Unraveling The Sweet Mystery: Types Of Sugars In Your Diet

When people think about sugar, they often think about sweet flavours in their foods and drinks. However, sugar comes in many types. Some whole foods, like fresh fruits and dairy, contain naturally occurring sugars. Other foods contain added sugars, which is when packaged foods have extra sugar included as they're processed.

Added sugars

The major sources of added sugars in American diets are sugary beverages, desserts, sweet snacks, sweetened coffee, sweetened tea and candy. Sugar-sweetened beverages or sugary drinks are leading sources of added sugars in the American diet.

Frequently drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases, non-alcoholic liver disease, tooth decay and cavities, and gout, a type of arthritis. Limiting sugary drink intake can help individuals maintain a healthy weight and have healthy dietary patterns.

The Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams per day based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet. For most Americans, the main sources of added sugars are sugar-sweetened beverages, baked goods, desserts, and sweets.

Naturally occurring sugars

Added sugars are the ones you want to limit. Added sugars are the ones you want to limit. Added sugars include sugars that are added during the processing of foods (such as sucrose or dextrose), foods packaged as sweeteners (such as table sugar), sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices.

The major sources of added sugars in American diets are sugary beverages, desserts, sweet snacks, sweetened coffee, sweetened tea and candy. Sugar-sweetened beverages or sugary drinks are leading sources of added sugars in the American diet.

The best way to tell if your foods contain added sugars is to always read nutrition labels. Read the Nutrition Facts on the food label to understand how much added sugar is in a food. Total sugars include both added sugars and natural sugars.

The Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams per day based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet. For most Americans, the main sources of added sugars are sugar-sweetened beverages, baked goods, desserts, and sweets.

Sugar-sweetened beverages

Frequently drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases, non-alcoholic liver disease, tooth decay and cavities, and gout, a type of arthritis. Limiting sugary drink intake can help individuals maintain a healthy weight and have healthy dietary patterns.

The Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams per day based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet. For most Americans, the main sources of added sugars are sugar-sweetened beverages, baked goods, desserts, and sweets.

Read the Nutrition Facts on the food label to understand how much added sugar is in a food. The best way to tell if your foods contain added sugars is to always read nutrition labels.

Foods packaged as sweeteners

Added sugars are sugars that are added during the processing of foods (such as sucrose or dextrose), foods packaged as sweeteners (such as table sugar), sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices. They do not include naturally occurring sugars that are found in milk, fruits, and vegetables. The Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams per day based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet. For most Americans, the main sources of added sugars are sugar-sweetened beverages, baked goods, desserts, and sweets.

Sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) or sugary drinks are leading sources of added sugars in the American diet. Frequently drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases, non-alcoholic liver disease, tooth decay and cavities, and gout, a type of arthritis. Limiting sugary drink intake can help individuals maintain a healthy weight and have healthy dietary patterns. Sugar-sweetened beverages are any liquids that are sweetened with various forms of added sugars like brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, and sucrose.

Examples of SSBs include, but are not limited to, regular soda (not sugar-free), fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweetened waters, and coffee and tea beverages with added sugars. The major sources of added sugars in American diets are sugary beverages, desserts, sweet snacks, sweetened coffee, sweetened tea and candy.

Sugar is often added to enhance flavor. But it's also commonly added to packaged foods for texture or used as a preservative to increase the shelf life of a food. Sometimes, sugar is even added to savory foods you wouldn't expect, like pasta sauce. The best way to tell if your foods contain added sugars is to always read nutrition labels.

Total sugars include both added sugars and natural sugars. Added sugars are the ones you want to limit. Naturally occurring sugars are found in milk (lactose) and fruit (fructose). Any product that contains milk (such as yogurt, milk or cream) or fruit (fresh, dried) contains some natural sugars. For items such as granulated or powdered sugar, maple syrup or honey that are sold as separate food products, only total sugars may be listed.

Sugars from syrups and honey

Added sugars are those that are added during the processing of foods (such as sucrose or dextrose), foods packaged as sweeteners (such as table sugar), sugars from syrups and honey, and sugars from concentrated fruit or vegetable juices. They do not include naturally occurring sugars that are found in milk, fruits, and vegetables. The major sources of added sugars in American diets are sugary beverages, desserts, sweet snacks, sweetened coffee, sweetened tea and candy.

Sugar-sweetened beverages or sugary drinks are leading sources of added sugars in the American diet. Frequently drinking sugar-sweetened beverages is associated with weight gain, obesity, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, kidney diseases, non-alcoholic liver disease, tooth decay and cavities, and gout, a type of arthritis. Limiting sugary drink intake can help individuals maintain a healthy weight and have healthy dietary patterns.

Sugar-sweetened beverages are any liquids that are sweetened with various forms of added sugars like brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, honey, lactose, malt syrup, maltose, molasses, raw sugar, and sucrose. Examples of SSBs include, but are not limited to, regular soda (not sugar-free), fruit drinks, sports drinks, energy drinks, sweetened waters, and coffee and tea beverages with added sugars.

Added sugars are the ones you want to limit. Naturally occurring sugars are found in milk (lactose) and fruit (fructose). Any product that contains milk (such as yogurt, milk or cream) or fruit (fresh, dried) contains some natural sugars. For items such as granulated or powdered sugar, maple syrup or honey that are sold as separate food products, only total sugars may be listed.

The Daily Value for added sugars is 50 grams per day based on a 2,000-calorie daily diet. For most Americans, the main sources of added sugars are sugar-sweetened beverages, baked goods, desserts, and sweets.

Frequently asked questions