Even if you’re not raiding the Halloween candy stash, you might be seriously overdosing on sugar. Most of us are: Americans consume a staggering 22 teaspoons of added sugars a day (that’s 17 percent of daily recommended calories); Canadians get a smidge less, but still manage 16 teaspoons a day. Those numbers aren’t going down: Consumption of the sweet stuff has skyrocketed nearly 20 percent since 1970.
What’s so bad about that? It’s not just the extra calories (which, in themselves, raise your risk of obesity and the diabetes, arthritis and cardiovascular disease that come along with it). Sugar added to food ages you and takes the place of healthy foods, making it tricky to get the nutrients you need. Here’s what you need to know about the sweet stuff:
