Sugar! The bane of diabetics worldwide. It seems it’s in practically everything we eat. As diabetics, we must educate ourselves to find it in all its forms and know which types of sugar will affect our glucose levels and which are safe for us to use. Sugars naturally occurring in fruits, vegetables and dairy are okay but sugars removed from their original source and added to foods, we need to be wary of.
Starting this year nutrition labels need to show how much added sugar is in a product. This is sugar that is added beyond what occurs naturally in the non-sugar ingredients. This information will help everyone to choose foods with less sugar. Of course, reading the ingredients will tell you exactly which sugars have been added.
These are some of the names for sugar you’re most likely to find on ingredient lists. When you’re trying to cut back on your sugar consumption, watch out for sugar hiding under these aliases.
- Agave juice or syrup
- Beet sugar
- Blackstrap molasses
- Brown rice syrup
- Brown sugar
- Buttered syrup
- Cane juice
- Cane juice crystals
- Cane sugar
- Cane syrup
- Caramel
- Carob syrup
- Castor sugar
- Coconut sugar
- Confectioners’ sugar (also called powdered sugar)
- Corn glucose syrup
- Corn syrup
- Corn syrup solids
- Date sugar/syrup
- Demerara sugar
- Dextrose
- Drimol
- Ethyl maltol
- Evaporated cane juice
- Flo malt
- Florida crystals
- Fructose
- Fructose sweetener
- Fruit juice or fruit juice concentrate
- Glucose or glucose solids
- Golden sugar
- Golden syrup
- Granular sweetener
- Granulated sugar
- Grape sugar
- High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
- Honey
- Honibake
- Icing sugar
- Inverted sugar (a.k.a. invert sugar)
- Isoglucose
- Isomaltulose
- Kona-ame
- Malt syrup
- Maltodextrin
- Maltose
- Maple
- Maple sugar
- Maple syrup
- Mizu-ame
- Molasses
- Muscovado sugar
- Nulomoline
- Panela sugar
- Raw sugar
- Refiner’s syrup
- Rice syrup
- Sorghum syrup
- Starch sweetener
- Sucanat
- Sucrovert
- Sugar beet
- Treacle or treacle sugar
- Turbinado sugar
- Unrefined sugar
- Yellow sugar
There are basically two kinds of sugar – natural sweeteners like sugar, honey, real maple syrup, and high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners like stevia, xylitol, erythritol, and monk fruit.
Sugars can also be divided into the following categories: Raw, Cooked, Partially Refined, Refined, Sugar Alcohols, Synthetic Sugar, Synthetic Sugar Alcohols. Let’s take a look at what belongs in each of these categories.
Raw
Honey – nature’s sugar
Yacon syrup – extracted from the root of the yacon plant (Smallanthus sonchifolius) which is native to South America. This syrup contains 40-50% fructooligosaccharides which are a special type of sugar molecule that the human body cannot digest. Because these sugar molecules are not digested, yacon syrup contains one-third of the calories of regular sugar, or about 1.3 calories per gram. The syrup is dark in color and has a thick consistency like molasses and tastes similar to caramel or molasses. The high content of fructooligosaccharides in yacon syrup offers a variety of health benefits. Research shows it can reduce glycemic index, body weight, and the risk of colon cancer. What’s more, one study found that fructooligosaccharides can increase feelings of satiety, which may help you feel full faster, as well as eat less.
The fructooligosaccharides also feed the friendly bacteria in your gut, which are incredibly important for your overall health. Having healthy gut bacteria has been linked to a decreased risk of diabetes and obesity, as well as improved immunity and brain function.
Yacon syrup is generally considered safe, but eating large amounts of it may lead to excessive gas, diarrhea, or general digestive discomfort.
Stevia is a popular alternative to sugar. It is a natural sweetener that comes from the Stevia rebaudiana plant. Chemical compounds called steviol glycosides from the leaves of the plant are used to produce a highly-processed and purified product that is around 300 times sweeter than sucrose (table sugar). It is available under different brand names, including Truvia, SweetLeaf, and Sun Crystals. Stevia has several pros and cons that people with diabetes need to consider. It’s calorie-free and does not raise blood sugar levels, but it is often more expensive than other sugar substitutes on the market. Stevia also has a bitter aftertaste that many people may find unpleasant. For this reason, some manufacturers add other sugars and ingredients to balance the taste. This can reduce the nutritional benefit of pure stevia. Some people report nausea, bloating, and stomach upset after consuming stevia.
Lucuma powder Lucuma is the fruit of the Pouteria lucuma tree native to South America. Lucuma can be eaten raw, but is most commonly found as a dried powder. Due to its sweet taste, it’s used as a healthier alternative to table sugar and other popular sweeteners. Lucuma contains less sugar but more nutrients than table sugar. It has about half the carbs and 75% less sugar than the same amount of table sugar. Lucuma powder also offers a relatively good amount of both soluble and insoluble fiber, unlike most other common sweeteners, such as table sugar.
