New Delhi, July 20 (IANS). Whenever there is talk of sugar, the first thing that comes to mind is sweets, cakes, chocolates, ice cream or cold drinks. But do you know that sugar is not only in sweet things? There are many packaged and everyday foods that do not even taste sweet, yet they contain significant amounts of added sugar.
Actually, not every sugar is the same. The sugar present in natural things like fruits, milk and curd is called natural sugar. It is not considered harmful for the body, because fiber, vitamins, minerals and other essential nutrients are also present in these foods. On the other hand, sugar which is added separately to processed or packed food is called added sugar. This sugar, if consumed in excess, can increase the risk of obesity, diabetes, heart disease and many other health problems.
Sugar is used not only to enhance taste but also for many other reasons. This improves the texture of the food, improves its color and taste and sometimes it also increases the shelf life of the food by acting as a preservative. This is the reason why sugar is also added to salty things like pasta sauce, ketchup or salad dressing.
The easiest way to know the amount of added sugar in food is to read the nutrition label. Nowadays, information about both ‘total sugar’ and ‘added sugar’ is given on most packed foods.
Suppose it is written on a packet that it contains 20 grams of total sugar and 15 grams of added sugar. This means that only 5 grams of sugar is naturally present, while the remaining 15 grams have been added separately.
Not only this, also read the ingredients given on the packet carefully. If sugar or its related names are written at the beginning of the list, then understand that the amount of sugar in that product may be high.
Sugar is not always written with the name ‘sugar’. Many people get deceived into thinking that if ‘sugar’ is not written on the packet then it will not contain sugar. Whereas companies use many different names for sugar. Like- cane sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, rice syrup, molasses, caramel, honey, agave etc. Apart from this, the words which end with ‘-oz’, like glucose, fructose, sucrose, dextrose, maltose and lactose, are also sugar in some form or the other. If a product has words like glazed, candied, caramelized or frosted on it, it often means that it has added sugar.
Nowadays, many products written as ‘sugar free’ or ‘zero sugar’ are available in the market. These often use zero-calorie sweeteners such as sucralose, aspartame, saccharin or stevia. These have very little effect on blood sugar and their use in limited quantities is considered safe.
However, this does not mean that all such products are completely healthy. Many sugar-free packaged foods contain other processed ingredients added to maintain taste and texture. In some people, excessive consumption of these sweeteners can also cause problems like flatulence or diarrhea.
There are some foods that people don’t expect to contain sugar, but they can have a lot of added sugar. Ketchup, barbecue sauce, pasta sauce, and salad dressings often have added sugar. Similarly, many protein bars and flavored yogurts also contain excessive sugar. While buying them, try to ensure that the amount of protein in them is more than that of sugar.
Chocolate, vanilla or strawberry flavored milk and coffee creamers may also contain added sugar. Sugar or honey is also added to granola, instant oatmeal and many breakfast cereals to make them sweet. Canned fruits, jams, fruit preserves and even peanut butter, almond butter or cashew butter often have added sugar added.
Talking about beverages, not only soft drinks, but sports drinks, energy drinks, bottled coffee, iced tea and many packaged juices can also be rich in sugar. Instead of these, plain water, tea or coffee without sugar and sparkling water without sugar are better options.
Even if your favorite foods contain some added sugar, it doesn’t mean you should give them up completely. You should keep an eye on its quantity.
–IANS
PIM/AS
