Putting Sugars into Perspective

Food Insight

Sugars are a natural part of many foods and are a functional ingredient in others. Regardless of whether sugars occur naturally in foods or are added during manufacturing, during cooking, or at the table, sugars enhance the taste, texture, color, and aroma of many kinds of foods. This article will answer many questions about sugars and will also explain how moderate amounts of sugars can fit into a healthful eating plan, no matter what their source.

Sugars in Foods

Except for fiber, most carbohydrates, including sugars, fuel the body with the same amount of energy: 4 calories per gram. Foods eaten every day contain sugars that occur naturally. For example, many fruits and vegetables get their sweet taste from glucose, fructose and sucrose. Glucose and fructose are simple sugars that are found in table sugar, most fruits, and honey. Sucrose is the scientific name for table sugar and it is actually a combination of two simple sugars—glucose and fructose—both of which occur naturally. In milk products, the naturally occurring sugar is called lactose, which gives milk products some of their characteristic flavor without an obvious sweet taste (lactose is perceived as tasting less sweet than sucrose or fructose).

Although sugars are most known for their taste, they contribute more than just sweetness when they are added to foods. That is why sugars are ingredients in many prepared foods, including baked goods, jellies and preserves, canned and frozen fruits, candies, frozen desserts, and even foods that do not taste sweet. Sugars perform many functions that consumers may not even think about, such as the following:

• They add texture, flavor, and color to baked foods helping them brown evenly.
• They help bread to rise.
• They contribute to the “bulk,” or volume, of ice cream, baked goods, and preserves and jams.
• They enhance the creamy texture of frozen desserts.
• They provide a satisfying body and texture in beverages.
• They enhance flavor and balance the natural acidity in non-sweet foods, such as salad dressings, sauces, and condiments.
• They preserve the flavor, aroma, and color of the fruits used in jellies, jams, and preserves (and prevent spoilage after the jar is opened).
• They improve flavor and texture and help preserve the natural color and shape of the fruits used for canning and freezing.

In prepared foods, added sugars may be found in other forms beyond table sugar, such as brown sugar, confectioner’s sugar (which has a powdery texture), and turbinado sugar (a light brown granulated sugar with a slight molasses flavor). Other sugars found in prepared foods include corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), fruit juice concentrate, honey, and molasses, to name a few. All of these sugars are added for function, flavor, or both.

Added and Naturally Occurring Sugars

The terms “added” and “naturally occurring” are often used when the ingredients in foods are discussed and are often associated with the sugars found in foods. There is no chemical difference between added or natural sugars. It is only the source of those sugars that is different. Sugars that are found in unprocessed foods are considered “naturally occurring,” while the same sugar that is added in processing is an “added sugar.”

Regardless of their source, the same sugar is digested and metabolized in the same way by the body. Both naturally occurring and added sugars can be part of a balanced diet that includes a variety of foods. When foods with sugars are consumed, the body does not distinguish between naturally occurring and added sugars.

Sugars in Your Body

Sugars, along with starches and fiber, belong to a nutrient group called carbohydrates, which are also referred to as “carbs.” Carbohydrates are the body’s most important and readily available source of energy.

The body digests sugars, which are generally made up of complex units (and other carbohydrates) by breaking them into smaller units, primarily glucose and fructose. These “simple” sugars are absorbed into the bloodstream, where they are transported to the cells of the body and are then converted into energy. Glucose requires insulin (a hormone secreted by the pancreas) to move from the bloodstream into the cells of the body, whereas fructose is usually first converted to glucose in the liver.

Glucose is the body’s primary fuel that powers everything you do: moving, breathing, thinking, and even digesting food.

Enjoying Sugars in Moderation

The latest edition of Dietary Guidelines for Americans (2005), from the U.S. Department of Agriculture, is based on the recommendations of expert panels from the Institute of Medicine that recognize that carbohydrates are essential to a healthful diet. In addition to serving as an important source of energy, many carbohydrate-containing foods, including those with naturally occurring sugars, also provide important vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients (“phyto” is simply a term that refers to plants; thus, phytonutrients are “nutrients from plants”).

For good health, the Dietary Guidelines encourage consumers to choose their carbohydrates wisely but not in excess of their calorie needs. This translates to eating more fruits, vegetables, and whole grains and low-fat and fat-free milk products. Sugars provide some of the carbohydrates supplied by all these foods.

Nevertheless, the Dietary Guidelines also recommend that consumers choose and prepare foods and beverages with fewer added sugars to help control their daily calorie intakes. Sugars alone, however, are not high-calorie ingredients. So why limit added sugars? From a nutrition perspective, added sugars contribute calories, which help provide energy but few other nutrients. Depending on an individual’s choices, certain foods and beverages with added sugars might replace more nutrient-dense foods, along with the vitamins and minerals that they provide. On the other hand, many foods with added sugars contribute significantly to a healthful diet, such as yogurts or cereals.

