Sshhh…The Secret Names of Sugar
Get familiar with the hidden names of sugar used on food labels
It was a gloomy Saturday morning. I was at my local grocery store, buying groceries for the next week. I had recently started eating healthy and was striving to reduce my daily sugar intake. It had almost become customary for me to check the labels of food items to check if forbidden word “sugar” was mentioned.
My shopping cart included a packet of pasta, watermelon, a dip, some apricots, fruit flavoured yoghurt, an energy drink and a couple of hot dogs. However, I had no idea that the food items in my shopping cart had hidden sugar that was disguised under “technical terms” such as glucose, fructose, sucrose etc.
I was appalled and wanted to dive deeper into the matter. So, I went about uncovering the secret names of sugar. Here are my findings.
Glucose: It is a carbohydrate and a simple sugar. This type of sugar is found in most processed food and is high on calories. Products with glucose include sugary and sweetened drinks, white grains, rice, bread, and pasta, baked goods, starchy vegetables, fried food and dried fruit.
Fructose: This type of sugar is widely present in fruits and vegetables. Too much consumption of fructose could lead to insulin resistance and high blood pressure. Examples of fructose are fruit juices, apples, grapes, watermelon, asparagus, peas and zucchini.
Honey: This “natural sugar” is high in fructose and in calories. Honey is best consumed in moderation as a teaspoon of honey contains 22 calories as opposed to the 16 calories in sugar. Spreads, dips, salad dressings, chewing gum and candies contain honey.
Corn Syrup: This type of sugar is obtained from maize and then processed to form corn syrup. Corn syrup is considered unhealthy because of its high fructose content. Desserts like pudding, cake mixes, beverages, beer and ale contain high amounts of corn syrup.
Sucrose: Sucrose is present is several food items, although primarily used in ice creams, desserts and cakes. Excessive sucrose consumption could lead to diabetes and tooth decay. Sucrose is found in hot dogs, sweetened fruit juices, fruit drinks, sodas, canned fruits, ketchup, spaghetti sauces, sausages, luncheon meat and deli meat to name a few.
Dextrose: You might come across this term in baking products. This chemically formulated sugar is made from corn and is used widely as a sweetener. Beverage powders, beers, ciders, energy drinks, light beers, specialty beers, and wines, cake mixes and frosting, cookies and doughnuts contain dextrose.
Maltose: If the product that you have just picked up has malt in it, you have probably encountered maltose. This type of sugar is difficult for the human body to absorb and digest. Maltose is present in cakes, sweet potatoes, french bread, fried onion rings, bagels, pizza and hamburgers.
Molasses: This sticky syrup made from cane sugar is boiled until it gets it signature dark brown color. Although, molasses do contain some minerals and vitamins, they are extremely high in calories. Baked goods such as cookies, dark breads, gingerbread, pies, baked beans, marinades and sauces all contain molasses.
Hydrolysed starch: This artificial sugar alcohol is curated from starch and used in sugar-free and low-calorie food products. You could even find this sweetener combined with other artificial sweeteners. Wheat-based sugary snacks, such as chips and cookies contain this sweetener.
Inverted sugar: A combination of sucrose and glucose makes up inverted sugar. It is not only extremely sweet when compared with regular sugar; it also preserves processed food for longer. Cereal, ice cream, yogurt, candies, granola bars and fruit beverages contain this type of sugar.
Read the ingredient list on products before buying!
Keep in mind that if you see a word ending in “oso”, it could probably indicate the presence of sugar. Since it is advisable to consume not more than 30 grams (7 cubes) a day, it is important that you stay away from these hidden sugars!
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