Q. Is sugar bad for your heart?

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Let's face it: Americans eat too much sugar. We consume 355 calories—or 22 teaspoons—of added sugars a day, according to a recent study. Added sugars are those added to food by consumers or during manufacturing by food processors. High intakes of added sugars are linked with increased risks for high blood pressure, low levels of “good” HDL cholesterol and high triglyceride levels—all risk factors for heart disease.

Last fall, the American Heart Association recommended limiting added sugars, advising that women eat no more than 100 calories per day from added sugars, or about 6 teaspoons, and men should stick to less than 150 calories, approximately 9 teaspoons. (For reference, a 12-ounce can of cola has about 8 teaspoons.)

These recommendations apply only to added sugars, which supply calories but no nutritional value, and not to sugars that occur naturally in healthful foods (such as fructose in fruit and lactose in milk and other dairy). While it’s fairly easy to keep track of sugars you add to foods or recipes yourself, added sugars in processed foods are more difficult to track. “Sugars” on Nutrition Facts panels include natural and added sugars. So how can you tell if you’re getting added sugars? The best way is to check the ingredient list for sugar and all its aliases: corn syrup, honey, molasses, agave nectar, fruit juice concentrates. In general, the closer sugars are to the top of the list, the more the food contains.