Sugar, Sugar, Sugar… Let’s break it down.

Sugar is EVERYWHERE! It’s in your protein bars, crackers, condiments, dressings, smoothies, sauces, baked goods, fruit, juices, yogurts, processed meats, and most everything else you grab.

Is it good for you? Are some forms better than others? What are some hidden names?

Let’s start with the question about better forms. Yes, there are some forms of sugar that are better than others. Less processed forms such as maple syrup. The best would be fresh fruit because it has fiber in it to slow the breakdown and absorption of it in your body. By no means am I telling you sugar is healthy.

If I had to categorize sugar it would be a RED. That means stop eating it, minus small portions of berries. It is one of the most inflammatory substances we put in our bodies and it is EXTREMELY addictive.

If they come up with anymore names for sugar, even I will get lost. The most common names we have all heard of are sucrose(table sugar), fructose(sugar in fruit), and glucose(sugar in our blood used for energy). Another common one you know is HFCS(high fructose corn syrup). What is wrong with this form you might be wondering… when they use high heat to make HFCS, it produces many dangerous biproducts that we ingest. It also has a much sweeter taste on our tongue which makes it even more addictive and gets us wanting more, more, more!

A new one to me was coconut nectar. This one has some good to it, but beware it still contains a lot of sugar(13g/t). It is minimally processed which I like. It has a low GI(glycemic index) of 35. Compare that to honey at about 70 and maple syrup at about 55. It also contains many vitamins such as potassium, zinc, iron, magnesium, and B and C vitamins.

Another newer one is Allulose. This is naturally found in figs, raisins, maple syrup, and wheat. It is also made from corn or fructose. It has no effect on blood sugar or insulin and only contains about 1cal/t. It is 70% as sweet as sugar and only 10% of the calories b/c it is not absorbed. If you eat large quantities, it can cause GI upset. So far it is deemed safe by FDA but it is still being researched.  It holds up nicely for baking.

Now some uncommon/tricky names they use are invert syrup, brown rice syrup, maltose, dextrose, barley malt, evaporated cane juice, agave nectar, and “crystals of many varieties”. This also includes familiar things such as molasses and honey.

A couple simple things to remember. If it ends in “ose” its sugar.  If it includes the word syrup or nectar they are referring to sugar.

Bottom line peeps, READ your labels. Keep it fresh and single ingredient when possible 😊