The Multiple Names of Sugar

Food manufacturers have gotten smarter with the food nutrition facts on the new food labels. Gone are the days when you would see straight “sugar” listed on every sweet tasting ingredient label. Manufacturers are required to place the highest quantity ingredients at the beginning of the list. But, sugar by any other name is still sweet. It’s time to look at the other names for sugar and where you might find them.
The table below lists those 57 names for sugar.
    Sugar Name                       What’s it in?                                               Why you should avoid it

Agave Nectar cereals, ice cream, organic foods You’ll use less because it’s sweeter, but its sugar is more concentrated than even high-fructose corn syrup, meaning there won’t be any difference health-wise.
Barley Malt malt beers like Samuel Adams, cereals, candy bars This grain-based sugar is half as sweet as white sugar, but it’s just as high on the glycemic index (a measure of how much a food spikes your blood sugar).
Beet Sugar more than 20% of the world’s sugar A vast majority of beet sugar is genetically modified, something that goes unlabeled.
Blackstrap Molasses baked beans, gingerbread While unsulfured blackstrap is high in antioxidants and nutrients such as iron, folate and calcium, the sulfured kind is higher in empty calories and sulfur dioxide content. The problem is that you can’t tell the difference by just looking at the label.
Brown Rice Syrup (also known as rice syrup or rice malt) rice milk, cereal bars, organic foods Rice is a major reason why inorganic arsenic is likely being introduced into our diets, and brown rice syrup is no better. According to the US FDA, long-term exposure to arsenic is associated with higher rates of certain types of cancer
Brown Sugar baked goods, beverages, sauces Don’t let the color fool you – brown sugar is just as sweet and bad for you. The only difference is the taste.
Buttered Sugar cookies, icing, frosting Buttercream is made by mixing butter with powdered sugar, combining the fat, calorie and cholesterol content of butter with all the dangers of sugar.
Cane Juice Crystals yogurt, cake, cookies, baked goods Cane juice crystals are often posed as healthy alternatives to white sugar. This is fool’s gold as it still contains all of the harmful properties of regular table sugar.
Cane Juice used as a beverage, in liquor (cachaça) This common beverage found throughout the world is extremely high in sugar content as well as calories. It is often developed in rural areas of countries with less stringent health regulations and has a high risk of bacterial contamination.
Cane Sugar 80% of the world’s sugar A vast majority of sugar from across the world is manufactured from sugar canes, the world’s largest crop. Studies have repeatedly shown cane sugar’s ability to drastically raise blood pressure and cholesterol, and to contribute to insulin resistance.
Caramel sodas, dessert and candies Caramel is made by simply heating up various sugars through the process of caramelization. It’s high in carbs and calories. It’s common candy form has 8 grams of carbs for every 10 grams of candy.
Carob Syrup cakes, cookies and used as a substitute for chocolate When processed into carob syrup, the beneficial proteins and nutrients found in the carob fruit are removed. You are left with just empty calories.
Caster Sugar baking products and mixed drinks This sugar is just table sugar that is finely granulated.
Coconut Sugar diabetic sweeteners and diabetic alternative foods Coconut sugar is not as harmful as many other types. It actually ranks lower on the glycemic index than other sugars. It also contains nutrients like potassium, magnesium and iron. It is still high in calories.
Corn Sweetener liquid sweeteners, frozen foods, cough syrups and antacids A large majority of corn in the US is genetically modified. It’s not listed on the food labels and its health effects are largely untested.
Corn Syrup sodas, fast foods and cookies The lesser of two evils is still something to fear. Not as bad as high fructose corn syrup, but 1 teaspoon contains 16 grams (64 calories) of carbs.
Corn Syrup Solids coffee creamers and dry beverage mixes Mostly composed of a sugar called dextrose. Just as dangerous as corn syrup solids. Share the same detrimental health effects as fructose.
Crystalline Fructose ice cream, baked goods and used as a fruit flavoring Essentially pure fructose. Linked to high levels of fats in our bloods and fatty liver disease.
Date Sugar baked good and cookies Made from chopped-up dates. The sugar is less processed than other typres but remains high in sugar content. There are 5 grams of sugar in every 7 grams of dates.
Demara Sugar muffins, cakes and used as a sweetener in tea and coffee Has more nutrients than table sugar. Its trace amounts of proteins and vitamins are so insignificant that they don’t appear on USDA food labels.
Dextran used as a food additive This complex sugar is produced in our bodies when we break down starches. As a food additive, it often contains trace amounts of allergens such as wheat and corn.
Diastatic Malt baked goods, milk shakes, ice cream and flavored syrups It’s produced from barley and contains about two-thirds as many calories as table sugar.
Diatase barley, milk, plants and our saliva Diatase is the very first enzyme ever discovered. It helps our body process the sugar we eat by turning starch into maltose and then into glucose. This contributes to blood sugar spikes.
Ethyl Maltol breads, cakes and confectionary goods Highly pure compound used for flavoring due to its sweet scent. high sugar content is hazardous.
Evaporated Cane Juice baked goods, cereals and beverages This is not a juice, but rather a sweetener derived from sugar cane syrup. Trace nutrients and more concentrated.
Fructose baked goods, soft drinks, naturally occurring in fruits and honey Fructose consumption is strongly linked to rising obesity rates and research shows fructose is about 10% of our calorie consumption each day.
Fruit Juice Concentrates fruit juices and fruit-flavored yogurts The concentrate is made by removing the water from the juice. This also leaves out the pulp and nutrients normally found in naturally squeezed juice.
