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LONDON (AP) — How much of your daily calorie intake comes from sugar?
The World Health Organization says it should be just five percent. That's half of what the agency previously recommended. The new draft guidelines were published today.
After reviewing about 9,000 studies, an expert panel says dropping sugar intake to the five-percent level will fight obesity and cavities.
The sugar total includes sugars added to foods, and those that are present in honey, syrups and fruit juices -- but not those that occur naturally in fruits.
The WHO's director for nutrition concedes that the goal might not be easily achieved. He says five percent is a goal -- but that "ten percent is more realistic."
Americans and others in the West eat a lot more sugar than that. The average sugar intake in the West would have to drop by two-thirds to meet the suggested limit.
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187-c-15-(Charles de Ledesma, correspondent)-"aimed at children"-Correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports many doctors applaud the U.N. agency's attempt to curb the global sweet tooth. (5 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *187 (03/05/14)££ 00:15 "aimed at children"
186-c-19-(Charles de Ledesma, correspondent)-"the new limit"-Correspondent Charles de Ledesma reports new World Health Organization guidelines say our sugar intake should be only around 5 percent of total calories -- way down from their old recommendation of 10 percent. (5 Mar 2014)
<<CUT *186 (03/05/14)££ 00:19 "the new limit"
APPHOTO LON107: FILE - This is a Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010 file photo of chocolate bars on a shelf at a store in central London, Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2010. The World Health Organization says your daily sugar intake should be just 5 percent of your total calories half of what the agency previously recommended, according to new draft guidelines published Wednesday March 5, 2014. (AP Photo/Sang Tan. File) (19 Jan 2010)
<<APPHOTO LON107 (01/19/10)££
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