What is sugar and is it toxic?

Fructose is a sugar found in honey and many fruits and vegetables. Sugar or sucrose, is composed of both glucose and fructose in equal proportions.

Like any sugar, fructose provides the same energy content - 17 kilojoules/gram (or 4 calories/gram).

Clinical trials show that fructose is not toxic when consumed as part of a weight maintaining diet. In fact, a moderate (rather than a low) fructose diet has been shown to be more effective for weight loss among obese individual. When consumed in normal doses, fructose may in fact assist with weight loss in certain individuals.

These studies, along with many others, demonstrates that weight management is dependent on energy balance - the amount of energy or kilojoules consumed through foods and drinks and the amount of energy expended through activity and everyday movement - a view which is supported by the Dietitians Association of Australia.

Are naturally occuring sugars better for you?

The human body cannot tell the difference between sugars which are found naturally in foods, like those in milk, fruit and vegetables, and those sugars which are added to foods during processing. All sugars, regardless of their source, are carbohydrates and provide the same amount of energy.

Is raw sugar better for you than white?

Raw sugar contains some molasses which provides a subtle honey-like taste and caramel aroma. It can be useful for cooking and baking as it improves the flavour and colour of the end result. White sugar contains no molasses. Regardless, all sugars provide 17 kilojoules of energy per gram.

What is high fructose corn syrup?

High fructose corn syrup is sweetener derived from corn. It is used in food processing in the US and is not commonly used in Australia. Despite the name, high fructose corn syrup is usually not high in fructose, and is actually similar to sucrose (table sugar). For example 100g of sucrose is made up of 50g fructose and 50g glucose. High fructose corn syrup is usually made up of 55g fructose and 45g glucose.

Does sugar stimulate your appetite?

Your appetite is controlled by a variety of signals including smell, taste, eating and drinking habits, and hormonal and digestive indicators in the stomach. Much research has been carried out on how different types of foods and nutrients control appetite. Whether sugars have a particular role to play in appetite stimulation is still unclear.

What about hidden sugars?

The Nutrition Information Panel required by law on food packaging provides information on the nutritional content of a product, including ‘Total Carbohydrates’ and ‘Total Sugars’ - this is the combined amount of both naturally occurring and added sugars including sucrose both on a per 100 gram and per serving basis.

Manufacturers are also required to list all food ingredients on packs in descending order. Hence if sugar as sucrose is added as an ingredient it will be listed on the pack.

Is honey, maple syrup, Agave Nectar or molasses better for you than sugar?

Fructose is a sugar found in honey and many fruits and vegetables. Sugar or sucrose, is composed of both glucose and fructose in equal proportions.

Are ‘reduced sugar’ and ‘no added sugar’ products better for you?

Foods that have a ‘reduced sugar’ or ‘no added sugar’ label are not necessarily beneficial. There are a variety of ingredients that can replace sugars in food and drinks however these options often involve use of additives and additional ingredients. Also if sugars are replaced with starch, there is usually no benefit in terms of total energy content of the product, since both sugars and starches contain 17 kilojoules of energy per gram. It is therefore best to check the overall kilojoule content of the product and compare to a ‘regular’ version if available.

For example, the table below looks at the change in nutrition information from ‘regular’ or ‘added sugar’ yoghurt and muesli to ‘no added sugar’ versions commonly found in the supermarket.

For the yoghurt, the ‘no added sugar’ version has less total sugars, as expected. The overall energy content is also reduced although the saving is only 18 kilojoules per serving. This may be because fruit juice concentrate was used to make the yoghurt sweet. Although less is needed to achieve the same taste as adding sugar, it still contributes to the kilojoule content of the product.

For the muesli, it is surprising that the ‘no added sugar’ version has more total sugars, more fat and more kilojoules per serving than the ‘regular’ version. In this case, instead of adding sugar, dried fruit was used to make the muesli sweet, which still contributes to the total sugars, fat and energy content of the product.