Sugar is the nutrient the body needs to make energy. If you think
of yourself as a car, it’s the gas you need to power yourself and go from one place
to another. Even though you need sugar so your body has energy to use, it is
important to choose foods with the right kinds of sugars that are good for your
health and don’t harm you.
Natural sugars are sugars already found in foods without
food processing. Milk, yogurt, cheese and fruits are all examples of foods with
natural sugars. Added or refined sugars are sugars, sweeteners and syrups added
to foods that weren’t there to begin with. Added sugars are in many processed
foods, such as cookies, cakes, sodas and other sugary drinks, crackers,
flavored yogurt and cereals. Added sugars are even found in tomato sauces and
salad dressings. The sugars you cook with and add to your morning cup of coffee
also count as added sugar.
Natural and added sugars look the same to the body once
broken down. Even though the body doesn’t see natural and added sugars
differently, how much natural and added sugar you eat each day greatly changes
your health and what happens to you now and later in life.
Foods with natural sugars have vitamins, minerals, fiber and
antioxidants in them. Vitamins and minerals make foods healthier because the
body needs these things to stay alive and thrive. Some of these foods, like
fruits, are high in fiber. The body takes longer to break down foods with
fiber, which keeps you fuller for longer. If you stay fuller for longer, you
eat less and are less likely to gain extra weight that isn’t good for you. Antioxidants
in foods with natural sugars protect your body and lower your risk of getting
cancer. Foods with added sugars often don’t have any of these extra nutrients.
That basically means they provide no added health value to you, unlike natural
sugar foods. All you’re getting is the calories! Not only that, but you break
down foods with added sugars quicker than you do natural sugars. You’re more
likely to eat more calories and gain more weight when you eat more foods with
added sugars.
Now that you’ve learned about the difference between natural
and added sugars and how each affects your health, here are a few tips to help
you make healthier sugar choices when it comes to food:
*Eat more foods with natural
sugars; eat less of foods with added sugars. In a nutshell, you want to eat
more real, whole foods, like fruits and vegetables (natural sugars), and fewer foods
that come from a box (added sugars).
*Watch what you drink!
-Getting rid of sugary drinks is
an easy way to take out a lot of added sugar from your diet. If you drink
regular soda, switch to diet.
-Choose 100% fruit juice – but
don’t overdo it! 100% fruit juices are high in nutrients like vitamin C,
folate, and potassium. However, they have little to no fiber and have the same amount of
calories as sodas do.
-Skipping the sugar in your coffee
is another good way to get rid of added sugar. If you put 4 scoops of sugar in
your coffee, put in 2 scoops instead.
*Be mindful of “regular” versus “fat free” options: If a food has a
regular and fat free version, the fat free option is going to be higher in
added sugars than its regular, higher fat cousin. Getting rid of fat gets rid
of the flavor, so sugar has to be added in to add the flavor back. (You should
check the food labels of each and compare the sugar content the next time you
go grocery shopping!)
*Plain yogurt and flavored yogurt are NOT created equal: Flavored
yogurt falls under added sugars because the “fruit” that adds the flavor is not
actual fruit; they’re made of sweeteners and syrups. If you can’t eat yogurt
plain (most people can’t. I don’t blame you), take plain yogurt and add fresh
or thawed frozen fruit to it. Now you’ve got a natural sugar food!
*Going for the canned option? Choose fruit in its natural juice instead
of fruit in syrup. This is the same reason as the last example; juice is
natural sugar, syrup is added sugar.
*Hold the condiments: Okay, you don’t actually have to skimp on the
condiments, but just know that condiments, like ketchup and salad dressings
have added sugars, and they’re often forgotten about.
Stacy Sargent is a student blogger and is in the MS/Dietetic Internship Program at the University of Alabama at Birmingham Nutrition Sciences Department. She works for Life Time Fitness in Birmingham.
For more blogs from the UAB Nutrition Sciences Department, visit The Kitchin Sink from Beth Kitchin, PhD, RDN
For more blogs from the UAB Nutrition Sciences Department, visit The Kitchin Sink from Beth Kitchin, PhD, RDN
