WHO and How Much Sugar?

A new World Health Organization (WHO) guideline provides updated evidence-informed recommendations on the intake of free sugars to reduce the risk of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) in adults and children.The WHO guideline recommends that adults and children reduce their daily intake of free sugars to less than 10% of their total energy intake and calls for a further reduction to below 5% to provide additional health benefits.The sugars guideline is part of the WHO’s effort to reach targets set by the Global Action Plan for NCDs 2013-2020 to halt the rise in diabetes and obesity and reduce the burden of premature deaths resulting from NCDs.The WHO suggests that the sugars guidelines be used in conjunction with other nutrient guidelines and dietary goals, in particular those related to fats and fatty acids.