New guidelines published by the World Health Organisation recommend Australians reduce their daily intake of sugar to 10 per cent of their total energy intake.
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The report, which was released after extensive public consultation and an expert peer review, also found a reduction to below 5 per cent, or about six teaspoons of sugar a day, would bring additional benefits.
WHO department of nutrition for health and development director Dr Francesco Branca said the guidelines were based on solid evidence that would reduce the risk of obesity and tooth decay.
"Making policy changes to support this will be key if countries are to live up to their commitments to reduce the burden of non-communicable disease," he said.
The guidelines do not refer to sugars found in fresh fruits and vegetables or those naturally present in milk, because there was "no reported evidence of adverse effects of consuming these sugars".
GI Foundation chief scientific officer Dr Alan Barclay said the recommendations were consistent with a draft report released for public comment last year.
"There is strong evidence that children and adults should consume less than 10 per cent of kilojoules from free sugars to reduce the risk of dental caries and decrease their contribution of empty kilojoules and refined carbohydrate to the diet," he said.
"There is some evidence that eating no more than 5 per cent of energy from added sugars may further reduce the risk of developing dental caries, although it is noted that the quality of the evidence to support this was low."
The report found that sugar consumption varied significantly among nations, with the average intake for adults in Norway and Hungary only 7 per cent, while almost 17 per cent in Britain and 25 per cent in Portugal.
More than 170 comments on the draft guidelines were received in 2014 from government, non-government and United Nations agencies.
Bill Shrapnel, a consultant nutritionist and adviser with the Sugar Research Advisory service, said the report found sugar-sweetened beverages had a direct impact on body weight as proved by earlier studies.
"As these beverages are typically low in nutrients they are the logical target to achieve sugar reduction in those with high intakes," he said.
"Replacing sugar-sweetened beverages with drinks containing non-nutritive sweeteners is an effective way of lowering sugar intake, without the challenge of behaviour change."
Emeritus Professor of Medicine at Monash University Mark Wahlqvist said the report reinforced concerns about the health impact of excess sugar consumption.
"When in excess, free sugars reduce the potential to achieve the dietary diversity we need for optimal health," he said.
"Some sweetness in the diet can help achieve diversity but that is best coming from a variety of fruits, not fruit juices or extracts."
In the ACT, the Heart Foundation has launched a campaign to encourage Canberrans to reduce their intake of sugar by avoiding sugar in their coffees and other beverages.
