How Can I Tame My Sweet Tooth?

A doctor’s advice on sugar and your health

Adam Rosenbluth, M.D.,

AARP

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Published December 15, 2025

How can I tame a sweet tooth? Anyway, is sugar really that bad for you?

Sugar shows up everywhere. It’s in salad dressings, protein drinks and bars, condiments, cereals, bread, flavored yogurt, even soups. With so much sweetener sneaking into our meals, it’s no wonder people are asking whether sugar is simply a pleasure or a genuine health problem.

Let’s start with the clearest answer I can offer: Too much sugar is bad for you.

It’s pro-inflammatory, and inflammation is at the root of many conditions that become more common as we age, including diabetes, high blood pressure, heart disease and cognitive decline. Sugar may even increase the risk of certain cancers.

I’m talking primarily about added sugar, not the natural sugars found in fruits and even dairy. Natural sugars come with plenty of fiber, vitamins, minerals and antioxidants that help the body digest them slowly and steadily. In contrast, the added sugars found in sodas, baked goods, candy, cereals, breads, sauces and processed foods hit the bloodstream fast and hard.

And we’re consuming sugar at astonishing levels. According the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average American adult now takes in about 17 teaspoons of added sugar a day. That’s more than 270 calories, adding up to 57 pounds of sugar a year. Let’s put it in historical perspective. In 1822, we consumed in five days the amount of sugar found in one modern 12-ounce soda. Today, we might consume that much every seven hours.

All that sugar affects our health. Research published in JAMA Internal Medicine found that people who got 17 to 21 percent of their calories from added sugar had a 38 percent higher risk of dying from heart disease compared with those who consumed 8 percent of their calories from added sugar.

As we age, insulin resistance becomes another common concern. Most adults become at least somewhat insulin-resistant over time, meaning our bodies doesn’t metabolize sugar as efficiently — and insulin resistance is essentially a form of prediabetes.

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If you don’t change your diet or increase exercise, it can progress to type 2 diabetes, which is a major factor for heart disease, stroke, kidney disease and nerve damage. Sometimes a new or intense sugar craving can be an early sign of prediabetes due to episodes of low blood sugar that occur as the pancreas works overtime to keep up.

Sugar also affects our brain and mood. Studies show that men who consume more than 67 grams of sugar per day have a significantly higher risk of anxiety or other common mental disorders than those who consume 40 grams or less. This may be due to inflammation in the brain, a process increasingly linked to mental health.

Then there are the “spikes and crashes.” I tell patients to imagine the thermostat in my office jumping from 70 degrees to 100 and back again every few minutes. Sure, the average might be fine, but the constant fluctuation feels terrible. Sugar does that to your blood glucose. You might feel energized for 15 minutes, then you crash and crave more sugar. Over time, this cycle can lead to weight gain, fatigue and worsening metabolic health.

As for so-called healthier sweeteners like maple syrup or honey, these are still sugars, though the body may handle them slightly better. Whole fruits (not fruit juice) remain the best way to satisfy a sweet craving naturally. Artificial sweeteners, meanwhile, are best approached with moderation. Small amounts may be fine, but excessive intake raises unanswered questions about safety.

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How much sugar is OK? The American Heart Association recommends no more than 36 grams a day for men and 25 grams for women, less than the amount in a single can of soda. The first step, though, is simple: Don’t add sugar to anything. One teaspoon in coffee may be the exception, but habitually adding several spoonsful is not.

Finally, if your sugar cravings are new, get checked. Tests that measure fasting blood glucose and hemoglobin A1C can identify early issues, and quick action makes all the difference.

Cutting back on sugar is one of the simplest ways to fuel healthy aging, and small steps make a big difference. Your body will return the favor with more stable energy, clearer thinking and better long-term health. While sugar doesn’t need to disappear from your life, please don’t let it dominate your diet.

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