{"id":533,"date":"2017-03-01T16:26:16","date_gmt":"2017-03-02T00:26:16","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/?p=533"},"modified":"2024-04-12T11:52:53","modified_gmt":"2024-04-12T18:52:53","slug":"processed-vs-natural-sugar","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.oregonstate.edu\/moore\/processed-vs-natural-sugar\/","title":{"rendered":"Processed Sugars vs. Natural Sugars: What\u2019s the Difference?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Sugar is poison. High fructose corn syrup causes cancer. Just google it.<\/p>\n

Putting sarcasm aside, too much sugar is a bad idea and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) isn\u2019t better. But neither is inherently good or evil. Despite what the media may say, a little added sugar isn\u2019t going to instantly kill anyone.<\/p>\n

\"candyAdded sugars make things sweeter and tastier. They have a number of positive qualities when baking and bring a smile to both young and old. Sugar tastes so good that most American adults can credit 14.6% of their daily calories from added sugars1<\/sup>.<\/p>\n

While sugar may make our taste buds happy, it isn\u2019t very nutritious. It contains energy but not much else. It is essentially \u201cempty calories\u201d meaning that you get no nutritional benefit, aside from instant blood-sugar spiking energy, from consuming it.<\/p>\n

Sugar comes in many different forms in food. Most healthy foods, including fruits, vegetables, dairy, and grains, contain naturally occurring sugars or carbohydrates. Processed foods can contain naturally occurring carbohydrates plus added sugars. These added sugars come in many forms, and some are labeled \u201cnatural\u201d to be more appealing to consumers. The FDA does not have a definition of the word natural<\/a>; they do allow the word to be used if a product has no added colors, artificial flavors or synthetic substances but this is a loose regulation. \u201cNaturally\u201d added sugars like agave nectar, honey and maple syrup also have calories but are reported to have more helpful nutrients as well, like B vitamins, selenium and iron. Unfortunately in order to see those nutritional benefits you\u2019d have to eat quite a bit of these added sugars each day.<\/p>\n

Processed foods, like boxed, canned, wrapped or frozen (not usually fruits and vegetables), generally contain added sugars, though not all do. Processed foods<\/a> must go through processing (obviously) which tends to remove essential nutrients. Generally speaking, the more processed a food is the less nutritious it will be. If a food is processed, look at the label and ingredients to figure out what it contains and whether you should be consuming it. According to the American Heart Association<\/a> added sugar, in all forms, should be restricted to no more than 6 teaspoons (24 grams) a day for women (approximately 100 calories) and 9 teaspoons a day for men (approximately 150 calories) or less than 5% of total daily calories. For label reference 4 grams of sugar=1 teaspoon of sugar and 1 gram of sugar=4 calories.<\/p>\n

Usual Suspects<\/h3>\n

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Cane\/Granulated\/Table\/White Sugar<\/h4>\n

\"cupcakes\"Cane sugar is 100% sucrose, which means it contains 50% glucose sugar and 50% fructose sugar. It can come from either sugarcane or sugar beet. 1 teaspoon contains 4 grams of simple carbohydrate or 16 calories. Much is known about sugar so there\u2019s no need to dive into the finer details. It is also well-known that sugar in excess isn\u2019t healthy so let\u2019s not further debate the point.<\/p>\n

High Fructose Corn Syrup<\/strong><\/h4>\n

High fructose corn syrup comes from corn syrup and has 17 calories in 1 teaspoon. Due to its relatively cheap price and other food product characteristics it became very popular in the 1980\u2019s in many processed and refined products, including sugar-sweetened beverages3<\/sup>. The most commonly used form of HFCS contains 45% glucose and 55% fructose (the sweetest form of sugar, also called fruit sugar) and is called HFCS 55.<\/p>\n

\"bottleHFCS has come under strong public investigation in the last few years. Due to the large consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages in the last few decades, it has actually been accused of causing the obesity epidemic4<\/sup>. Fructose is a controversial topic with limited proof to show it as the only offender of the obesity epidemic.<\/p>\n

Since HFCS typically contains more fructose than table sugar, less is needed to produce the same sweetness. HFCS is not available for the public to use at home but it is abundantly used in processed foods, so that may be a red flag when it comes to personal use.<\/p>\n

Added Natural Sugars<\/h3>\n

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Agave Nectar<\/h4>\n

Agave nectar comes from the agave plant and contains 21 calories per teaspoon. There is a bit of controversy surrounding agave nectar because the agave plant contains inulin, a form of fiber, and other helpful nutrients. Unfortunately it was found that by the time the processing is complete the fiber and nutrients are essentially stripped5<\/sup>. Agave nectar\u2019s composition is difficult to pinpoint because different brands contain varying amounts of fructose. All differences aside, agave is found to have a remarkably high fructose content (one source estimated it to be as much as 70-90% fructose)6<\/sup>. Because it contains such a high content of fructose, less is needed to produce a sweet effect.\"syrup<\/p>\n

Maple Syrup<\/h4>\n

Maple syrup is pretty trendy these days7,8<\/sup>. Since maple syrup comes directly from a tree (not the maple flavored sugar water that Aunt Jemima puts out) it tends to contain more minerals than other added sugars do9<\/sup>. However, benefits may be minor if not nonexistent considering the small quantities of these minerals that are consumed. Maple syrup is more than half sucrose, which means it contains about 1\/3 fructose. This may mean that you have to use more in order to produce the sweetness you want. Maple syrup can also be more expensive than other sweeteners which may limit the desire or ability to purchase and use it.<\/p>\n

Honey<\/h4>\n

\"honeyHoney is 2\/3 sucrose with the remaining 1\/3 being water. It contains 21 calories in every teaspoon but has been advertised as having a number of helpful nutrients10<\/sup>. Similar to maple syrup, these nutrients may not be in high enough quantities to be an advantage at the recommended dosage. 4 tablespoons (252 calories) of honey would be needed per day to reap any health benefit11<\/sup>. Honey isn\u2019t expensive but it\u2019s also not cheap and its flavor profile can be very distinctive. While this may be a good thing for some, it might also be unwelcome for others.<\/p>\n

Bottom Line<\/h4>\n

Added sugars are not the devil. That being said they still don\u2019t have much nutritional value and should be eaten less than the average American typically consumes, no matter the claims they contain. Though 6 to 9 teaspoons may sound like a lot, added sugars are in more places than we think and add up throughout the day.<\/p>\n

Tips<\/h3>\n

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