Many of the foods that consumers enjoy would not be the same without sugars. Sugars can add appeal to nutritious foods that might otherwise be avoided. Small amounts of added sugars enhance the flavor and acceptance of many foods, making it easier to follow dietary guidelines that encourage the consumption of more fruits, vegetables, whole-grain, and low-fat or fat-free milk products. For example, sugar may be added to grapefruit, yogurt, or oatmeal. Likewise, small amounts of sugars added to whole-grain breakfast cereals and sour fruits such as cranberries enhance the flavor of those foods, thereby encouraging consumption and helping to improve intake of important nutrients.

Do Sugars Cause Weight Gain?

No single class of foods alone causes weight gain. Weight gain is a result of consistently eating more calories than the number of calories expended—no matter what the source of those calories is (i.e., proteins, fats, alcohol, carbohydrates, or sugars). To avoid weight gain, it is important to balance the number of calories consumed with the number of calories expended.

People with weight problems do not necessarily consume more sugars than normal-weight people or have more of a “sweet tooth.” Although people may enjoy sweet tastes, it does not mean that consuming sugary foods and beverages will lead to overindulgence. For those who are attempting to manage calorie intake, the occasional inclusion of some sweet flavors in the diet may help to make a reduced-calorie diet more appealing. Foods and beverages sweetened with low-calorie sweeteners are also an option for people who are concerned about calories. They add a negligible amount of calories to foods and beverages while proving a broader variety of choices for weight-conscious individuals or people who must restrict their calorie intake, such as people living with diabetes.

The bottom line is that consumers can adopt a balanced approach to choosing carbohydrates and sugars. It is easy to overindulge in sweet-tasting foods and beverages, as they can be very appealing. The consumption of sugars to excess, however, can lead to the consumption of too many calories, so consumers need to monitor their daily calorie consumption carefully. Consumers can also follow the dietary guidance found at www.MyPyramid.gov, which the U.S. Department of Agriculture provides to give consumers advice about eating enough fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and milk. Then, as their daily calorie intakes allow, consumers can enjoy foods with added sugars in moderation as part of an overall healthful diet.

Fructose Facts

Fructose is a simple sugar that occurs naturally in fruits, some vegetables, honey, and table sugar. Fructose also makes up about half of the sugars in both table sugar and high-fructose corn syrup. Fructose may also be added to certain foods as either crystalline fructose or liquid fructose. Like other sugars, crystalline and liquid fructose supply about 4 calories per gram. Crystalline fructose is made from cornstarch. It looks and tastes much like table sugar and may be used in baked goods, frozen foods, beverages, and tabletop sweeteners.

A Teaspoonful of Sugar

When consumers hear the word “sugar,” they probably think of table sugar. Yet, table sugar is just one type of sugar found in foods. The term “sugar” is often used to designate a variety of caloric sweeteners.

Although different types of sugars provide essentially the same amount of calories by weight—4 calories per gram—they vary in their densities, or their weight per teaspoon. Sugars that weigh more per teaspoon, such as honey and corn syrup, provide more calories per teaspoon, but these sugars are slightly sweeter than table sugar, so a smaller amount of the sugar may be used to achieve the same sweetness.

Amounts of Various Sugars in Everyday Foods

Note: The foods in this table are not nutritionally comparable. They are shown here only to illustrate their sugar contents.

Source: USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18, 2005.

For more information on sugars and other nutrition issues, contact a registered dietitian or go to ific.org.

High-Fructose Corn Syrup Facts

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a mixture of glucose and fructose produced from corn syrup. The most frequently used types are HFCS 42 (which consists of 42 percent fructose and 58 percent glucose), and HFCS 55 (which consists of 55 percent fructose and 45 percent glucose). Common uses for HFCS include beverages and baking applications. Regardless of the name, HFCS 55 contains approximately the same percentage of glucose and fructose as table sugar, while HFCS 42 has less fructose than does table sugar. High fructose corn syrup, table sugar, and honey are all digested in the same way and result in the same sugars being available to the body.

HFCS makes foods, such as bread and breakfast cereal, brown well when they are baked and gives chewy cookies and snack bars their soft textures.

Does HFCS Cause Weight Gain?

The general advice about sugars and weight gain applies to HFCS as well. Questions about a possible link between HFCS and obesity have resulted from misleading reports that confuse pure fructose with HFCS—two similarly sounding but very different ingredients. Contrary to its name, HFCS, like table sugar, is a mixture of glucose and fructose in approximately the same ratios. Pure fructose and HFCS are different, and at this time, no research findings or evidence suggest that HFCS, fructose, or other sugars are the cause of the rising rates of obesity. The over consumption of all foods and beverages, combined with a lack of physical activity, is the more likely cause of the current rise in obesity rates.

Reprinted from the International Food Information Council Foundation,