Monk fruit, also known as “lo han guo,” is a small fruit found in Southeast Asia. It’s been used for centuries as a cold and digestive aid. Now it’s being used as a natural, zero calorie sweetener in foods and beverages. It’s made by crushing monk fruits and collecting their juice. The extract is about 150-200 times sweeter than regular sugar. Combined with erythritol, it makes a wonderful combination that’s 1:1 as sweet as sugar and truly a great replacement. It’s a great option for diabetics, low-carb dieters and anyone looking to cut calories without sacrificing sweetness!
Cooked sugars
Maple syrup – made by boiling down the sap of maple trees
Cane sugar molasses – made by boiling sugar cane juice
Sorghum syrup – made by boiling the juice of the sorghum plant
Partially refined sugars
Brown sugar - Brown sugar is either an unrefined or partially refined soft sugar consisting of sugar crystals with some residual molasses content. It can also be produced by adding molasses to refined white sugar
Glycyrrhizin is the chief sweet-tasting constituent of Glycyrrhiza glabra root. Structurally, it is a saponin used as an emulsifier and gel-forming agent in foodstuffs and cosmetics.
Rebaudioside A is a steviol glycoside that is 240 times sweeter than sugar. It is combined with erythritol and natural flavors to make Truvia, the second-most-popular sugar substitute in the US.
Refined sugars
Sucrose – commonly called table sugar. It is made from sugar cane or sugar beets.
Fructose is found in fruit (and a small amount in vegetables) but there is a big difference when we eat it in fruit as opposed to it being a ‘free sugar’. Fructose in fruit is encased in fiber which hugely affects its metabolism in our bodies. The fiber helps to slow down the absorption so it doesn’t get fast, direct access to the liver like it does when it is ‘free’.
Glucose is a simple sugar mainly made by plants and most algae during photosynthesis from water and carbon dioxide. It is used to make cellulose in cell walls, which is the most abundant carbohydrate.
Tagalose is a form of fructose that is around 90 percent sweeter than sucrose. Although it is rare, some fruits, such as apples, oranges, and pineapples, naturally provide tagatose. Manufacturers use tagatose in foods as a low-calorie sweetener, texturizer, and stabilizer
Maltose is an all-natural sweetener originating in China produced from distilling fermented grains, usually rice and malt. Scientifically, maltose is two glucose molecules combined Maltose will raise blood glucose levels most rapidly of all the sugars and therefore increases insulin secretion.
Lactose (milk sugar)
High fructose corn syrup is a common sweetener in sodas and fruit-flavored drinks. It has been shown to drive inflammation, which is associated with an increased risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease, and cancer.
Inverted sugar syrup (also called invert syrup, or invert sugar) is an edible mixture of two simple sugars—glucose and fructose—that is made by heating sucrose (table sugar) with water. It is thought to be sweeter than table sugar, and foods that contain it retain moisture better and crystallize less easily.
Sugar Alcohols
Xylitol is a naturally occurring alcohol found in most plant material, including many fruits and vegetables. It is extracted from birch wood to make medicine. Xylitol is widely used as a sugar substitute and in "sugar-free" chewing gums, mints, and other candies. Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs. Even small amounts can cause hypoglycemia (low blood sugar), seizures, liver failure or even death.
Glycerol is a colorless, sweet, viscous liquid formed as a byproduct in soap manufacture. It is used as an emollient and laxative, and for making explosives and antifreeze.
Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol with a sweet taste which the human body metabolizes slowly. It is a water-soluble compound which is found naturally in some fruits, including apples, apricots, dates, berries, peaches, plums, and figs.
Mannitol is a type of sugar alcohol used as a sweetener and medication. As a sweetener it is used in diabetic food as it is poorly absorbed by the intestines. As a medication, it is used to decrease pressure in the eyes, as in glaucoma, and to lower increased intracranial pressure. Medically, it is given by injection.
Erythritol is a low-calorie sugar alcohol that’s found naturally in some fruits and vegetables. It doesn’t raise blood sugar or insulin levels because it is a sugar alcohol. Sugar alcohols are indigestible by the human body. Several studies have shown that it’s safe for consumption. Although most users don’t report any issues, it may cause some temporary digestive issues in large doses. In fact, erythritol is the most forgiving of all sugar alcohols, which include maltitol, xylitol and sorbitol, commonly found in sugar-free snacks in many stores. Most people can consume erythritol without experiencing any discomfort. Erythritol is only about 70% as sweet as sugar so you may have to use a bit more of it to achieve the same sweetness. However, in large amounts, it has a slightly cooling effect so many people tend to use a combination of erythritol and a small amount of stevia. Erythritol will caramelize like real sugar so it can be used to make low carb caramels and other desserts.
Maltitol is a sugar alcohol used as a sugar substitute. It has 75–90% of the sweetness of sucrose (table sugar) and nearly identical properties, except for browning. It has a higher glycemic index than other sugar alcohols which may lead blood glucose spikes.
