Added sugar has taken the spotlight as the ingredient to avoid in the modern diet. On average, Americans eat about 17 teaspoons of added sugar each day ( 1 ). Most of this is hidden within processed foods, so people don’t even realize they’re eating it. All this sugar may be a key factor in several major illnesses, including heart disease and diabetes ( 2 , 3 ). Sugar goes by many different names, so it can be difficult to figure out how much of it a food actually contains. This article lists 56 different names for sugar. First, let’s briefly explain what added sugars are and how the different types can affect your health. Share on Pinterest

What is added sugar? During processing, sugar is added to food to enhance flavor, texture, shelf life, or other properties. Added sugar is usually a mixture of simple sugars such as sucrose, glucose, or fructose. Other types, such as galactose, lactose, and maltose, are less common. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) now requires that the amount of added sugar that a food or beverage contains is listed on the nutrition facts label. The label must also list the percent Daily Value (DV). Meanwhile, single-ingredient sugars and syrups, such as table sugar and maple syrup, have a slightly different nutrition facts label. For those products, the label will include the percent DV of added sugar. This information may also appear in a footnote at the bottom of the label along with the amount of added sugar ( 4 ). Summary Sugar is commonly added to processed foods. The FDA has defined “sugar” and requires that certain sugars be labeled as “added sugars” in food products.

Glucose or fructose — Does it matter? In short, yes. Glucose and fructose — even though they’re very common and often found together — may have different effects on your body. Glucose can be metabolized by nearly every cell in your body, while fructose is metabolized almost entirely in the liver ( 5 ). Studies have repeatedly demonstrated the harmful effects of high sugar consumption (6, 7 , 8). These include insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease, and type 2 diabetes. As such, eating excessive amounts of any type of sugar should be avoided. Summary Added sugar goes by many names, and most types consist of glucose or fructose. Avoiding excessive intakes of sugar in your daily diet is an important health strategy.

1. Sugar/sucrose Sucrose is the most common type of sugar. Often called “table sugar,” it’s a naturally occurring carbohydrate found in many fruits and plants. Table sugar is usually extracted from sugar cane or sugar beets. It consists of 50% glucose and 50% fructose, bound together. Sucrose is found in many foods. A few of them include: ice cream

candy

pastries

cookies

soda

fruit juices

canned fruit

processed meat

breakfast cereals

ketchup Summary Sucrose is also known as table sugar. It occurs naturally in many fruits and plants, and it’s added to all sorts of processed foods. It consists of 50% glucose and 50% fructose.

2. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) High fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a widely used sweetener, especially in the United States. It’s produced from corn starch via an industrial process. It consists of both fructose and glucose. There are several different types of HFCS containing varying amounts of fructose. The two most common varieties used in foods and beverages are: HFCS 55 . This is the most common type of HFCS. It contains 55% fructose, nearly 45% glucose, and water.

. This is the most common type of HFCS. It contains 55% fructose, nearly 45% glucose, and water. HFCS 42. This form contains 42% fructose, and the remainder is glucose and water ( 9 ). HFCS has a composition similar to that of sucrose (50% fructose and 50% glucose). HFCS is found in many foods and beverages, especially in the United States. These include: soda

breads

cookies

candy

ice cream

cakes

cereal bars Summary High fructose corn syrup is produced from corn starch. It consists of varying amounts of fructose and glucose, but the composition is essentially the same as sucrose or table sugar.

3. Agave nectar Agave nectar, also called agave syrup, is a very popular sweetener produced from the agave plant. It’s commonly used as a “healthy” alternative to sugar because it doesn’t spike blood sugar levels as much as many other sugar varieties. However, agave nectar contains about 70–90% fructose and 10–30% glucose. It’s used in many “health foods,” such as fruit bars, sweetened yogurts, and cereal bars. Summary Agave nectar or syrup is produced from the agave plant. It contains 70–90% fructose and 10–30% glucose.

38–52. Sugars with glucose These sweeteners contain pure glucose or glucose that’s combined with sugars other than fructose. These other sugars may include other sugars such as galactose: barley malt

brown rice syrup

corn syrup

corn syrup solids

dextrin

dextrose

diastatic malt

ethyl maltol

glucose

glucose solids

lactose

malt syrup

maltodextrin

maltose

rice syrup Summary These sugars are comprised of glucose, either on its own or in combination with sugars other than fructose.

53–54. Sugars with fructose only These two sweeteners contain only fructose: crystalline fructose

fructose Summary Pure fructose is simply called fructose or crystalline fructose.

55–56. Other sugars There are a few added sugars that contain neither glucose nor fructose. They’re less sweet and less common, but they’re sometimes used as sweeteners: D-ribose galactose Summary D-ribose and galactose aren’t as sweet as glucose and fructose, but they’re also used as sweeteners.