Are There Any “GOOD” Sugars?
Good question!
First of all… what is sugar?
Sucrose is a category of sugar that gets broken down into glucose and fructose before going into the bloodstream and raising your blood glucose levels.
Fructose is a category of sugar that doesn’t go into the bloodstream like glucose because it has to go to the liver first to be processed into a useable form so it doesn’t raise blood glucose levels. It can restore liver glycogen and is less likely to cause cavities in your teeth.
However, too much of any type of sugar can damage blood vessels and lead to cavities and gum disease, as well as other health problems. It is considered healthy to limit your sugar intake to 10% of your daily calorie intake.
What sweet choices have we got?
STEVIA
Type: Natural substitute
Pros: Sugar-free, calorie-free, extracted from the leaves of the stevia rebaudiana plant. It doesn’t raise blood sugar and it’s natural and beneficial in reasonable amounts. It’s bio-active, so it could have some anti-inflammatory compounds.
Cons: There’s a minor aftertaste that can take getting used to and overusing it could cause you to develop more of a taste for sweets.
XYLITOL
Type: Sugar alcohol
Pros: 2.4 calories per gram. It is extracted from corn or birch wood. It contains zero fructose and doesn’t raise blood sugar or insulin levels. Improves dental health by reducing the risk of cavities and tooth decay. It increases you body’s absorption of calcium.
Cons: Eating too much of it can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea.
It is HIGHLY TOXIC TO DOGS (causes a rapid and dangerous drop in blood sugar or acute liver cell death)
ERYTHRITOL
Type: Sugar alcohol
Pros:It is created when a type of yeast ferments glucose from corn or wheat starch and has only 0.24 calories per gram. It contains zero fructose and doesn’t raise blood sugar, insulin or triglyceride levels. It improves dental health by reducing the risk of cavities and tooth decay. It increases you body’s absorption of calcium. About 90% of the erythritol you eat is absorbed into the bloodstream. The remaining 10% travels undigested down to the colon. This tastes almost exactly like sugar so is an excellent substitute for people who are overweight or have diabetes.
Cons: Eating too much of it can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea.
YACON SYRUP
Type: Natural substitute
Pros: It is extracted from the South American Yacon plant, tastes sweet, is dark coloured and thick like molasses. Yacon syrup contains 40-50% fructooligosaccarides, a special type of sugar molecule that the human body cannot digest. It contains 1.3 calories per gram. It feeds the healthy gut bacteria.
Cons: Eating too much of it can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea. It cannot be used for baking but is okay in a hot drink or on oatmeal.
COCONUT SUGAR
Type: Sucrose (70-79% sucrose 3-9% each of fructose and glucose)
Pros: It’s extracted from the sap of coconut trees and is less processed because the sap is extracted and then placed in heat to dry, leaving it with a more natural brownish color like raw sugar. It can also contains trace amounts of minerals like iron, zinc, magnesium, potassium, and inulin, a prebiotic fiber.
Cons: It has the same calories as sugar-4 calories per gram and causes advanced glycation end-products (AGEs), which gradually lead to a break down in your collagen.
HONEY
Type: An even blend of fructose and glucose
Pros: Honey has anti-microbial and anti-bacterial properties, which is why it can also be used as a cough suppressant or sore throat soother. Manuka and other high-grade honeys often contain many antioxidants and more beneficial properties.
Cons: It’s high in calories and carbs at 3 calories per gram.
MAPLE SYRUP
Type: Sucrose (glucose and fructose 35%)
Pros: It contains a decent amount of minerals, including calcium, potassium, iron, zinc and manganese and many antioxidants.
Cons: It’s high in calories and carbs at 3 calories per gram.
MOLASSES
Type: An even blend of fructose and glucose
Pros: It is made from boiling down sugar cane or sugar beet juice and contains calcium, magnesium, potassium iron, phosphorus, copper and zinc as well as some antioxidants.
Cons: It’s high in calories at 4 calories per gram.
AGAVE NECTAR/SYRUP
Type: 85-90% fructose
Pros: Extracted and heated. Tastes like syrup and mixes well with alcoholic drinks.
Cons: It has 3 calories per gram and a low nutrient value
RAW CANE SUGAR/TURBINADO SUGAR
Type: Sucrose
Pros: It is extracted from the sugarcane plant, is not refined, and may come in the form of cane juice. This raw form of sugar is somewhat less processed than table sugar. It still retains some of the molasses and moisture from the plant.
Cons: It’s high in calories at 4 calories per gram.
BROWN SUGAR
Type: Sucrose
Pros: Molasses leftover from refining is added back into the sugar after processing.
