Statement on "Caloric Sweetener Consumption and Dyslipidemia Among US Adults"

WASHINGTON – At 15 calories per teaspoon, all-natural sugar has been a healthy part of diets for more than 2,000 years. We continue to encourage Americans to consume sugar, as well as all foods and beverages, in moderation. Per capita consumption of sugar and other caloric sweeteners has actually fallen by 9.7 percent over the past 10 years, according to the USDA.

The overwhelming body of science still points to the fact that no government mandate should be placed on sugar intake. In fact, the European Union's food regulatory body concluded in March that no scientific evidence existed to support placing a limit on the amount of sugars people should consume.

The recent paper printed in the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) even cautioned that their data "can be used only to assess associations. They cannot be used to determine causality or even to assess directionality or temporality of the associations observed." In other words, no link can be drawn between sugar and health risks, and more research – particularly long-term trials – are needed.

A similar article published by JAMA last year about sugar and heart health likewise cautioned that science surrounding intake guidelines "lack rigor" and "caveats surround all discussion in the scientific statement about the associations between sugar and suboptimal health."

In addition to the lack of science, severely limiting sugar consumption is neither practical nor realistic. The limits that some are lobbying for are so strict that Americans could no longer enjoy a slice of unbuttered toast with jelly at breakfast, a mid-afternoon snack of 1/3 cup of dried cranberries, or a dish of reduced-fat ice cream as dinner dessert.

We are hopeful that U.S. government officials will follow the law and rely on sound science, not emotion or opinion, to make decisions about dietary guidelines involving sugar or caloric sweeteners. When consumed in moderation, sugar is part of a balanced diet and healthy lifestyle.