinks, coffee drinks, and energy drinks.
• Eat less candy; dairy-based desserts such as ice cream; and grain-based desserts such as cookies, cakes, and pies.

The American Diabetes Association nutrition guidelines now state that if you have diabetes, you do not need to avoid sugar and foods that contain sugar. You can eat these foods in place of other carbohydrate foods, in limited amounts.

• When eaten at meals or snacks, sugars affect blood glucose control the same as other carbohydrates. It is still a good idea to limit foods and beverages containing sugar, and to check your blood sugar levels carefully.
• Although foods that contain sugar alcohols may have fewer calories, read labels carefully for the amount of carbohydrates and check your blood sugar levels.