Cons: It’s high in calories at 4 calories per gram. There are not enough trace nutrients left to be of benefit.
HIGH-FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP
Type: Artificial sugar
Pros: Made from corn syrup. Corn starch is processed by breaking down the starch into a syrup made of sugar glucose and adding enzymes to convert some of the glucose to fructose
Cons: It has a high level of fructoseand is more addictive than sugar. It has 3 calories per gram.
GRANULATED WHITE SUGAR/TABLE SUGAR
Type: Sucrose
Pros: Made from either sugar cane or sugar beets, it offers the mildest flavour melts and blends easily into beverages, warm or cold, and is ideal for baking.
Cons: It has 4 calories per gram and is the most chemically processed and refined. It has no nutrient value.
SWEETENERS (ASPARTAME, SPLENDA)
Type: Artificial/Chemical substitute
Pros: Sugar-free and zero calories
Cons: These sweeteners are chemical compounds and not real food:
Splenda is sucralose
(a sugar molecule mixed with chlorine molecules in a patented process).
Maltodextrin, a corn product,
can be genetically modified, and is then added as a bulking agent.
Aspartame is on the EPA’s list of potential carcinogens as a neurotoxin.
Now that we know some healthier alternatives to refined sugar, how much is okay to eat?
The World Health Organization (WHO) is urging people to reduce sugar consumption by 2/3 to less than 5% of their daily caloric intake. To put that into context, five per cent would be about 6 teaspoons of sugar a day for adults and 3-4 teaspoons a day for children; a can of sugar-sweetened soda contains about 10 teaspoons of sugar.
Eating too much sugar has been linked to several deadly diseases, including obesity, diabetes, heart disease and cancer.
The sweeteners in this article are good alternatives, though the key word here is alternatives — meaning they should be used instead of refined sugar. Moderation is key. As hunter-gatherers, we ate the equivalent of only 20 teaspoons of sugar a year. Today, we eat over 150 pounds per year per person, or half a pound a day.
The average school age child eats 34+ teaspoons of sugar a day!
Side Effects linked to high sugar consumption:
1. Obesity
Rates of obesity are rising worldwide and added sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened beverages, is thought to be one of the main culprits. Sugar-sweetened drinks like sodas, juices and sweet teas are loaded with fructose, a type of simple sugar. Consuming fructoseincreases your hunger and desire for food more than glucose, the main type of sugar found in starchy foods. Excessive fructose consumption may cause resistance to leptin, an important hormone that regulates hunger and tells your body to stop eating. STUDY
Sugary beverages don’t curb your hunger, making it easy to quickly consume a high number of liquid calories. This can lead to weight gain and an accumulation of visceral fat, a kind of deep belly fat associated with conditions like diabetes and heart disease.
2. Increased Risk of Heart Disease
Consuming too much added sugar increases heart disease risk factors such as obesity, high blood pressure and inflammation. High-sugar diets have been linked to an increased risk of dying from heart disease. Consuming too much sugar, especially from sugar-sweetened drinks, has been linked to atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by fatty, artery-clogging deposits. A study in over 30,000 people found that those who consumed 17–21% of calories from added sugar had a 38% greater risk of dying from heart disease, compared to those consuming only 8% of calories from added sugar. STUDY
One sugary drink a day can already put you over the recommended daily limit for added sugar.
3. Increased Acne Expression
High-sugar diets can increase androgen secretion, oil production and inflammation, all of which can raise your risk of developing acne. Foods with a high glycemic index, such as processed sweets, raise your blood sugar more rapidly than foods with a lower glycemic index. Studies have shown that low-glycemic diets are associated with a reduced acne risk, while high-glycemic diets are linked to a greater risk. For example, a study in 2,300 teens demonstrated that those who frequently consumed added sugar had a 30% greater risk of developing acne. STUDY
Population studies have shown that rural communities that consume traditional, non-processed foods have almost non-existent rates of acne, compared to more urban, high-income areas. STUDY
4. Increased Risk of Diabetes
The worldwide prevalence of diabetes has more than doubled over the past 30 years. A high-sugar diet may lead to obesity and insulin resistance, both of which are risk factors for diabetes. Obesity, which is often caused by consuming too much sugar, is considered the strongest risk factor for diabetes. Prolonged high-sugar consumption drives resistance to insulin, a hormone produced by the pancreas that regulates blood sugar levels and insulin resistance causes blood sugar levels to rise and strongly increases your risk of diabetes. A population study comprising over 175 countries found that the risk of developing diabetes grew by 1.1% for every 150 calories of sugar, or about one can of soda, consumed per day. STUDY
5. Increased Risk of Cancer
Eating excessive amounts of sugar may increase your risk of developing certain cancers. A study in over 430,000 people found that added sugar consumption was positively associated with an increased risk of esophageal cancer, pleural cancer and cancer of the small intestine. STUDY Too much sugar can lead to obesity, insulin resistance and inflammation, all of which are risk factors for cancer.
