Americans have a sweet tooth - to the tune of 22 extra teaspoons a day! That's a whopping 350 extra calories daily, and 2-3 times the recommended healthy intake (even health guidelines allow some daily indulgence of 100-150 calories!). We're not talking about "nature's" sugars - like in fruits and veggies - but added sugars of all kinds (think honey, brown sugar, molasses - not just white table sugar) to dozens of different foods.

That's the topic of my Today Show segment (check back later for the video and game questions and answers).  I'm playing a nutrition game with Hoda Kotb to test her "Sugar IQ". Come play along, and see how you do!!

How does your "sweet tooth" compare to the national findings?

The sweetener battles are continuing with a vengeance. Cane sugar a.k.a regular table sugar is again a marketing tool for a more "natural" sweetener. Compared to what? High fructose corn syrup is the new dartboard of sweeteners.

Much of this debate had to do with cost and not health. High fructose corn syrup is much cheaper than cane sugar as a product ingredient. An interesting article in the New York Times took a closer look.

To set the record straight, all full calorie sweeteners--white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, honey--have the same number of calories (about 16 calories per teaspoon) and none of them can be considered a health food or a preferred product from the nutritional point of view. In fact, high fructose corn syrup and sugar are made from the same two building blocks: Glucose and fructose. Instead of an equal 50/50 mix in sugar, high fructose corn syrup is 45% glucose and 55% fructose, a difference of 5%.

The danger I see in all of this is a misleading message that foods and beverages sweetened with sugar are better choices that those with added high fructose corn syrup. This is simply not true, from a nutritional point of view.

Plus, studies show that use of either sweetener is not the fundamental cause of increasing rates of obesity. If you drink two liters of soda a day, it's the same calories whether or not it's sweetened with sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

All sugar-containing products (outside of fruit, both fresh and dried, that I call nature's candy) need to be consumed in moderation as occasional treats. Many people can tell the difference between products sweetened with cane sugar and those with high fructose corn syrup. If you're interested in taking your own taste test, pay a visit to Mexico where Coke is still made with cane sugar, or try some Kosher for Passover Coke, which is made with sugar instead of high fructose corn syrup. (The corn is an off-limits food for many people during Passover).

Related Content:

• Myth and Fact of Low Calorie Sweetners
• Are Liquid Calories Packing on the Pounds?

I'm often asked about the "new" sweetener showing up on supermarket shelves called Stevia. The main concern is why it's found in the "dietary supplements" aisle in a store, and not with the "sugars and sweeteners", since it comes from a plant.

Reactions I've heard are mixed: People either love it or hate it! Stevia is one of the growing number of products trying to tame America's sweet tooth.

For hundreds of years, the leaves of the stevia plant have been used to sweeten beverages, without added calories. While popular in South America and Asia, it's relatively new to the American market. Stevia is found in the “dietary supplement” aisle because the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has not yet given approval for stevia to be used as a sweetener in soda, and other drinks.

While some people regularly use it to sweeten both cold and hot beverages, stevia does not have a taste, nor does it have the “mouth-feel” of regular sugar like some other low-calorie sweeteners.

Bottom line? Until the FDA approves this for general use, based on more scientific data, it’s probably wise to limit intake to occasional use.

Have you tried it? What do you think?

Related Content:

• Myth and fact on low-calorie sweetners