Research has shown that eating too much sugar can have negative effects on your health, like raising your risk for diabetes, depression, obesity, heart disease, certain cancers, and gout.

While it’s clear you want to avoid too much sugar, it’s less clear just how much sugar you can enjoy and still support your health.

According to a new study, there’s a research-backed limit that you can follow for your daily added sugar intake: 25 grams, or about 6 teaspoons. Here’s what experts say about limiting your sugar intake.

How Much Sugar Should You Consume Daily?

To figure out how much sugar people can enjoy a day without having a major negative effect on their health, researchers did a review of meta-analyses on available studies.

The researchers looked at the findings from 73 previous meta-analyses, which showed the harmful links between sugar consumption and hormonal and metabolic diseases, heart disease, cancer, asthma, tooth decay, depression, and premature death.

The findings from the review showed that:

• Each serving/week increment of sugar-sweetened beverage intake was associated with a 4% higher risk of gout
• Each 250 milliliter/day increment of sugar-sweetened beverage intake was associated with a 17% higher risk of coronary heart disease
• Every 25 gram/day increment of fructose intake was associated with a 22% higher risk of pancreatic cancer

Based on the findings, the researchers recommended that people limit their intake of sugar-sweetened beverages to no more than one per week (about one 12-ounce can) and keep their daily intake of added sugar to under 25 grams (about 6 teaspoons).

What Do Dietary Guidelines Say About Sugar?

While the findings were based on observational data, they line up with guidance from the World Health Organization (WHO), World Cancer Research Fund, and American Institute for Cancer Research—all of which support the 6-teaspoons-per-day limit.

“Limiting added sugars to 6 teaspoons per day is not at all surprising because this has been the American Heart Association (AHA)’s standard for years,” Lauren Harris-Pincus, MS, RDN, founder of Nutrition Starring YOU, told Verywell. “Consuming excess sugars means we either are consuming too many calories beyond our needs leading to additional weight gain, or we are missing out on key nutrients because the foods we choose are higher in sugar and calories displacing foods we need to prevent lifestyle diseases with aging.”

How to Develop Healthy Sugar Habits

Experts have tried to focus their education and support efforts to limit added sugar intake on kids, as this group is especially vulnerable not just to the temptation of sweets but the product advertising and marketing that sells them.

In 2017–2018, the average daily intake of added sugars was 17 teaspoons for children and young adults between the ages of 2 and 19 years.

Caregivers have an important role to play not just in keeping an eye on kids’ sugar intake, but making sure that they think and feel positive about all the foods they eat.

“It is essential for families to harbor a healthy relationship around food, while still setting boundaries around sugar consumption for young children,” Melissa Mitri, MS, RD, nutrition writer and owner of Melissa Mitri Nutrition, told Verywell.

“When developing a healthy relationship around food, it is important to not label foods as ‘good’ or ‘bad’—and this applies to sugar as well,” Mitri said. “It’s better to prioritize foods that are naturally sweet such as fruit and encourage sugar-filled foods in moderation as an occasional treat.”

While it’s important to start young to create life-long habits, learning about nutrition and taking steps to foster a positive relationship with food should really be a family affair.

“The most harmful approach is to single out one child with overweight or obesity and restrict their sugar intake but not for other family members,” Harris-Pincus said.

Some specific ways that Mitri recommends reducing your sugar intake include:

• Swap out high-sugar foods and drinks for those that are “low-sugar” or have “no added sugar.”
• Cook more meals at home, as pre-made and processed foods tend to be higher in sugar than homemade versions since you have more control over the ingredients and amounts. If you have kids, make them part of the food shopping and preparation process.
• Educate yourself and your family about nutritious food choices. There are many books, food models, and songs and games that can teach young children about making informed decisions about what they eat and why it’s helpful for them to be empowered to do so.
• Instead of talking about food and weight, focus the conversation on how eating certain foods makes you feel.