Sugar has a bad reputation in the dieting world because an excess of sucrose can lead to many health problems, including diabetes, dental decay and hyperglycemia. This may lead you to believe that any products with added sugar must be avoided at all costs, as sucrose is bad enough without excess added. However, you should examine the issue more closely before you rule out these products altogether.
Added Sugar
Added sugar is basically what it sounds like: sucrose added to food during processing or baking besides the sucrose that's naturally in the ingredients to begin with. (For example, fruits are an ingredient that are high in natural sugars. They do not count as "added" if the fruits are supposed to be in the food, such as in fruit juices.) Foods that commonly have a lot of the added sucrose include candy, soft drinks, fruit drinks (not 100% fruit juice), pastries and ice creams. The added sucrose can take on many forms, but is often any of the following:
- High fructose corn syrup
- Corn syrup
- Molasses
- Malt syrup
- Corn sweetener
- Honey
- Lactose
- Maltose
- Dextrose
- Glucose
- Honey
- Fruit juice concentrates
- Sucrose
- Sugar
Bad Additions
Added sugar gets part of its bad reputation because it can often make you ill. Low-calorie sweeteners, such as dextrose and maltose, have been reported to cause diarrhea, abdominal cramping, headaches, sore muscles, skin rash, dizziness, numbness or agitation. However, they don't necessarily have all or any of the effects with each person and can be exaggerated in those with allergies, diabetes or other conditions.
Other more natural sources of added sucrose may not have the instant bad effect on most people, but when ingested in excess, they can lead to long-term health problems, such as diabetes, weight gain, fatigue, indigestion, tooth decay and dependency on sucrose.
Other Sweet Options
If you want to cut back on the added sugar, become a more alert consumer. Buy 100% fruit juices instead of fruit drinks; juices are naturally sweet and have other nutritional benefits without the side effects of added sucrose. Make your own cookies, cakes and pastries and watch how much sucrose you add. (Don't forget to account for the sucrose in frosting and toppings.) Try sparkling water or unsweetened ice tea instead of soft drinks.
Eating in Moderation
Eating in moderation is the key to healthy eating in general. You can indulge in occasional treats as long as you balance out eating the treat with regular exercise and eating healthy foods most of the time. You may want to avoid eating foods with added artificial sweeteners if you have a weak digestive system or otherwise have had a bad reaction to the chemical sweetener in the past. However, you won't necessarily harm your health by having a snack with extra sucrose once a week or so, as long as you don't succumb to a sucrose addiction and continue to eat more of the treat. Don't forget about burning off more calories than you consume; the more you workout, the more often you can indulge.
