Natural vs. Added Sugar: Key Differences

You may have heard by now that eating less sugar can be good for your health.

But the fun fact: There are different types of sugars out there! Two types, to be exact. There is natural sugar and added sugar.

Our brains need sugar to survive. natural Sugar says Keri GlassmanMS, RD, CDN.

But your mind and body can do without it added Sugar that is put in foods that usually do not contain sugar.

Here’s a deeper look at the difference between sugars, and how you can use that knowledge on it Improve your eating habits.

What are natural and added sugars?

• natural sugars They are in foods from the start. They appear in foods such as fruits, some vegetables, and dairy products.
• Added sugars They are not native to foods, and are added to enhance flavour.

Even when sugar comes from a seemingly healthy source, such as honey or agave, it is considered an added sugar if it is not present in the food.

While it is true that these substances may have more nutritional value than directly processed sugar, they still lack the basic and thus have a similar effect.

For example, share from Plain nonfat greek yogurt It contains nearly five grams of natural sugar. This is the sugar in the yogurt from the start.

But sweetened share Fat free greek vanilla yogurt It contains 14 grams of sugar, some of which was added during the manufacturing process.

What is the difference between natural sugars and added sugars?

Here’s the surprising part about sugar: “There is no chemical difference between natural sugar and added sugar,” he explains Dr. Robert LustigMD, MSL, based in San Francisco. “It’s made of the same molecules – glucose and fructose.” There is also lactose found in dairy products.

Technically, your body cannot distinguish between natural sugar and added sugar.

This means that a spoonful of table sugar and a squeeze of the agave and lactose into that Greek yogurt are processed in your body in the same way.

Sugar is sugar, it doesn’t matter What is his name.

but there he is A difference in foods that contain these sugars.

Foods that contain natural sugars come with other healthy ingredients, such as fiber and nutrients, which provide your body with comprehensive nutrition and help your body process sugar in a healthy way.

On the other hand, added sugar does not offer these benefits, and when consumed in large quantities, it does more harm than good.

Is sugar in fruit harmful to health?

You don’t have to worry about the sugar in the fruit. When you eat natural sugar in whole fruits And vegetables, they come with the benefits of fiber.

“When you consume (soluble) fiber, it forms a gel in the intestine that creates a barrier to slow the absorption of fructose, which protects the liver,” Lustig explains.

However, “When you eat added sugar without The fibers, you’re flooding the liver,” Lustig says.

He adds that when the liver is infused with fructose, it turns the excess into fat.

Is added sugar harmful to health?

says Michele Promolaiko, author of Sugar Free 3.

And worse than wasting calories, it can harm your health in the short and long term.

“The low-grade inflammation your body may experience when you overindulge in added sugars can put it under stress and lead to poor health,” she says. “By eliminating added sugars from your diet, your gut can better perform its primary function as a gatekeeper.”

What foods contain added sugar?

There are some amazing foods that contain added sugar. “Most shoppers assume they just need to look for added sugars in sweet foods, such as crackers and cakes,” says Promolaiko.

“However, added sugar, refined carbs, and artificial sweeteners are also found in many major brands of pasta sauce, bread, granola bars, yogurt, ketchup, salad dressing, and more.”

In order to avoid consuming added sugar, all you have to do is read the ingredients list of your food. If the list contains sugar or any of them other namesIt is a food with added sugar.