How Many Names For Sugar Can You Identify?

Sugar or sucrose goes by many different names, 60 to be exact!! This makes it very difficult to figure out how much sugar a food or liquid actually contains. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the American Heart Association (AHA) recommend that for optimal health we restrict our added “free sugar” intake to just 25 grams or six teaspoons a day.

Sugars naturally occurring in fruits, vegetables, and dairy are not counted, but sugars removed from their original source and added to foods are where we need to be concerned. You will need to be a detective and read all labels carefully.

Here are just a few of the less obvious terms: corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, agave nectar/syrup, beet sugar, molasses, cane juice, fruit juice, honey, barley malt, brown rice syrup, corn sweetener, dextran, ethyl maltol, galactose, lactose, malt syrup, maltodextrin, maltose, panela, panocha, sorghum, treacle, and tapioca syrup.