We used to think that eating foods high in fat made us unhealthy and fat. But we now know that sugar and flour are worse for our bodies than fat. In this blog we are going to focus on sugar.
Besides the commonly heard problems caused by eating too much sugar like heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure and inflammation, sugar also keeps us craving more sugar and it most definitely ages us. In fact some are now calling Alzheimer’s disease Type 3 Diabetes!
Certainly none of these things are anything anyone wants, and it’s true that reducing your sugar intake can help you and your body in many ways!
But it’s so hard, as it seems like every food we consume has some kind of sugar in it! What are all these different types of sugars and does the body really care about the differences? Most people think that by eliminating all sugar (plain sugar or natural sugar) from the body and using artificial sweeteners, they are doing a good thing for the body. Others think that eliminating fruits from the diet are good for the body because they contain so much natural sugar. Others swear that eliminating added sugars are good for the body. It’s so confusing how do you decide what’s best for you? Let’s jump in and look at the differences so you can make a more informed decision, starting with labeling.
Labeling: All packaged foods have labels as required by the FDA. Among other things, you’ll notice things like Calories, Sodium, Carbs, Protein and Cholesterol and Sugar on the labels. On those labels, you’ll note that most things are represented in “grams” such as the # grams of sugar in each serving.
There are roughly 4 grams of sugar per teaspoon. So if you are eating something with 8 grams of sugar you are consuming roughly 2 teaspoons of sugar. Recently the FDA mandated that labeling include “added sugars.” Added sugars will be listed just under the sugar line on the label. So you’ll see a label that says a particular item has 8 grams of sugar (per serving) and just below that you’ll see that item has 4 grams of “added sugar.” That means there are 8 total grams of sugar, 4 of which are added and 4 of which are “natural.” If the label said 6g sugar and 6g added sugar, then all of the sugar in this item is “added” and so on.
It’s also important when looking at labels to look at the ingredients in the food. Ingredients are listed in order of majority, meaning whatever is shown first is the main ingredient in that food. So, if you are trying to reduce the amount of sugar in your diet and you see a sugary ingredient listed in the first few ingredients on the label, you might want to make another choice.
Added sugars (as ingredients) can show up on labels in many different names (upwards of 50 of them!). For example, some common sweeteners used in pre-packaged foods are: syrup (e.g., corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, brown rice syrup, etc.), molasses, fruit juice concentrate, maltodextrin, evaporated cane juice and many, many more.
So what’s the difference between “natural” sugars vs. “added” sugars vs. “artificial” sweeteners?
Natural Sugars: Like the name implies, these are the sugars found naturally in fruits & vegetables also known as fructose and sugars found naturally in dairy also known as lactose. Some consider these to be “healthy” sugars. That’s because fruits and vegetables and (some) dairy (such a yogurt) have nutrients that your body needs for optimum performance. For example fruits and vegetables contain vitamins, minerals, folate, antioxidants and fiber. And dairy contains calcium and probiotics such as those found milk and yogurt. Natural sugars are the sugars that the human body is designed to consume.
Sugars from natural sources are released slowly into the blood stream resulting in steadier energy levels and less cravings for more sugar. In other words, when you digest fruits and vegetables containing fructose and lactose, that sugar is digested slower than “added sugar” and keeps your metabolism stable, provides energy and is “healthy” for your body. Healthy because these sugars are processed more slowly in your body meaning your blood glucose level stays elevated for a longer period of time.
Added Sugars: These are the sugars added (by you or the manufacturer). They are typically highly processed sugars such as table sugar, powdered sugar, brown sugar, or the syrups and other things mentioned above. For example, an added sugar would be that teaspoon of sugar you add to your coffee or that cup of sugar you add to a batch of cookies. Worthy to note is that sugar hides in approximately 75% of packaged foods and many of these foods may not even be sweet (such as salad dressing, bread or even soup)!
Less Refined Sugars: What about less refined sugars such as honey, agave, coconut sugar or maple syrup? While they sound natural, unfortunately, the result in the body is the same as ingesting added sugar. In other words, the body treats these natural sounding sugars the same as any other added sugar. It’s unfortunate because any kind of added sugar is the kind of sugar your body is not designed to eat.
Added sugars are known as high-glycemic foods. These sugars don’t typically contain fiber or other nutrients and as such, they are digested and absorbed in the body more quickly. Blood glucose levels drop quickly after eating added sugars (you’ve heard of a sugar crash? Or a spike in blood glucose?). When blood glucose levels increase, the pancreas secretes more insulin than necessary. An increase in insulin levels can cause weight gain and heart issues and too much blood glucose can cause diabetes. Many times after consuming added sugars, you’ll find it leaves you irritable, hungry or craving another sugary food as a pick-me-up.
Artificial Sweeteners: While artificial sweeteners are sweet they aren’t sugar, they are chemically processed. And, it’s questionable if these things actually help with weight loss or not…the jury is still out as to whether they are healthy or not, but I think if something is chemically processed, it’s probably not healthy for the body. While they don’t contain carbohydrates, they don’t have an impact on your blood sugar like natural or added sugars do.
But, many believe that artificial sweeteners may actually promote cravings (or sugary foods) and even a bigger appetite.
It’s important to note that while fructose and lactose are the two natural sugars in food, carbohydrates in any food (even complex carbs like beans and whole grains) are broken down to sugars in the digestion process. All sugar is absorbed as glucose in the body and is the sugar our bodies rely on for energy.
All this is to say that if you are trying to reduce sugar from your diet, the healthy choice would be to eliminate added sugars and artificial sweeteners while keeping the natural sugars in your diet. In other words, natural sugars are healthy sugars and are good for and needed by the body.
Added sugars or artificial sweeteners are the sugars that your body is not designed to eat, so it’d be best to reduce or eliminate those from your daily intake!
The journey to a healthier, happier you is so worth it. I know because I lived it.
I stopped chasing skinny and started focusing on my health—and that single shift changed everything. I lost 140 pounds, but more importantly, I found clarity, energy, and a life that finally feels like mine. I tell the whole story in my book. Click HERE to learn more.
