Do you know all of the names for sugar?

Did you know that there are over 50 names for sugar in the foods that we consume every day?

These sugars are not just in the sweets and desserts that we like to indulge in, but in foods, we would deem “healthy” or good for us! “In fact, manufacturers add sugar to 74% of packaged foods sold in supermarkets” (As Reported by the University of California San Francisco in SugarScience). Knowing this, you may be consuming a lot more added sugar than you think, so it is imperative to look at every label when purchasing packaged foods. 

The U.S.  Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that all ingredients be presented on the nutrition label. But, if you do not know the names for sugar…you do not know what to look for. The sugars are hidden in plain sight! High-fructose corn syrup was all of the hype a few years ago and it is imperative to our health that we avoid it. We should also avoid sucrose, dextrose, maltose, and rice syrups.

How much added sugar should we consume on a regular basis? In an AHA Scientific Statement available at circ.ahajournals.org, “The American Heart Association (AHA) recommends no more than 9 teaspoons (38 grams) of added sugar per day for men, and 6 teaspoons (25 grams) per day for women”. There is talk on how to make nutrition labels clearer and easy to read since hidden sugars are almost unrecognizable on most packaged food items. Knowing what is going into our bodies is imperative to our longevity and overall health. To learn more, check out check out this article published by Harvard University called, “Natural and Added Sugars: Two Sides of the Same Coin.” 

Here’s a list as reported by the University of California San Francisco:

  • Agave nectar
  • Barbados sugar
  • Barley malt
  • Barley malt syrup
  • Beet sugar
  • Brown sugar
  • Buttered syrup
  • Cane juice
  • Cane juice crystals
  • Cane sugar
  • Caramel
  • Carob syrup
  • Castor sugar
  • Coconut palm sugar
  • Coconut sugar
  • Confectioner’s sugar
  • Corn sweetener
  • Corn syrup
  • Corn syrup solids
  • Date sugar
  • Dehydrated cane juice
  • Demerara sugar
  • Dextrin
  • Dextrose
  • Evaporated cane juice
  • Free-flowing brown sugars
  • Fructose
  • Fruit juice
  • Fruit juice concentrate
  • Glucose
  • Glucose solids
  • Golden sugar
  • Golden syrup
  • Grape sugar
  • HFCS (High-Fructose Corn Syrup)
  • Honey
  • Icing sugar
  • Invert sugar
  • Malt syrup
  • Maltodextrin
  • Maltol
  • Maltose
  • Mannose
  • Maple syrup
  • Molasses
  • Muscovado
  • Palm sugar
  • Panocha
  • Powdered sugar
  • Raw sugar
  • Refiner’s syrup
  • Rice syrup
  • Saccharose
  • Sorghum Syrup
  • Sucrose
  • Sugar (granulated)
  • Sweet Sorghum
  • Syrup
  • Treacle
  • Turbinado sugar
  • Yellow sugar