Get Smart About Sugar

By Woman's Day Staff

Get Smart About Sugar
Get Smart About Sugar

Photo: © Tara Donne

These days, it's not uncommon for a particular food to capture the public's attention in a big way-sometimes because it's thought to be oh-so-good for you (oatmeal) and other times, just the opposite (stick margarine).

Soon enough, however, the spotlight fades, another "it" food steps up to the plate and the cycle begins again. One of the few foods to buck this trend is sugar-nutrition's bad penny, if you will. Weight-loss diets treat it like battery acid, and the USDA's Dietary Guidelines advise us to moderate our intake. It's no wonder artificial sweeteners and other sugar substitutes are such hot commodities. The question is, are these sugar alternatives all they're cracked up to be, or are we better off eating moderate amounts of the real thing?

"Added" vs. "Natural"

Before getting into amounts and alternatives, it's important to note that there are two main types of "real" sugar: added and natural. Added sugars are, as the name implies, added to processed foods like cereal, candy, cookies, cake, soda and fruit drinks. They come in various forms (see "It's All Sweet!" page 106), and it's important to check food labels for amounts. Naturally occurring sugars are inherent in whole foods. The richest sources are fruit and milk (you can taste the sweetness in fruit, but milk is deceptive because lactose, the type of sugar found in dairy, is not very sweet).

Your body can tell the difference between foods that contain added sugars and those that are naturally sweet. Processed foods typically have a much higher sugar content than whole foods, and they contain few (if any) vitamins, minerals and other healthful nutrients that are found in fruit and milk. So your body doesn't need-or burn off-all the calories in the sweet, processed foods, and they can end up getting stored as fat.

Are Some Sugars Better Than Others?

Not really. White sugar, brown sugar, sucrose, honey, maple syrup, even high-fructose corn syrup are all roughly the same mix of the simple sugars called glucose and fructose. They have roughly the same number of calories (about 20 calories per teaspoon and 60 calories per tablespoon), and have a similar effect on your body, including raising your blood sugar and making you more prone to cavities and weight gain. Exceptions to this rule are sweeteners with a very high fructose content (straight fructose syrup and agave syrup).

Fructose doesn't raise your blood sugar as much as other sugars do, so you'd think it would be the best natural sweetening option, especially for people with diabetes or hypoglycemia. Unfortunately, this isn't the case. Excessive fructose can increase your risk of heart and liver disease because it can lead to a greater increase in triglycerides (fat that's carried in your bloodstream and stored in your liver).

The Substitutes

With all the bad rap that sugar gets, artificial sweeteners like aspartame (Equal) and sucralose (Splenda) and natural sugar substitutes like Stevia are popular alternatives. My feeling about these sweeteners is this: If they help you keep your weight under control and you don't consume large quantities, the benefits probably outweigh any risks. A reasonable amount would be one to two packets, or one artificially sweetened yogurt, soda or other item per day. As for which substitute to choose-it's a matter of taste!

How Much Sugar Is In That?

The food label pretty much spells out how much sugar is in a packaged food. Look for "Sugars" under "Total Carbohydrate." Keep in mind that there are 4 grams of sugar in 1 teaspoon. So if a cereal, for example, has 12 grams of sugar per 1-cup serving, you're getting 3 teaspoons of added sugar in your morning breakfast bowl. There are two exceptions: fruit and milk products, both of which contain "natural" sugars.

Fruit When it comes to packaged fruit, there is no added sugar if the ingredients list does not include it; be sure to check for all forms of sugar (see "It's All Sweet!" below left). My rule of thumb is always to choose "no-added-sugar" fruit products. But if it does contain added sugar, then your best bet for determining how much is to compare that product with a similar one that does not contain added sugar (i.e., sweetened canned peaches vs. unsweetened canned peaches).

Dairy To figure out how much sugar has been added to a sweetened yogurt or flavored milk, simply subtract the amount that naturally occurs in dairy (about 12 grams per 1 cup) from the amount of sugar listed on the label.

The Bottom Line

While it's important to reduce your overall sugar intake, it's certainly not necessary (or practical!) to whip out a calculator before each and every bite. You mostly want to focus on limiting the added sugar you eat. Here are my realistic guidelines:

1. Eliminate soda and sugary drinks.

2. Use sugar and honey sparingly (no more than 1 to 2 teaspoons in coffee, tea or oatmeal).

3. Choose packaged food with minimal added sugar (cereals should have no more than 8 grams per serving).

4. Limit the amount of sugar substitutes to 1 or 2 items each day (i.e., 1 light yogurt and 1 packet of Splenda or Stevia in your coffee). While sugar substitutes are calorie-free, they leave sweetness on your taste buds and may exacerbate cravings.

5. Allow yourself a daily sweet treat between 100 and 150 calories (i.e., lowfat or light ice cream sandwich, 1 fun-size candy bar, 2 small cookies). My favorites are foods that balance sugar with something healthy, such as 1⁄2 cup of ice cream or pudding-both high in calcium; 1 oz of dark chocolate-has tons of antioxidants; a dollop of whipped cream with berries-loaded with fiber and vitamin C.

It's All Sweet
The names may be different, but the following are all sugar in various forms.
Agave syrup
Beet sugar
Brown sugar
Cane sugar
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup
Dextrose
Evaporated cane juice
Fructose
Fruit juice concentrate
Glucose
High-fructose corn syrup
Honey
Invert sugar
Maple syrup
Raw sugar
Sucrose
Syrup
Table sugar
Turbinado sugar

Related Articles at WomansDay.com:

15 Fiber-Packed Snacks
A Year Without Bread and Pasta
Facts About Fish