Sugar 101

With the holiday season arriving, you may find yourself exposed to holiday desserts and treats more often. It may be difficult to avoid sugar, especially between all of the hype around the holidays, However, being informed about the different types of sugar can help you stay on-track with your progress and goals. We want you to be able to make an informed-decision next time you are placed with a decision surrounding sugar. 

Naturally-occurring sugars  

Sources of sugars found naturally in food

• fruits (fructose)
• milk (lactose)
• some vegetables (comparably less than fruit) such as sweet potatoes, beets, sweet corn, winter and summer squash, carrots, and sweet peas.

While we still want to be aware of overall sugar intake because they contain calories and can spike blood sugar, natural sugars are preferred over added sugars because the food sources they derive from have fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants!

Artificial sweeteners

Taste like sugar but don’t contain any calories. Other benefits include: doesn’t raise blood sugar, reduces risk of tooth decay and cavities, and may aid in weight loss or control. Because they are sweeter than sugar, they may raise your tolerance for desired sweetness. The FDA classifies them under the “generally recognized as safe” (GRAS) category.

Sweetness scale and acceptable intake levels of different artificial sweeteners based on their active ingredients

Acesulfame potassium

• Name brands: Sweet One, Sunett
• Sweetness compared with sugar: 200x
• Acceptable daily intake*: 75**

Advantame

• Name brands: NutraSweet, Equal
• Sweetness compared with sugar: 20,000x
• Acceptable daily intake*: 4,920

Neotame

• Name brand: Newtame
• Sweetness compared with sugar: 7,000-10,000x
• Acceptable daily intake*: 23

Saccharin

• Name brands: Sweet'N Low, Sweet Twin, Necta Sweet
• Sweetness compared with sugar: 200-700x
• Acceptable daily intake*: 45

Sucralose

• Name brand: Splenda
• Sweetness compared with sugar: 600x
• Acceptable daily intake*: 23

Luo han guo

• Name brands: Monk fruit, Monk Fruit in the Raw
• Sweetness compared with sugar: 100-250
• Acceptable daily intake*: Not yet determined

Steviol glycosides/purified stevia leaf extracts

• Name brands: Truvia, PureVia, others
• Sweetness compared with sugar: 200-400x
• Acceptable daily intake*: 9

*Maximum number of tabletop sweetener packets per day. An acceptable daily intake is the maximum amount of a substance that can be consumed daily over the course of a person's lifetime with no appreciable health risk, and is based on the highest intake that does not lead to observable adverse effects. Calculations are based on a 132 pound individual.

**Individuals with phenylkentonuria (PKU) should limit/avoid intake of aspartame. Adapted from Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.

Sugar alcohols

Sugar alcohols are low-calorie sugar substitutes that are 25-100% as sweet as sugar and have about half the calories of regular sugar. This is because they’re low digestible carbs, meaning that the small intestine doesn’t completely absorb them and instead, they travel to the large intestine where bacteria ferments them. This slows down the release of glucose and therefore, doesn’t cause a sudden spike in blood sugar. However, because they are partially absorbed, they can still affect blood sugar to some degree. They can occur naturally in certain plant-foods, but are mostly industrially made and added to processed foods.

Digestive process

• Small intestine
  • Sugar alcohols pass through the small intestine relatively undigested.
• Large intestine
  • Sugar alcohols are fermented by gut bacteria, producing excess gas. They also have an osmotic effect, drawing water into the bowel.

Types/names

• Xylitol
• Sorbitol
• Erythritol
• Mannitol
• Lactitol
• Isomalt
• Hydrogenated starch hydrolytses (HSH)

Common side effects

Because they are harder to digest and are fermented in the large intestine, it is common to experience GI distress such as:

• gas
• bloating
• diarrhea
• stomach cramping

Added sugars

Sugars that are added to a food, usually to make them taste sweeter and more enjoyable.

Ingredients = added sugar

• sugar molecules ending in “ose”
• brown sugar, corn sweeter, invert sugar, malt sugar, molasses, honey, raw sugar, sugar, cane sugar
• syrups: corn syrup, rice syrup, maple syrup, brown rice syrup, high-fructose corn syrup, all other syrups
• fruit juice concentrates (nectars and cane juice)

Sources: Often found in unexpected foods (aka “hidden sugars”)

• sauces — pasta, BBQ, ketchup, salad dressing
• protein bars, powders, and drinks
• dried fruit
• frozen foods
• yogurt
• granola and granola bars
• sweets and desserts

Common consequences

Consumption of added sugars are not recommended because they:

• provide excess calories and have no nutritional value
• can lead to unhealthy weight gain
• increase risk for chronic diseases, such as diabetes and heart disease
• spike blood sugar — dumping syndrome, irritability, fatigue