Lately, we’ve been hearing a lot about sugar being a bad thing. But then we hear about natural sugars which are not necessarily so bad. So which sugars should we be eating, and which should we be staying away from? This article will break it all down for you.
What are the Different Types of Sugar?
There are four different types of sugar as follows:
- Glucose: A component of many carbohydrates
- Fructose: The sugar found in fruit
- Sucrose: Table sugar
- Lactose: The sugar found in dairy
The Difference Between Natural and Added Sugar
The sugars listed above can further be broken down into categories of natural and added sugar. As you may guess, added sugar is the sugar added to food. It gives food a sweet taste and adds calories. It does not provide any nutritional benefits so the calories from sugar are often referred to as empty calories.
Added sugar will not do much harm when consumed in moderation. But if it’s consumed excessively, it can contribute to various health conditions including diabetes, heart disease and more.
Natural sugar is the sugar naturally found in fruits and milk. The sugar itself does not provide any health benefits. But the food it’s found in is often highly nutritious and an important part of many diets.
Be aware that foods with natural sugar may also have added sugars.
What are the Different Names of Added Sugars?
Sugar can go by a variety of names making it difficult to determine if the foods you are eating contain added sugar or not. These include the following:
- Agave nectar
- Barley malt syrup
- Brown sugar
- Brown rice syrup
- Coconut syrup
- High fructose corn syrup
- Maple syrup
- Raw sugar
…and the list goes on.
Note that products like coconut sugar and honey are healthier sources of added sugar than table sugar as they contain trace amounts of vitamins and minerals. While they should not be consumed excessively, foods with these natural sweeteners are preferred to those that contain artificial sweeteners.
How to Calculate Sugar on Food Labels
The FDA is stepping in to make it easier for people to determine whether the sugars they are eating are harmful or not. They are requiring food manufacturers to list both total sugars and added sugars on their product labels. The total sugars signify how much sugar is in the product including natural and added sugar combined. The added sugar signifies the added sugar only.
You should also be aware that food manufacturers will list ingredients according to the ingredient most present in the product. So if sugar is one of the first ingredients listed on the label, the food is likely to be unhealthy and highly caloric.
Now that you know the different types of sugar, you can determine which you should be limiting, and which are okay to consume. But it’s always best to limit sugar consumption to stay healthy. What do you do to keep the sugar in your diet under control?
