Sugar in large quantities is very harmful to health, so we try to look for products with a minimum of sugar. But we do not always know that it can be disguised as part of it, which is what manufacturers do.
It's no secret that a lot of sugar is harmful to health - teeth deteriorate, the risk of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, and, of course, excess weight increases.
The daily intake of sugar is only 7 - 9 teaspoons. However, according to research, on average we eat all 15 per day. Why it happens? We’re sure you don’t sweeten most of the food either. The fact is that a lot of sugar is hidden in food. Many are even served as healthy and dietary.
We reveal all the tricks of manufacturers - how you can hide sugar so that buyers think that it is not there, or it is more useful.
1: Sugar is called by another name
Sugar is the generic name for short-chain carbohydrates that give food a sweet taste. However, it has many different shapes and names. Among the most famous are glucose, fructose and sucrose. Others are more difficult to identify as few know about them.
To avoid falling into the trap of the manufacturer, read the composition of the product.
These are the names behind common sugar:
- barley malt;
- beet sugar;
- Brown sugar;
- crystals of cane juice, evaporated cane juice;
- cane sugar;
- powdered sugar;
- coconut sugar;
- corn syrup;
- crystalline fructose;
- date sugar;
- dextran;
- malt powder;
- ethyl maltol;
- fruit juice concentrate;
- invert sugar;
- maltodextrin;
- maltose;
- palm sugar;
- raw sugar;
- rapadura (panel);
- confectionery sugar;
- syrups (they are made from a large amount of sugar dissolved in water).
2: Different types of sugar are used simultaneously
Sometimes manufacturers add not even one type of sugar, but several (3-4) - each of them is indicated under a different name, but in general, its amount becomes very large. The ingredients with the highest volume on the labels are usually listed first, sosometimes it seems to us that the product is more useful if the word "sugar" is written somewhere at the end. But this is just a visual trick.
3: Put sugar in unsweetened foods
Of course, logically, we understand that a chocolate or cake contains a lot of sugar, and products that do not belong to desserts, it seems, should not be. But this is not the case.Today, manufacturers add it to a wide variety of foods, such as sauces, yoghurts, and breakfast cereals.
Therefore, if you are monitoring the level of sugar consumed, be sure to read the label for the presence of it or its substitutes in all products.
4: Use "healthy" sugar
Food companies try to make some of their products harmless by replacing sugar with an alternative sweetener that is considered healthy. These unrefined sweeteners are usually made from sap, fruits, flowers, or plant seeds (such as agave syrups, birch, maple, cane or coconut sugar, honey ).
On the labels, the manufacturer immediately rushes to indicate: "Does not contain refined sugar."
These sugars appear to be healthier as some of them may have a slightly lower glycemic index than regular white sugar and even contain nutrients, but their levels are actually quite low. And sugar is still sugar. There is currently no evidence that swapping one form of sugar for another is healthier. especially if you eat too much in general anyway.
If you see these sweeteners in the composition, remember that this is still sugar, and you need to eat it in small quantities.
5: Combines added sugar with natural
Some foods, such as fruits, vegetables, and dairy foods, contain natural sugars. Unlike added sugars, they are usually not a health problem.
For example, Some fruits are high in natural sugars, but the fiber and antioxidants in them can help mitigate the rise in blood sugar. The fiber in fruits and vegetables is also quite filling, making them difficult to overeat.
Plus, whole foods contain many nutrients. For example, one cup of milk contains 3 teaspoons of sugar. But you also get 8 grams of protein and about 25% of your daily value for calcium and vitamin D.
A serving of sugary soda, on the other hand, contains nearly double the sugar and no other nutrients.
Labels usually don't differentiate between natural and added sugar, making it difficult to determine how much sugar is naturally found in food and how much is added.
However If you eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods, then most of the sugars you consume will be natural.
6: They write that the food is healthy
Manufacturers often portray foods as healthier by making them appear so when in reality they are full of added sugar.
You should not be pleased, but alerted by the inscriptions "natural", "healthy", "low-fat", "dietary" and "light". Yes, they may be really low in fat and calories, but they often contain as much sugar as in regular food.
Try to ignore such labels and just read the ingredients carefully.
7: Reduce serving size
Some foods include multiple mini-portions. And it seems that the sugar in the smaller portion is also less. But the catch is that it is not always possible to stop at one such portion, and in the end we eat more sugar than we planned.
8: Create sweeter versions of their products
Sometimes you already know that some of your favorite foods are low in sugar.
But manufacturers of the same brand can release a new version of them, in which more sugar is added (for example, this is often done with cereals ). And since you already trust the product, you don't check the label and take the new product calmly.
But still, if you saw a new package of your favorite product, you should read the composition carefully.
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