The American Heart Association today set new guidelines for sugar consumption. The new guidelines suggest 6 tsp per day for women and 9 tsp for men maximum. The average American (and Canadians are no different) consumes 156 lbs of sugar a year, mostly in the form of soda and sweetened cereal, although sugar can be found in almost all processed and packaged foods. To put the new limits in context, one can of non-diet soda contains about 8 tsp of sugar, already over the daily maximum for women in one drink! Teens are especially high in sugar consumption, with the average 14-18 year old boy consuming an average of 35 tsp per day. Sugar’s mega-presence in our diets is affecting all aspects of our health, increasing rates of diabetes, heart disease and obesity. Cancer cells also preferentially consume sugar and a high-sugar diet has been associated with faster tumor growth. Sugar depresses the immune system as well, making colds and flus last longer and be more severe. A serious effort should be made by all to reduce and cut out sources of sugar in our diets. Our bodies will thank us for it!