10 Warning Signs You May Be Eating Too Much Added Sugar

There isn’t a specific set of 10 symptoms that proves you eat too much sugar. Excess added sugar is more reliably identified by looking at your diet and nutrition labels. Regularly consuming too much added sugar is associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure and tooth decay. (CDC)

Still, these can be useful clues that your diet may contain too many sugary foods or drinks:

1. Frequent sugar cravings or regularly wanting something sweet.
2. Energy highs and lows, particularly after sugary meals or drinks.
3. Unintentional weight gain, especially when sugary foods add substantial calories.
4. Increasing waist size over time.
5. Frequent thirst or urination — these aren’t simply signs of eating sugar and can indicate high blood glucose, so persistent symptoms deserve medical testing.
6. More cavities or tooth decay — frequent exposure to added sugars increases dental-caries risk. (CDC)
7. Poor-quality diet overall — sugary foods may displace foods rich in protein, fiber, vitamins and minerals.
8. High triglycerides or abnormal cholesterol on blood tests can accompany a diet high in added sugars, although they have many possible causes.
9. Elevated blood pressure or blood glucose — these are health measurements, not symptoms, and shouldn’t be attributed to sugar alone.
10. Frequent consumption of sugary drinks and desserts — this is actually a more useful warning sign than any physical symptom.

🍬 How much is too much?

For adults, the Dietary Guidelines recommend keeping added sugars below 10% of daily calories. On a 2,000-calorie diet, that’s less than about 50 grams (12 teaspoons) per day. (CDC)

And remember: added sugar is different from the naturally occurring sugar in whole fruit and plain milk. (CDC)

A 12-ounce regular soda can contain more than 10 teaspoons (about 42 grams) of added sugar by itself. (CDC)

A simple way to cut back

Start with beverages. Replace soda, sweetened tea, energy drinks and sugary coffee with water, sparkling water, or unsweetened tea/coffee. Sugary drinks are one of the biggest sources of added sugar. (CDC)

Bottom line: Don’t try to diagnose “too much sugar” from symptoms alone. Check the added-sugar amount on food labels and look at your overall eating pattern. If you’re experiencing excessive thirst, frequent urination, unexplained weight loss or persistent fatigue, ask for a blood-glucose test rather than assuming sugar is the cause.