Lactitol is a sugar alcohol used as a replacement bulk sweetener for low calorie foods with approximately 40% of the sweetness of sugar. It has a low glycemic index, does not raise blood glucose or insulin levels, and only contributes half the calories of table sugar. It is also used medically as a laxative.
Synthetic sugar
Saccharin is an artificial sweetener with effectively no food energy. It is about 300–400 times as sweet as sucrose but has a bitter or metallic aftertaste, especially at high concentrations. Saccharin is used to sweeten products such as drinks, candies, cookies, and medicines
Sucralose, available under the brand name Splenda, is an artificial sweetener made from sucrose. This sweetener is about 600 times sweeter than table sugar but contains very few calories. Sucralose is one of the most popular artificial sweeteners, and it is widely available. Manufacturers add it to a range of products from chewing gum to baked goods. This alternative sweetener is heat-stable, whereas many other artificial sweeteners lose their flavor at high temperatures. This makes sucralose a popular choice for sugar-free baking and sweetening hot drinks.
Aspartame is one of the most commonly used artificial sweeteners, found in most “diet” soft drinks and “sugar-free” products. It’s 200 times sweeter than sugar. Some research shows that aspartame is safe, while other experts claim aspartame is associated with health problems like headaches, dizziness, depression, weight gain, and nausea. Aspartame is available in grocery stores under the brand names Nutrasweet and Equal. Unlike sucralose, aspartame is not a good sugar substitute for baking. Aspartame breaks down at high temperatures, so people generally only use it as a tabletop sweetener.
Advantame is a non-caloric artificial sweetener and aspartame analog. It is about 20,000 times sweeter than sucrose and about 110 times sweeter than aspartame. It has no notable off-flavors when compared to sucrose and tastes sweet a bit longer and is chemically more stable than aspertame. It can be blended with many other natural and artificial sweeteners.
Advantame can be used as a table top sweetener and is used in certain bubblegums, flavored drinks, milk products, jams and confectionery items among other things.
Neotame also known by the trade name Newtame, is a non-caloric artificial sweetener and aspartame analog. By mass, it is 8000 times sweeter than sucrose. It has no notable off-flavors when compared to sucrose. It enhances original food flavors. It can be used alone, but is often mixed with other sweeteners to increase their individual sweetness and decrease their off-flavors. It is chemically somewhat more stable than aspartame.
It can be used in carbonated soft drinks, yogurts, cakes, drink powders, bubble gums among other foods. It can be used as a table top sweetener for hot drinks like coffee.
Acesulfame potassium (also known as acesulfame K or Ace K), is a calorie-free sugar substitute often marketed under the trade names Sunett and Sweet One. Acesulfame K is 200 times sweeter than sucrose (common sugar), as sweet as aspertame, about two-thirds as sweet as saccharin, and one-third as sweet as sucralose. Like saccharin, it has a slightly bitter aftertaste, especially at high concentrations. Acesulfame K is often blended with other sweeteners (usually sucralose or aspartame). Acesulfame K is stable under heat, even under moderately acidic or basic conditions, allowing it to be used as a food additive in baking, or in products that require a long shelf life. In carbonated drinks, it is almost always used in conjunction with another sweetener, such as aspartame or sucralose. It is also used as a sweetener in protein shakes and pharmaceutical products, especially chewable and liquid medications, where it can make the active ingredients more palatable. Acesulfame potassium is widely used in the human diet and excreted by the kidneys. It thus has been used by researchers as a marker to estimate to what degree swimming pools are contaminated by urine. Although acesulfame potassium has a stable shelf life, it can eventually degrade to acetoacetamide, which is toxic in high doses.
Synthetic sugar alcohol
Isomalt is made from beets and is safe to eat. The reason why some people think it's not edible is that your body does not actually digest it. Isomalt has little to no impact on blood sugar levels so it does stimulate the release of insulin in the body. Isomalt is a key ingredient in many factory-produced foods like hard candies, chewing gum, chocolates, baked goods, and cough drops.
Some other sweeteners include:
Coconut sugar is an excellent choice if you like the texture and light caramel flavor of brown sugar but are looking for a slightly healthier alternative. Coconut sugar, a natural sugar made from the sap of coconut palms, contains beneficial nutrients such as minerals and antioxidants, and inulin fiber, which helps to slow absorption of the sugar. It's less processed than white sugar but contains a comparable amount of calories—18 calories per teaspoon. it has a lower glycemic index than sugar, so it won't cause much of a spike in blood sugar when consumed. It's an easy substitute for sugar and can be used as a one-to-one replacement for cane and brown sugar.
Chicory Root – Marketed under the name SweetPerfection. Chicory root fiber contains inulin, a mixture of short and long chains of (2 to 60) fructose molecules. It is is a beneficial soluble, prebiotic fiber that promotes digestive health, supports beneficial bacteria in the colon, decreases insulin resistance, and helps to support weight loss by maintaining a feeling of “fullness.” It can be used anywhere you'd use sugar. It will not raise blood sugar levels.
There is a great chart of common sweeteners here with lots of additional information.