AMERICANS need to cut back dramatically on sugar consumption, the American Heart Association said on Monday in a recommendation that is likely to rile food and beverage companies.

    The group said women should eat no more than 100 calories of added sugar per day, or six teaspoons （25g）, while most men should keep it to just 150 calories or nine teaspoons （37.5g）.

    That's far below the 22 teaspoons （90 g） or 355 calories of added sugar consumed by the average American each day, according to a 2004 government survey.

    The guidelines apply to any sugar or sugar syrup added in food processing or at the table as opposed to sugar found naturally in food such as fruit.

    But the researchers take particular aim at the estimated US$115 billion （S$166 million） market for soft drinks, which Johnson said represent the No. 1 source of added sugars in the American diet.

    'For the first time we've created specific recommendations about the amount of sugars that can be consumed in a heart-healthy diet,' Rachel Johnson of the University of Vermont, lead author of the policy statement published in thejournal Circulation, said in a telephone interview.

    Ms Johnson said US labels on packaged foods do not distinguish between naturally occurring or added sugars, but she said anything labeled 'syrup' in the ingredients list is likely an added sugar.

    Too much sugar not only makes Americans fat but also is a key culprit in diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, according to the report.

    Prior heart association recommendations issued in 2006 recommended people minimize intake of added sugars. Now the group is eliminating any room for doubt, Ms Johnson said.

    US Department of Agriculture dietary guidelines are less specific. They recommend decreased intake of food or beverages with added sugars as a way to maintain a healthy weight, but they do not give specific calorie limits.

    The heart association report focused on added sugars, not naturally occurring sugars in food.

    據美國心臟協會周一發表言論稱道，美國公民需要大幅度減少對糖的消耗量。此建議將有可能引起食品與飲料公司的強烈不滿。

    他們說女性每天最多可以攝取100卡路里的添加糖，或者說是6茶匙（25克）的量，而男性，也應該保持在150卡路里或者9茶匙（37.5克）的量上。

    根據一次2004的政府調查，這個標準量遠遠低于普通美國公民每天22茶匙（90克）或355卡路里的添加糖攝取量。

    這個指標適用于任何形式的糖，還包括在食品加工過程中添加的糖漿以及餐桌上的糖類而不是天然的存在于例如水果中的糖。

    然而研究者們特別關注了在美國總的大約1150億美元的市場上占有1.66億美元的飲料市場，并且約翰遜稱這就是美國飲食中添加糖的頭號來源。

    "這是我們第一次提出建議規定一個健康心臟飲食習慣的標準糖攝取量。"佛蒙特州大學瑞吉兒·約翰遜在一次電話采訪中如是說。同時，她也是這次發表在《Circulation》雜志上的該方針的主要作者。

    約翰遜女士表示，在美國通過外包裝上的標簽并不能分辨出哪些是天然糖哪些是添加糖，但是她強調，任何標有"糖漿"成分的生產配方都很有可能含有添加糖。

    報告中還提到，過多的糖不僅會造成美國人肥胖而且是殘疾，高血壓的罪魁禍首，還能導致心臟病的發作。

    在2006年前心臟協會提出的標準建議人們降低添加糖的攝取量。約翰遜女士稱，"如今他們更是不容再有任何的質疑。"

    美國農業部的飲食標準則不甚確切。他們主張減少含添加糖的食物或飲料的攝取以此來保持一個健康的體重，但他們并沒有給出詳細精確的卡路里數字。

    這次心臟協會的報導指的是添加糖，并非食物中所含的天然糖份。