Where the Added Sugars Lurk

Naturally occurring sugars are those naturally found in foods and beverages like those in fruits (fructose) and milk (lactose), but added sugars are added to foods and beverages through means of processing and preparation.

What are some health risks associated with consuming too much added sugar?

·        Greater probability of heart disease & fatty liver

·        Elevated blood pressure

·        Increased chronic inflammation

·        Higher risk of diabetes

·        Likelihood of obesity

·        Greater risk of heart attack and/or stroke

And what are some foods typically loaded with added sugars?

·        Sodas, energy drinks, sports drinks

·        Fruit-flavored drinks and juices

·        Gourmet blended coffee drinks

·        Desserts and pastries (i.e. candy, cookies, cake, ice cream and frozen yogurt, donuts, pies, cobblers)

·        Nutrition bars, protein bars, granola bars (sadly, yes)

·        Sauces (BBQ sauce, other “sweet” sauces) and salad dressings

·        Refined breads and hamburger buns

If what you’re about to eat contains no fruit or milk products, but contains sugars, they’re added sugars.

In the past, nutrition labels have included both natural and added sugars on the line for sugar, which can make things tricky if that particular item does contain something like fruit. Therefore, scanning the ingredients was your best bet for spotting added sugars.

That is, until more recently. The FDA now requires food manufacturers to list out added sugars separately below the total amount. Despite some being given extensions until 2020 and 2021, the new label was originally introduced in 2016.

This is great news. Researchers actually predict that this new label can prevent 354,000 cases of cardiovascular disease and lead to 600,000 fewer Type 2 diabetes cases by the year 2037. As we’ve previously seen with the requirement for food manufacturers to list trans-fats, this typically led to many of them reducing or altogether removing them from their foods.

Regardless, it’s still good to know alternative names for added sugars listed in the ingredients to spot them. These include things like:

●       anhydrous dextrose

●       dextrose/crystal dextrose

●       fructose/liquid fructose

●       sucrose

●       glucose

●       lactose

●       maltose

●       malt syrup

●       maple syrup

●       rice syrup

●       molasses

●       raw sugar

●       sugar

●       brown sugar

●       caramel

●       confectioner's powdered sugar

●       corn syrup

●       corn syrup solids

●       corn sweetener

●       high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)

●       honey

●       invert sugar

●       fruit nectars (e.g., peach nectar, pear nectar)

●       fruit juice concentrates

●       pancake syrup

●       white granulated sugar

●       cane juice/sugar cane juice

So how much added sugar is too much?

According to the American Heart Association (AHA), men should consume no more than 36g (approximately 9 teaspoons, or 150 calories) of added sugars per day. For women, and also children aged 2-18, the recommended limit is 25g (approximately 6 teaspoons, or 100 calories) per day.

However, the average American currently consumes around 70g or 300 calories of added sugars per day! Yikes. 

I don’t even know where to start. I feel like everything has too much sugar…

If this sounds like you, or you suspect (or know darn well) you consume too much added sugar, here are some tips to get you started on a better path:

·        Eat real whole foods and avoid convenient junk. Find ways to make real food convenient for you. Disease and illness are never convenient or cheap, I promise.

·        Aim at getting at least 2 cups of fruit per day. A cup is about the size of your fist. Fruit tends to offset junk sugar cravings. Fresh or frozen are optimal, but avoid canned or cupped fruit as these are often packaged in syrups, unless you’re opting for things that say something like “in own juice” or “no sugar added.”

·        Space out your fruit and other added sugar alternatives throughout the day along with your other foods to help balance blood sugar levels and fight cravings and crashes.

·        Don’t try to cut all your added sugar at once. This almost always backfires, causes one to binge, botch their progress, and ultimately leads to discouragement. If you’ve been consuming way too much added sugar for years, this may have to be a gradual process for you, and if that helps you stick to it, then so be it.

·        Try cutting out sugary beverages first, as these are easiest to go overboard on extra calories and often contain the most added sugars for volume (i.e. sodas, fruit-flavored drinks, energy drinks, some smoothies). Replace them with regular water, unsweetened herbal or fruit tea, fruit-infused water, or water with no- or low-calorie flavor.

·        Try using a sugar substitute such as Stevia in foods and beverages you prefer or are used to tasting sweet. Stevia is much sweeter than table sugar, so it does not take a lot.

·        Replace highly processed milk chocolates with dark chocolates. Typically, the higher the cacao %, the lower the sugar content.

·        Watch for added sugars in “healthy” foods like granola, cereals, and protein or energy bars. They can be some of the worst offenders. Just because something is marketed as “healthy” or “clean” and has something like “cane sugar” or “honey” involved, doesn’t mean it’s not too much added sugar! Cane sugar and raw sugar and brown sugar are all still added sugar. Honey is still added sugar. Added sugar is added sugar.

·        Be aware of products marketed as “low-fat” yet contain more sugar than their full-fat versions. Take note: When you buy something “low” in one thing, it’s usually high in another. (They’re filling the same sized container!)

·        Be ruthless. When you cut something out, don’t keep it around or in the house. Leave yourself and your family healthier alternatives in the pantry and the fridge. They’ll learn to deal, and you’ll all live better for it.

Keep shining.

Your trainer & coach,

Kandis