There are many different types of sugar, and many different ways it is listed on food labels, which can make things confusing for consumers. Sugar can be listed under pseudonyms like…

• Amazake
• Corn syrup
• Dextrose
• Carab powder
• Evaporated cane juice
• Fructose
• Fruit juice concentrate
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Maltrose
• Among many others.

By one count there are 206 different variations for how high-fructose corn syrup alone can be listed on food labels. (Gasparo, 2017) There are at least 50 different names for sugar. As a general rule, anything that ends in ‘ose’ is sugar.

The difference between glucose, fructose & sucrose

There are 3 main types of sugar:

Glucose: Glucose is the ‘ordinary’ sugar found in all produce, including grains and vegetables. It’s more of an energy-type sugar than the sweet sugar you normally think about when you think of sugar.

Fructose: Found naturally in moderate amounts in fruits and vegetables. Fructose is healthy when contained in natural foods but it can be unhealthy when people consume excessive amounts in the form of concentrated fructose, such as that added to sodas and other products.

Sucrose: Sucrose, or ordinary table sugar, is composed of equal amounts glucose and fructose.

Not all types of sugar are created equally. “Unlike glucose, which can be used by all cells in the body,” writes Dr. David Ludwig, “fructose is metabolized almost exclusively in the liver. Too much at one time overwhelms the liver, with the excess being diverted into the production of new molecules of fat. Eventually, fatty liver and other metabolic problems may result.” (Ludwig, 2016, p. 86)

Yet it isn’t necessarily the sugar itself that’s unhealthy, but how it is packaged. After all, high fruit consumption, which is a natural source of fructose, is linked to better, not worse, health outcomes. (He et al., 2007) The reason for this is that it’s contained in natural amounts and housed with fiber, so it’s digested more slowly and consumed alongside other nutrients that make you feel full.

In contrast, many processed foods contain high amounts of sugar that have been stripped of things like fiber and mixed with carbs (more fast-digesting calories). If you eat too much sugar in forms that are quickly digested, such as soft drinks or candy, all this sugar floods your body and overwhelms the liver, which produces fats called triglycerides and leads to other health problems like type 2 diabetes.

This is also why fruit juice isn’t as healthy for kids as eating fruit. It’s not that the juice is unhealthy per se; it still contains many nutrients. But it’s been stripped of all the other things and concentrated into a fast-acting sugary syrup. (It’s still much better for kids than soda or other artificially sweetened drinks.)

“Natural” sugars

Concerns about added sugar have led some people to opt for what they think of as ‘natural’ sugars, such as maple syrup, coconut sugar and honey. “It’s true that they do contain some minerals and vitamins, but they are not very different from table sugar and should also be used in moderation,” says nutrition professor Frank Hu. Again, a lot depends on how you are using them. If you’re using honey in a stir-fry loaded with vegetables, that’s a balanced meal that should be healthy. If you’re pouring gobs of honey onto store-bought instant pancakes or corn bread, (which are not only high in carbs but also come with their own added sugar), that is far less healthy.

References:

• He, F.. et al. (2007) “Increased consumption of fruit and vegetables is related to a reduced risk of coronary heart disease: Meta-analysis of cohort studies.” Journal of Human Hypertension, 21(9): 717-728
• Ludwig, D. (2016) Always Hungry? New York: Grand Central/Hachette Book Group