It has sugar a bad reputation among people, but this shouldn't be the case for all kinds of sugar. There are differences between the main types of sugar that make one generally healthier and the other harmful, even life-threatening.
Also, there's lots of evidence that diets high in added sugar can lead to health risks, includinghigh blood pressure, high levels of bad LDL cholesterol, and low levels of good cholesterol Good HDL, inflammation, andinsulin resistance, andobesity, and disease type 2 diabetes.
But still, there is natural sugar found in whole foods like fruits, veggies, and whole grains, and it's a key part of a healthy balanced diet.
In this article, we'll look at the differences between types of sugar and which is better for you.
Natural sugars
Natural sugar is found in whole, unprocessed foods like fructose in bananas or berries, or lactose in milk, foods with natural sugar tend to be low in Calories andsodium, and they have a high water content, plus many important vitamins and minerals .
Also, dietary fiber The ones in fruits slow down how fast the body digests them, so you don't get the same blood sugar spike you'd get from eating donuts or cake for example.
Also, the lactose sugar in milk comes with a healthy share of protein, which gives the body lasting energy. So you feel full longer than you would after drinking sugary soda.
Added sugars
Added sugar is simply any sugar added to foods by people or food companies, like those in cakes and soda bottles. That's the kind of sugar people should watch out for more.
Added sugars include high-fructose corn syrup found in some ketchups and baked goods, plus honey added to tea or juice.
Also, because these added sugars don't always come with good nutrients like protein and fiber, the body digests them faster, causing quick spikes in blood sugar over time. This can lead to health problems like obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease.
Effects of Sugar on Health
Many studies linked large amounts of added sugars in snacks, sweets, and soda to weight gain and obesity, since they're high in calories but offer no nutrition (empty foods).
Also, added sugars can cause quick spikes in blood glucose levels, which may raise the risk ofinsulin resistance, and eventually type 2 diabetes.
Besides, added sugar can boost the risk of fatty liver disease, contributing to heart and vascular diseases. The American Heart Association (AHA) links high added sugar intake to increased obesity and heart disease rates.
To avoid these risks, dietary guidelines recommend limiting added sugar intake to less than 10% of daily calories. Women should consume about 25 grams of added sugar daily (around 100 calories), and men about 36 grams (around 150 calories).
If you add two teaspoons of sugar to your daily morning coffee, and eat breakfast cereals or granola which contains added sugar, and drizzle salad dressing on vegetables, you might reach your daily added sugar limit by lunchtime without having eaten any sweets.
How to spot added sugars in processed foods
Besides sweet foods like cakes, cookies, and donuts, added sugars can hide in many products you might not expect like processed frozen foods, baby foods, andDried fruits And grains, granola, instant oatmeal, ketchup sauces, pasta sauces, flavored yogurt, protein bars, and more.
Also, added sugar is in organic foods and many healthy foods, but the good news is counting added sugars on packaged foods is now really easy because the nutrition facts label must list "added sugars" right below total sugars.
Sugar on the nutrition facts label
Sugar has many different names, it could appear on nutrition facts labels under more than 60 different names, here are some of them:-
- Brown sugar.
- Corn sweeteners.
- Corn syrup.
- Rice syrup.
- Grape sugar.
- Maltose.
- Fructose sweetener.
- Fruit juice concentrates.
- Glucose.
- High fructose corn syrup.
- Honey.
- Barley syrup.
- Maple syrup.
- Molasses.
- Raw sugar.
- Fast-absorbing sugar.
Also, you can spot added sugar easily by looking for words ending with "ose" or "syrup", or terms like "malt". Plus, ingredients in packaged foods are often listed from most to least by weight, so if these names are near the top, the product has a lot of sugar.
Eat more natural sugars
Many people say they lost weight by cutting out all sugars, even natural ones. But the truth is, natural sugars found in fruits and dairy are part of a healthy diet and shouldn't be banned.
Also, experts say that like any other nutrient, you can have too much sugar even if it's natural. But most people can stay in a healthy range with natural sugars if they focus on whole foods instead of processed ones.
For example, people should put fresh fruit slices on a peanut butter sandwich instead of jelly or jam, which can have a lot of added sugar, and also follow a balanced diet.
In the end, the less sugar in your diet, the sweeter natural foods will taste. People’s taste buds get used to this as they cut or reduce added sugar, and later sugary foods and drinks may taste too sweet. This makes it easier to eat less sugary stuff.
Artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes
People should think twice before adding artificial sweeteners instead of sugar to their drinks. Most people say artificial sweeteners are fine, but experts disagree.
Sugar substitutes can be natural like stevia, or artificial. While most people pick artificial sweeteners to lose weight or cut calories, studies found these sweeteners might actually boost cravings for sugar and increase appetite.
Also, just swapping sugary drinks for so-called diet versions might not give people the positive results they want. Studies found diet soda use linked to a 67% higher risk of type 2 diabetes.
At the same time, some studies suggest stevia might help prevent some cancers and improve things like fasting blood sugar in people with chronic kidney disease. Other studies say sugar substitutes rarely lead to good health results.
Bottom line, unless a doctor advises switching to sugar substitutes for health reasons, it's better to stop eating sugar or cut it down in recipes, and just get natural sugar from whole foods.
