We all know what the craving is like when you just want to taste the sweet goodness of something sugary. And this is actually a natural instinct that has been passed down through humankind. Sugar is a simple carbohydrate, meaning it is a source of easy energy. Early humans would have wanted sugar because sugar offered more energy than other foods. It also helped the body store fat, which was helpful for early groups of humans who weren’t able to eat very consistently. Over the years, this instinct has continued — even though our meals aren’t scarce (1).

But that’s not the only reason why we crave sugar. Scientists have shown that sugar stimulates the chemical dopamine in the brain, which is responsible for making us feel good. This may be because our early ancestors who ate sugar would have been more likely to survive. Fast forward to today, and most of the human race likes sugar. However, the increase in dopamine is also a response to using cocaine and heroin, making sugar an addictive substance (2).

Today, sugar is abundant, which can make it challenging to fight the temptation of a sweet tooth or to find foods without sugar. But sugar can become a major obstacle in your health journey if you aren’t careful. Remember when we mentioned that it helps the body store fat?

Our goal is to help you become a sugar detective so that you can recognize sources of sugar and avoid bad sources of sugar on your health journey. Let’s get started!

Names of Sugar

The first step to becoming a sugar detective is recognizing the many names sugar has. These names might show up on an ingredient list on a pre-packaged food, but don’t let any of these names fool you — they’re all sugar!

  • Sugar
  • Glucose
  • Honey
  • Sorghum syrup
  • Lactose
  • Fruit juice concentrate
  • High-fructose corn syrup
  • Dextrose
  • Fructose
  • Corn syrup
  • Maltose
  • Sorbitol
  • Molasses
  • Maltose
  • Corn sweetener
  • Sucrose
  • Brown sugar
  • Syrup
  • Galactose
  • Cane juice
  • Anhydrous dextrose
  • Confectioner’s powdered sugar
  • Crystal dextrose
  • Evaporated corn sweetener
  • Fruit nectar
  • Invert sugar
  • Malt syrup
  • Trehalose

And that’s not all. Check out this article by Virta Health for 56 different names for sugar.

Understanding Added Sugars

Another key aspect of being a sugar detective is understanding nutrition labels. When you are reading a nutritional label, you might see total sugar and added sugar. Some foods naturally contain sugar, like milk, fruits, vegetables, and even grains. These sugars may occur in foods that are deemed “healthy.”

Added sugars, on the other hand, are sugars that are not naturally found in the food. They are sweeteners added to food during production. Like when you add scoops of sugar to a homemade cookie recipe. Added sugars can be found in salad dressings, condiments, breads, and other unsuspecting foods (3).

When it comes to your diet, choose foods that are low in added sugars. These added sugars can increase your calories without offering any other nutritional value. As you read more nutritional labels, you may be surprised at how many of your go-to foods have added sugar.

Leaving Added Sugar Behind

At EatLove, we have created an advanced recipe search tool that allows you to exclude added sugars. Within your meal plan, swap a meal or add a new meal to a plan and choose Search Foods and Recipes. Click on the small filter icon next to the search bar. Scroll down to the bottom of the filter options to see all of the nutrient values for our recipes. Add a maximum of 0g to added sugar. This will allow you to view recipes that are tailored to your food preferences AND that avoid added sugar altogether.

Sugar Limits

Finally, a sugar detective must understand how much sugar is okay. The recommended number of calories and added sugars will depend on your lifestyle, age, weight, activity level, and a number of other factors. EatLove synthesizes your personal information and uses it to create a scientifically backed recommendation for calories and added sugar.

You can review your personal range within your Nutrition Prescription (if you work with a dietitian) or your Nutrient Profile (if you work with a wellness coach).

FOOD FOR THOUGHT:

It’s not just your food that contains excess sugar. Make sure you watch what you drink too! Check out this guide from the National Institutes of Health that offers insight into how much sugar and calories are in common drinks.

TRY THIS:

Be a sugar detective this week and read the nutrition labels on foods that you eat. If you make recipes from the EatLove platform, review the nutrition information to see how much added sugar is contained in your foods.

To take it to the next level, you could record how you feel when you eat foods that are higher in added sugars. You might discover a correlation between sugar and your mood.