AMERICANS need to cut back dramatically on sugar consumption, the American Heart Association said on Monday in a recommendation that is likely to rile food and beverage companies.

The group said women should eat no more than 100 calories of added sugar per day, or six teaspoons （25g）, while most men should keep it to just 150 calories or nine teaspoons （37.5g）.

That's far below the 22 teaspoons （90 g） or 355 calories of added sugar consumed by the average American each day, according to a 2004 government survey.

The guidelines apply to any sugar or sugar syrup added in food processing or at the table as opposed to sugar found naturally in food such as fruit.

But the researchers take particular aim at the estimated US$115 billion （S$166 million） market for soft drinks, which Johnson said represent the No. 1 source of added sugars in the American diet.

'For the first time we've created specific recommendations about the amount of sugars that can be consumed in a heart-healthy diet,' Rachel Johnson of the University of Vermont, lead author of the policy statement published in thejournal Circulation, said in a telephone interview.

Ms Johnson said US labels on packaged foods do not distinguish between naturally occurring or added sugars, but she said anything labeled 'syrup' in the ingredients list is likely an added sugar.

Too much sugar not only makes Americans fat but also is a key culprit in diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and stroke, according to the report.

Prior heart association recommendations issued in 2006 recommended people minimize intake of added sugars. Now the group is eliminating any room for doubt, Ms Johnson said.

US Department of Agriculture dietary guidelines are less specific. They recommend decreased intake of food or beverages with added sugars as a way to maintain a healthy weight, but they do not give specific calorie limits.

The heart association report focused on added sugars, not naturally occurring sugars in food.

据美国心脏协会周一发表言论称道，美国公民需要大幅度减少对糖的消耗量。此建议将有可能引起食品与饮料公司的强烈不满。

他们说女性每天最多可以摄取100卡路里的添加糖，或者说是6茶匙（25克）的量，而男性，也应该保持在150卡路里或者9茶匙（37.5克）的量上。

根据一次2004的政府调查，这个标准量远远低于普通美国公民每天22茶匙（90克）或355卡路里的添加糖摄取量。

这个指标适用于任何形式的糖，还包括在食品加工过程中添加的糖浆以及餐桌上的糖类而不是天然的存在于例如水果中的糖。

然而研究者们特别关注了在美国总的大约1150亿美元的市场上占有1.66亿美元的饮料市场，并且约翰逊称这就是美国饮食中添加糖的头号来源。

"这是我们第一次提出建议规定一个健康心脏饮食习惯的标准糖摄取量。"佛蒙特州大学瑞吉儿·约翰逊在一次电话采访中如是说。同时，她也是这次发表在《Circulation》杂志上的该方针的主要作者。

约翰逊女士表示，在美国通过外包装上的标签并不能分辨出哪些是天然糖哪些是添加糖，但是她强调，任何标有"糖浆"成分的生产配方都很有可能含有添加糖。

报告中还提到，过多的糖不仅会造成美国人肥胖而且是残疾，高血压的罪魁祸首，还能导致心脏病的发作。

在2006年前心脏协会提出的标准建议人们降低添加糖的摄取量。约翰逊女士称，"如今他们更是不容再有任何的质疑。"

美国农业部的饮食标准则不甚确切。他们主张减少含添加糖的食物或饮料的摄取以此来保持一个健康的体重，但他们并没有给出详细精确的卡路里数字。

这次心脏协会的报导指的是添加糖，并非食物中所含的天然糖份。