Sugar 101: Understanding the Different Types of Sugars and Their Impact on Your Health
Believe it or not sugar is an essential source of energy for our cells. However, as you’re probably well aware, excessive intake of sugar can lead to health problems such as obesity, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and certain cancers. But are all sugars bad? It’s easy to get caught up in all the sugar or sweetener options out there. Therefore, it's important to understand the different types of sugars and their impact on our health.
We will try keeping this short and sweet. Pun intended.
Sugars are classified into two types: monosaccharides and disaccharides. Monosaccharides consist of one molecule and include glucose, fructose, and galactose. Disaccharides consist of two molecules and include sucrose, lactose, and maltose.
It's important to differentiate between added sugars and natural sugars. Sugary beverages, sweets, and grains are the most significant sources of added sugar in our diet. Consuming too much added sugar, particularly from beverages, has been associated with weight gain, type 2 diabetes, and cardiovascular disease. However, consuming natural sugars from fruits is not linked to negative health effects since the amount of sugar tends to be modest, as the sugar in fruit is packaged together with the fruit fibre and other healthful nutrients.
It's worth noting that some products may be labelled as "no sugar" but still contain sweeteners like erythritol, which can cause confusion for consumers. These sweeteners are still considered part of total sugars and can have similar effects on the body.
While many added sugars have varying ratios of glucose and fructose, they all contribute extra calories and are metabolized the same way in the body. So it's important to choose the right type of sugar depending on your needs. For example, if you have a sensitive tummy, rice malt syrup could be a great option since it's low in fructose.
To maintain good health, it's best to limit all sources of added sugar to within the recommended intake level. The Australian Dietary Guidelines recommend limiting intake of foods and drinks containing added sugars such as confectionary, sugar-sweetened soft drinks and cordials, fruit drinks, vitamin waters, energy and sports drinks and the World Health Organization suggests limiting added sugar to no more than 10% of daily calories. You can find sugar content displayed in the Nutritional Information Panel on all packaged products. Make sure you look at the sugar quantity per 100g AND the sugar quantity per serve of the product. This will give you a clear indication of exactly how much sugar you’re consuming.
At our company, we developed Truffles as a healthier alternative to mainstream sweets, which contain no more than approx. half a teaspoon of sugars per truffle/serve. They're a small treat to help curb cravings while also enjoying the benefits of plants with properties that can aid in relieving anxiety, improving mood, boosting focus, and promoting other positive health effects.
But regardless of our products or any others, being mindful of your sugar consumption allows you to be proactive in supporting your overall health. Let's stay informed about our choices of sugar, what works best for you, and ultimately limit the intake of sugars to enjoy a healthier lifestyle.