The Perils of Too Much Sugar

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Sugar Types

“Sugar” is actually a general term used to describe a number of carbohydrate compounds that occur naturally in plants as well as mammals’ milk. The most common naturally occurring sugar is fructose, found in fruits and vegetables. Fructose and glucose are both components of sucrose, the type of sugar in sugar cane, sugar beets, honey and corn syrup. Lactose is present in milk products; maltose in malts.

But in addition to naturally occurring sugars, Americans consume high amounts of refined sugar — often without realizing it — since sugar is added to a surprising number of foods and beverages. Nutrition labels show how many total grams of sugar products contain, but those numbers include both natural sugar and added sugar. The best way to determine how much added sugar is in a particular product is to read the ingredients list. All of the following terms can constitute added sugars: sugar, corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, sucrose, dextrose, glucose, fructose and maltose. Ingredients are listed in order of weight, so if the list has sugar at the beginning, or includes several forms of sugar, you know it’s a major ingredient.

By far, the largest source of added sugars in American diets is soft drinks. Thanks to the advent of cheap corn syrup, savvy marketing campaigns and larger serving sizes, soft drink consumption has risen nearly 500 percent over the past 50 years. While experts continue to debate whether high fructose corn syrup is any worse for us than regular table sugar, we can’t deny that Americans consume too many sugars and calories.

Natural Sugar Substitutes

So, is it possible to have your cake and good health too? Yes, just choose more nutritious ways to satisfy your sweet tooth. Select foods that contain essential nutrients along with natural sugars. Eat an orange, for example, and you’ll not only enjoy the natural fructose that makes it sweet, but also vitamin C, folate and some fiber.

Natural sugars, such as molasses and barley malt syrup, often contain traces of vitamins and minerals that are stripped away from highly processed table sugar and high fructose corn syrup.

You also can replace sugar with stevia, a natural, no-calorie sweetener. Stevia is a remarkable, plant-based sweetener that’s 300 times sweeter than sugar. Native to Paraguay, it’s been used widely in Japan since the 1970s to sweeten soft drinks, candy and other foods. Stevia can be used for cooking and baking since it’s heat stable, plus it blends well with other sweeteners such as honey. (For more on stevia, including recipes, read The Stevia Cookbook by Ray Sahelian, M.D., and Donna Gates.)

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