| Understanding the difference between natural sugars in foods like fruits and vegetables and added sugars in many processed and packaged foods is important. Along with the vitamins and minerals in fruit and vegetables, the fiber they contain helps to break the natural sugars down more slowly and keeps you full for longer. Of course, a little natural energy boost doesn’t hurt, either. So what about minimally processed, natural sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, and agave? These are often touted as significantly better than processed white sugar, which in some aspects is true due to a bit of nutrients. However, even natural sweeteners are treated the same as white sugar by your body when broken down, so in the end, it will have a very similar impact. What is best to avoid, if possible, are the non-natural, added sugars in many packaged products such as high fructose corn syrup. Remember to look at nutrition labels for sneaky hidden sugars in items like bread and sweetened dairy. Added sugar can masquerade as other items, such as brown rice syrup, evaporated cane juice, molasses, or anything that ends in “ose.” |
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