6. Increased Risk of Depression
Consuming a lot of processed foods, including high-sugar products such as cakes and sugary drinks, has been associated with a higher risk of depression. Researchers believe that blood sugar swings, neurotransmitter dysregulation and inflammation may all be reasons for sugar’s detrimental impact on mental health. A study following 8,000 people for 22 years showed that men who consumed 67 grams or more of sugar per day were 23% more likely to develop depression than men who ate less than 40 grams per day. STUDY
Another study in over 69,000 women demonstrated that those with the highest intakes of added sugars had a significantly greater risk of depression, compared to those with the lowest intakes. STUDY
7. Acceleration of the Skin Aging Process
Wrinkles are a natural sign of aging. They appear eventually, regardless of your health. However, poor food choices can worsen wrinkles and speed the skin aging process.Advanced glycation end products (AGEs) are compounds formed by reactions between sugar and protein in your body. They are suspected to play a key role in skin aging. Consuming a diet high in refined carbs and sugar leads to the production of AGEs, which may cause your skin to age prematurely by damaging collagen and elastin, which are proteins that help the skin stretch, maintain firmness and keep its youthful appearance. STUDY
8. Increased Cellular Aging
Telomeres are structures found at the end of chromosomes, which are molecules that hold part or all of your genetic information. They act as protective caps, preventing chromosomes from deteriorating or fusing together. As you grow older, telomeres naturally shorten, which causes cells to age and malfunction. Although the shortening of telomeres is a normal part of aging, consuming high amounts of sugar has been shown to accelerate telomere shortening, which increases cellular aging. A study in 5,309 adults showed that regularly drinking sugar-sweetened beverages was associated with shorter telomere length and premature cellular aging. Each daily 20-ounce (591 ml) serving of sugar-sweetened soda equated to 4.6 additional years of aging, independent of other variables. STUDY
9. EnergyDrain
Foods high in added sugar quickly spike blood sugar and insulin levels, leading to increased energy for a brief time.
Products that are loaded with sugar but lacking in protein, fibre or fat lead to a brief energy boost that’s quickly followed by a sharp drop in blood sugar, often referred to as a crash. Having constant blood sugar swings can lead to major fluctuations in energy levels. STUDY Pairing carbs with protein or fat is another great way to keep your blood sugar and energy levels stable. For example, eating an apple along with a small handful of almonds is an excellent snack for prolonged, consistent energy levels.
10. Can Lead to Fatty Liver
A high intake of fructose has been consistently linked to an increased risk of fatty liver. Unlike glucose and other types of sugar, which are taken up by many cells throughout the body, fructose is almost exclusively broken down by the liver.
In the liver, fructose is converted into energy or stored as glycogen. However, the liver can only store so much glycogen before excess amounts are turned into fat. Large amounts of added sugar in the form of fructose overload your liver, leading to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), a condition characterized by excessive fat buildup in the liver.
A study in over 5,900 adults showed that people who drank sugar-sweetened beverages daily had a 56% higher risk of developing NAFLD, compared to people who did not. STUDY
11. Other Health Risks
Increased kidney disease risk: Having consistently high blood sugar levels can cause damage to the delicate blood vessels in your kidneys. This can lead to an increased risk of kidney disease. STUDY
Negative impact on dental health: Eating too much sugar can cause cavities. Bacteria in your mouth feed on sugar and release acid by-products, which cause tooth demineralization. STUDY
Increased risk of developing gout: Gout is an inflammatory condition characterized by pain in the joints. Added sugars raise uric acid levels in the blood, increasing the risk of developing or worsening gout. STUDY
Accelerated cognitive decline: High-sugar diets can lead to impaired memory and increased risk of dementia.
How can we free ourselves from the grip of/addiction to sugar?
Our food environment has changed a lot since the Stone Age, but that news hasn’t reached the reward centres of our brains, which have always been worried about nutritional scarcity. Evolution has wired our brains to desire the easy access to energy that glucose from sugar provides. Our brains may be smart, but they still don’t understand that all this sugar is harming us. In fact, eating sugar has a potent impact on the same parts of the brain that are stimulated by addictive drugs like cocaine or heroin.
As soon as you quit sugar, your health will improve rapidly. In fact, it takes just 10 days without sugar to see substantial metabolic and neurological benefits. But our industrial food system enables a national diet of sugary, starchy, overly processed, nutrient-depleted foods.
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