How To Create A Sugar Baby Profile

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Cane sugar, molasses, barley malt... the list goes on and on for the different types and names of sugar. But is all sugar bad for you, or can certain forms provide some nutritional benefit? What are the different types of sugars and their side effects? Here's everything you need to know about sugar, including what to look for on nutrition labels and the four main types of sugar.

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First, what exactly is sugar?

Simply put, sugar is a form of carbohydrate and contains carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen molecules. When carbohydrates are consumed, they are digested and broken down into glucose. This serves as the preferred energy source for cells throughout the human body including your brain and central nervous system.

What are the different types of sugar?

Carbohydrates come in two main forms: simple and complex. The difference between the two is how quickly they are digested and absorbed, which is determined by their chemical structure. Complex carbohydrates are formed from three or more sugar molecules, whereas simple carbohydrates are composed of either one sugar molecule (monosaccharides) or two (disaccharides).

The four most common forms of simple sugars include:

Glucose
Fructose (a.k.a. fruit sugar)
Sucrose (a.k.a. table sugar)
Lactose (a.k.a. dairy sugar)

But these four different types of sugar can be categorized further into natural sources of sugar and added forms.

The difference between added sugar and natural sugar:

When we think of sugar, visions of Halloween candy and Big Gulps come to mind. The type of sugar in candy and most sugary drinks is known as added sugar. As you would suspect, this form of sugar is added to foods and beverages to help enhance flavor, color, texture, and shelf life. Essentially, this type of sugar adds calories but no special nutritional value which is why it's commonly referred to as empty calories.

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Added sugar in moderation is fine, but most people consume much more than they realize. In the Standard American Diet (SAD), top sources of added sugar include soda, fruit drinks, cereals, cookies, cakes, candy, flavored yogurts, and many processed foods. And American adults consume an average of 77 grams of added sugar per day, according to the American Heart Association (more than triple the recommended amount for women!). This excessive consumption of added sugar can lead to chronic spikes in blood sugar, weight gain, and increased risk of several chronic diseases.

But not all sugar is added to foods. Natural sugars are found naturally in foods like fruits and milk. Although the sugar itself doesn't provide much benefit, it comes as part of a full nutrient package with vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Foods with natural sugars tend to be nutrient-dense and also fiber-rich, providing the body with a variety of health benefits. But certain foods that contain natural sugar can also have hidden added sugar.

The different names of added sugar:

Added sugars aren't always so black-and-white, and can often disguise themselves in ingredient lists under names you might not be too familiar with. Some examples of hidden sources of added sugar include:

Agave Nectar
Barley Malt Syrup
Brown Sugar
Brown Rice Syrup
Cane Juice
Cane Sugar
Coconut Sugar
Corn Syrup
Corn Syrup Solids
Evaporated Cane Juice
Evaporated Corn Sweetener
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Honey
Invert Sugar
Malt Syrup
Maltodextrin
Maple Syrup
Molasses
Palm Sugar
Raw Sugar
Rice Syrup
Turbinado Sugar
White Granulated Sugar

How to calculate sugar on food labels:

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recently did a much needed update to the traditional nutrition facts label box that you see on foods and beverages. One of the main changes to the label is that both total sugars and added sugars are now listed.

Total sugars includes both added sugars and natural sugars together, whereas the added sugar value underneath depicts the amount of sugar that has been added to the product which is the type we should try to limit. Since added sugars are part of the total sugar count, they can never exceed the total sugar number.

Many dairy products, like yogurt for example, contain natural sugars but often have significant amounts of added caloric sweeteners incorporated for flavor. If you want to calculate the amount of natural sugars in a food or beverage, simply subtract the added sugar number from the total sugar value. And remember that the ingredients list on any food panel goes by weight. If a food lists added sugar as the first ingredient, it's likely to have poor nutritional value and may be calorically dense.

The bottom line about different types of sugar:

Always prioritize natural sugars like fruit (I like to call fruit it nature's candy!) since they come with a plethora of nutritional benefits and fiber over foods with excessive amounts of added sugars.
Get savvy with food label reading and try to keep your added sugar intake to no more than six teaspoons (or 25 grams) daily.
When it comes to "healthier" sources of added sugar like honey and coconut sugar, these choices may have a slight nutritional advantage to table sugar since they contain small amounts of vitamins and minerals. But that doesn't mean you should start adding them into your diet in large amounts. They can be a good swap in baked goods and other recipes, but if you do choose to use them still do so sparingly and in moderation.

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