Did you know that sugar, as a carbohydrate, is an essential energy source for our bodies?

It acts as a currency for various everyday transactions that help us function. Whether it’s the energy needed for breathing, reading this article, or even lifting something off the floor, our bodies rely on sugar to provide the necessary fuel. Every activity, big or small, from a 5km run to simply taking a few steps towards our wardrobe, requires energy.

Our body derives energy from burning the fuel (food) we provide it. Anything in surplus, like an extra slice of pizza or that half a muffin, a late-night ice cream or a hot chocolate, all gets stored as fat in our body, an alternate energy source used when the primary source – carbohydrate is depleted.

Sugars in foods can be broadly divided into two types: naturally occurring and added sugars.

The sugars in fruits and vegetables are good for you! They don’t negatively affect your health as they contain less natural sugar and provide fibre, which helps your body absorb the sugar more slowly. This is great for keeping your blood sugar levels in check.

On the other hand, added sugars need to be consumed with caution.

They release all their sugar at once, causing a sudden spike in your blood sugar that turns into calories quickly. It’s best to avoid added sugars as much as possible.

So, where do these sneaky little added sugars hide?

You can catch them red-handed in fruit, energy, or soft drinks. Don’t let your guard down around tea and coffee; they can hide there. And those sticky culprits love to hang out in bakery products like muffins, cakes, and cookies. Let’s not forget the sweet treats like mithai, candy, and chocolates. I’m telling you, they’re all working together!

Although it may not be realistic to eliminate added sugars from our diet, we can undoubtedly practice consuming them at safe levels.

Know your daily safe limit to consume added sugar.

The American Heart Association’s (AHA) recommendations for added sugar intake include:

1. In men, no more than nine teaspoons (36 grams or 150 calories) of added sugar daily.

2. The number is lower for women: six teaspoons (25 grams or 100 calories) daily.

Understanding the nutrition labels:

A. Added sugars may masquerade in our daily food items under these common names

• Brown sugar
• Corn sweetener
• Corn syrup
• Fruit juice concentrates
• High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
• Honey
• Invert sugar
• Malt sugar
• Molasses
• Raw sugar
• Sugar molecules ending in “ose” (dextrose, fructose, glucose, lactose, maltose, sucrose)

B. Common terminologies used to describe the presence of sugar in food product

Other terminologies include sugars classified based on their molecular structure, such as those with one sugar molecule, i.e., mono-saccharides or two molecules, i.e., di-saccharides.

1. Monosaccharides: Glucose, fructose, and galactose

2. Disaccharides form the majority and include:

• Sucrose or table sugar (glucose + fructose)
• Lactose found in milk (glucose + galactose)
• Maltose (glucose + glucose)

A repeat offender in the sugar list includes High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), an artificial sugar derived from corn syrup.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is an artificial sugar derived from corn syrup.

Glucose is easily transported and used by our bodies. In contrast, the fructose from high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) or table sugar has to be converted into glucose, glycogen (stored carb), or fat by the liver before utilising it as an energy source.

Rice, pasta, potatoes and other starchy carbs are broken down into glucose⁠ — the primary form of carbohydrate.

• Table sugar and HFCS are made of almost equal amounts of glucose and fructose.

One may wonder about the fructose from whole fruits.  

Although whole fruits contain fructose, it is challenging to overconsume fructose from fruits, which are healthy and safe in sensible amounts.

HFCS has a bad reputation due to its associated adverse effects, including:

Advanced glycation end products (AGEs)

1. 1. AGEs are a natural by-product of ageing and are neutralised by antioxidants.
   2. They also form when excess sugar in the blood combines with fat or protein
   3. Dietary AGEs are formed by consuming food exposed to high temperatures – grilling, frying, or toasting.
   4. An imbalance in AGE production and neutralisation promotes their accumulation and increases the risk of heart disease, diabetes, liver disease, Alzheimer’s, arthritis, kidney failure, and high blood pressure.
   5. Frequently eating processed foods or food cooked at high temperatures increases AGE levels.

The main takeaways

1. Consume whole fruits & vegetables rich in fibre, which helps regulate blood sugar levels.
2. Moderation is the key to a healthy body, including mindful consumption of added sugars.
3. Avoid artificial sugars derived from corn syrup, i.e., High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
4. Practice simple cooking techniques – cook at lower temperatures, boil, stew, or poach food products, use lemon or vinegar in food preps, and shorten cooking time to ensure a good quality of life.

It all begins with the little mindful changes starting from feeding ourselves nutritious food. After all, food should make us better, stronger & healthier!!

To read more

• American Heart Association
• 2024 Harvard Health Publishing – Are certain types of sugars healthier than others?
• Rutledge AC, Adeli K. Fructose and the metabolic syndrome: pathophysiology and molecular mechanisms. Nutr Rev. 2007 Jun;65(6 Pt 2):S13-23. doi: 10.1111/j.1753-4887.2007.tb00322.x. PMID: 17605309.
• Schaefer EJ, Gleason JA, Dansinger ML. Dietary fructose and glucose differentially affect lipid and glucose homeostasis. J Nutr. 2009 Jun;139(6):1257S-1262S. doi: 10.3945/jn.108.098186. Epub 2009 Apr 29. PMID: 19403705; PMCID: PMC2682989.
• Stanhope KL, Schwarz JM, Keim NL, Griffen SC, Bremer AA, Graham JL, Hatcher B, Cox CL, Dyachenko A, Zhang W, McGahan JP, Seibert A, Krauss RM, Chiu S, Schaefer EJ, Ai M, Otokozawa S, Nakajima K, Nakano T, Beysen C, Hellerstein MK, Berglund L, Havel PJ. Consuming fructose-sweetened, not glucose-sweetened, beverages increases visceral adiposity and lipids and decreases insulin sensitivity in overweight/obese humans. J Clin Invest. 2009 May;119(5):1322-34. doi: 10.1172/JCI37385. Epub 2009 Apr 20. PMID: 19381015; PMCID: PMC2673878.