How Many Grams of Sugar Can a Diabetic Have?

The common myth amongst most of the population is that the more sugar you intake, the greater are your chances of contracting diabetes. However, this may not be true 100 percent. Having said that, taking too much sugar is not healthy for any individual, let alone a diabetes patient and you need to limit the intake of the total grams of sugar that you take in. In this article, we shall see what is the recommended grams of sugar that a patient of diabetes should have. So, come and join in for the articleHow many Grams of Sugar Can a Diabetic Have?”

Diabetes and Sugar

While it is a myth that if you eat too much sugar, you will have diabetes. When you have too much of sugar in various food items, you tend to gain weight. This gaining of weight, as we know, is mainly responsible for causing diabetes, particularly type 2 in various individuals. In order to better manage diabetes, it is advisable that you regulate your intake of sugar while maintaining a well-balanced diet as may have been prescribed by your doctor.

Hence, when you have diabetes, it does not mean that you cannot have sugar at all. You can eat sugar to the extent that you do not exceed the daily requirement of the recommended quantity of carbohydrates and make sugary foods a part of your overall diabetic meal plan. So, let us see what should be the total intake of sugar for a healthy person and for someone who is a diabetic.

Diabetes and Sugar

How Much Sugar Should You Have?

For a healthy diet, the recommended grams of sugar that you should have is somewhere around 20 to 35 grams per day. This is true for every individual whether or not you are a diabetes patient. According to the USDA, the recommended quantity of sugar for women is around 22 grams per day while it is 36 grams for men.

A teaspoon of sugar carries around 4 grams of sugar, while a candy bar can have as many as 30 grams of sugar. So, you need to carefully study the ingredients and the content to ensure that you are not taking more than the recommended quantity of sugar.

Diabetes and Carbohydrates

Carbohydrates should be taken within the recommended amount by a person who suffers from diabetes in order to effectively manage the same. As per the American Diabetes Association, you should be aware of the total carbohydrates you take in and should choose all those food items that have a low glycemic index.

If you are going for food items, that has a high sugar content you can balance it out by excluding some other food items in order to maintain a proper balance of carbohydrates. Just to see an example, if you eat cake on one particular day, you need to omit bread, pasta, other sources of carbohydrate in your meal.

Also, the American Diabetes Association points out that if you have too much of sweet cravings, you can go for the FDA approved non nutritive artificial sweeteners, but only under proper supervision and within the recommended quantity. A person who has a sweet tooth should also include fruits and berries in his or her meal plan as these food items are nutritious.

In the paragraph that follows, you will learn more as to how you should cut on the daily intake of sugary foods and drinks.

How to Cut Down on Your Sugar Intake?

Follow the below-mentioned guidelines and tips in order to cut down on the total sugar intake in your body:

Avoid Sugary Beverages

Sugary beverages comprise of empty calories while also carrying a high glycemic index load. You should particularly avoid them if you are above 40 years of age.

Physical Activity

Even if you are in taking sugar within the recommended quantity, it is advisable for you that you indulge yourself in physical exercise for at least 20 minutes in a day. Even a simple walk will help.

Avoid Fast Food


Avoid Over Eating Food that Consist of Natural Sugar

You will tend to overeat food that consists of natural forms of sugar. This includes honey, fruits, etc. Do not overeat as that may cause harmful health effects.

While you look into the ingredients list, look into the following which counts as natural forms of sugar:

  • Agave
  • Rice Syrup
  • Sugarcane Syrup
  • Maple Syrup
  • Molasses
  • Fructose
  • Fructose Corn Syrup

We hope that the above article has been helpful in improving your understanding of the relationship between diabetes and the total amount of sugar that a diabetic must have. While a diabetic need not cut away from sugary foods completely, it is advisable to have them within the recommended quantity while also taking the advice of your medical expert!!