The official range for carbohydrates is 45% to 65% of your calories, with at least 130 grams a day. Added sugar is the part experts want you to limit. The World Health Organization suggests keeping free sugars, which include added sugar, under 10% of your calories, and ideally under 5%. The kind of carbs you eat seems to matter more than the exact amount.

Key takeaways

• The 130 gram minimum is the amount that covers the brain's need for glucose in nearly everyone, a floor rather than a goal (Hernandez and Rozance, 2023).

• In adults with overweight or obesity, low-carb weight-loss diets weren't better than balanced ones for weight or heart risk factors over one to two years (Naude et al., 2022).

• The WHO's free sugar advice doesn't apply to sugar in whole fruit, vegetables or milk (WHO, 2015).

• The U.S. label's Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams on a 2,000-calorie diet (FDA).

How many carbs do you need?

The National Academies set the acceptable range at 45% to 65% of calories for adults, with a recommended minimum of 130 grams a day (NASEM). The minimum rises to 175 grams in pregnancy and 210 while breastfeeding. One 2023 analysis argues the pregnancy figure should be about 220 grams, to cover the placenta's use of glucose too (Hernandez and Rozance, 2023).

The 130 grams comes from the brain. It runs mostly on glucose, and the average adult needs about 100 grams of carbs a day to cover it. The recommendation is set higher so it covers nearly everyone (Hernandez and Rozance, 2023).

The percentage range is shakier. In 2024, the National Academies said the evidence behind it is limited. The range also says nothing about carb quality, and they recommended removing it from future standards (NASEM, 2024).

Are low-carb diets better?

For weight, the best evidence says probably not. A Cochrane review, which pools the strongest trials, looked at 61 trials of weight-loss diets in adults with overweight or obesity. Over one to two years, low-carb diets made little or no difference to weight or to heart risk factors like LDL cholesterol, with or without type 2 diabetes (Naude et al., 2022). There's more on blood sugar itself in blood sugar basics.

For people with diabetes, the American Diabetes Association says there's no ideal split of carbs, protein and fat. Cutting carbs has the most evidence for improving blood sugar. Very-low-carb plans can lower blood sugar quickly, so the ADA says to start one with a clinician who can adjust insulin or other diabetes medicines. It also says more research is needed before recommending them for people with kidney disease or disordered eating, or during pregnancy (Evert et al., 2019).

A long-term study of 15,428 U.S. adults aged 45 to 64 found the lowest risk of dying early at 50% to 55% of calories from carbs. Pooled with other studies, risk was higher below 40% and above 70%. Among low-carb eaters, risk was higher when meat and other animal foods filled the gap, and lower when plant foods did (Seidelmann et al., 2018). That study shows a link, not cause and effect.

Why does carb quality matter?

A group of experts agreed in 2018 that the kind of carbs seems to matter more for health than the amount (Ludwig et al., 2018). Whole grains are the clearest example. A review of 45 long-term studies looked at 90 grams a day of whole grains, about three servings. Each 90 grams was linked to a 19% lower risk of heart disease and a 17% lower risk of dying early. Refined grains showed little link either way (Aune et al., 2016). There's more on why in how much fiber you need.

What counts as added sugar?

The WHO's "free sugars" are sugars added to food by a manufacturer, a cook or you, plus the sugar in honey, syrups and fruit juice (WHO). The advice doesn't apply to sugar in fresh fruit and vegetables or the sugar naturally in milk (WHO, 2015).

On U.S. labels, added sugars include syrups, honey and sugar from concentrated juice, and exclude the sugar naturally in milk, fruit and vegetables (FDA).

Whole fruit and juice look different in research too. More whole fruit was linked to a slightly lower risk of type 2 diabetes, and more fruit juice to a higher one (Muraki et al., 2013).

How much added sugar is too much?

The World Health Organization suggests keeping free sugars under 10% of your calories, and ideally under 5%. The American Heart Association sets its limit in calories:

The WHO calls its 10% advice strong and its 5% advice conditional, meaning the evidence for the lower target is less certain (WHO, 2015).

Why do sugary drinks get singled out?

In 2009, the American Heart Association named sugary drinks the main source of added sugar in American diets (Johnson et al., 2009). A review of 17 long-term studies looked at sugary drinks and type 2 diabetes. Each daily serving was linked to a 13% higher risk, even after the researchers allowed for differences in body fat (Imamura et al., 2015).

How do you read the sugar on a label?

Added sugars are counted inside total sugars, and the label says "Includes" before the added amount. The Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams on a 2,000-calorie diet. A serving with 5% of the Daily Value or less is low, and 20% or more is high (FDA).

Frequently asked questions

Are carbs bad for you? Not on their own. Experts agree the kind of carbs seems to matter more than the amount (Ludwig et al., 2018).

Does my food log show added sugar? Often not. If your log shows one sugar number, it's likely total sugar, which includes the sugar in fruit and milk. Check where the sugar came from before reading much into it. There's more on logging in how accurate calorie tracking is.

Is honey better than table sugar? Not by these definitions. The WHO counts honey as a free sugar, and U.S. labels count it as added sugar (WHO; FDA).

How Knit shows your carbs and sugar

When you log food in an app connected to Apple Health, Knit shows your carbs and sugar in the Record tab, under Nutrition. A few weeks of logging shows what a typical day looks like for you.