The harms of sugar consumed in excess are well documented in the scientific literature. The March 2015 WHO guidelines recommend limiting consumption to 10 percent of daily calories, trying to halve it, without exceeding 25 grams per day (6 teaspoons), or 5 percent of daily calories. A threshold that is crossed by drinking a single carbonated soft drink.
In addition to dental caries, the harms of excessive sugar consumption pertain to overweight, obesity and other related ‘noncommunicable’ diseases (high cholesterol, heart disease), which are the leading cause of death (68 percent of the total in 2012) and are the result of the deadly mix of improper diet and lack of physical activity.
The World Health Organization refers to simple sugars, added to sweeten foods, and not those naturally contained in fruits and vegetables, which in the general population pose no health risks.