Galactose fast foods, vegetable products and dairy products Galactose is a naturally occurring suagr that can also drive up your blood pressure and contribute to diabetes.
Glucose fruits, honey, fast foods and baked goods Glucose is also known as grape sugar. Dextrose and glucose solids are other names. It has the ability to raise blood sugars levels and has been linked to high cholesterol levels, heart disease and obesity.
Golden Sugar cake, biscuits and meringues Better known as golden caster sugar and unrefined cane sugar. Unrefined sugars contain some of the nutrients usually processed out which makes them appear to be healthier. But it doesn’t mean that it’s healthier to consume.
Golden Syrup tarts, pancake toppings and desserts This British corn syrup alternative is no better than its counterpart. It’s composed almost entirely of sucrose, fructose and glucose
(three types of sugar).
High Fructose Corn Syrup fast foods, sodas, yogurts, canned foods, frozen pizzas, mac and cheese, cereal bars, breads – alright, you name it! We eat about 132 calories a day in high-fructose corn syrup. Our bodies metabolize fructose in a way that encourages body fat storage.
Honey baked goods, tea Honey’s sugar content is off the charts! So is the caloric value. One teaspoon has 64 calories. The pasteurization process removes some of its health benefits.
Invert Sugar candy, sodas, confectionery goods and baked goods It’s produced through animal enzyme modification, so stay away if you follow a vegan, vegetarian, kosher or halal diet.
Lactose milk, cheese and dairy products Also called milk sugar. Almost 75% of the world’s population is lactose intolerant. If you experience bloating or cramps frequently, try cutting out dairy to see if lactose intolerance is the cause.
Malt Syrup bread, pastries, diabetic alternative foods Malt syrups are extremely high in carbs and can drastically raise your blood sugar levels.
Maltodextrin beer, sodas, candies, processed foods and those cute yellow, blue and pink “artificial sweeteners.” Yes, those zero calorie packets actually contain 5 grams of sugar per serving size! Nutrients like protein have been processed out of this common food additive. It’s been found to be harmful to those with celiac disease and wheat and corn allergies since it’s derived from corn.
Maltose barley malt, beer, beverages and corn syrup This sugar is half as sweet as white sugar. This may lead you to load up on its empty calories.
Maple Syrup pancakes, waffles and breakfast foods Although less processed than other sugars, maple syrup is composed of mostly sucrose and contains minimal nutrients.
Molasses Syrup ginger bread, cookies, cakes and confectionery goods This sugar alternative is a good source of iron and calcium, but its laxative properties and possible allergic/asthma triggers due to high sulfur content makes this less desirable.
Muscovado Sugar used as a sweetener in tea and coffee; brown sugar replacement A sibling to other brown sugars (demerara and turbinado), it is less processed. It still contains 5 grams of carbs per teaspoon without any significant amounts of vitamins, minerals or proteins. Claims that this is a “natural” brown sugar are misleading.
Organic Raw Sugar used as a white sugar substitute Same as sugar 
Oat Syrup Granola bars, cereals, cookies, baked goods and ice cream Often mislabeled as “Organic Oat Syrup,” this product has several good qualities. It’s rich in antioxidants and has the ability to lower cholesterol when consumed in moderation. But it’s high in calories and sugar.
Panela baked goods, sodas, wine and vinegar This sugar variation from Latin America is made from evaporated sugar cane juice and it’s basically pure sugar.
Panocha cookies, desserts and fudge This product is a combination of brown sugar, butter and milk. It provides countless reasons to avoid it!
Confectioners’ Sugar cake decorations, icing, frosting and baked goods Notorious for raising blood sugar levels, powdered sugar contains 10% of your daily carbohydrate intake per ounce to go along with its 27 grams of sugar.
Rice Bran Syrup used as a dietary supplement This B-vitamin concentrate has 63 calories per teaspoon.
Rice Syrup pies, cookies, cakes, granola bars Rice syrup is relatively low on the glycemic index. It is, however, high in maltose (another “sugar” in disguise).
Sorghum cereal, cakes, muffins, beer, alcoholic beverages The good news: often contains high levels of dietary fiber. The bad news: each serving contains 163 calories and 36 grams of carbs!
Sorghum Syrup topping for biscuits, grits, pancakes and other breakfast foods “Sweet Sorghum” is completely devoid of any nutritional benefit.
Sucrose cookies, cakes, biscuits, pie and ice cream This far-too-familiar face has played a significant role in the growing instances of diabetes, obesity and heart disease.
Sugar in pretty much everything And you only thought sugar had one name! Sugar can raise your blood pressure and cholesterol levels and can contribute to diabetes, heart disease and obesity.
Syrup sodas, baked goods, breakfast foods, fast foods, candy All syrups share common traits: high sugar content, lots of calories, and minimal nutritional value. Some are better than others, but none are truly healthy.
Treacle tarts, merengues, desserts Golden syrup is but one of the syrups derived from treacle. Made from the remains of brown sugar production, treacle is high in sucrose, fructose and glucose, It has 146 calories per serving, yet NO nutrients whatsoever.
Tapioca Syrup fruit drinks, health bars, cereals This syrup is often used interchangeably with its maple counterpart as a healthy alternative. The difference is rather minute. Although it has less sugar than maple syrup, it contains the same amount of carbs and calories.
Turbinado Sugar baked goods, as a white/brown alternative Despite claims of its beneficial health effects, it’s processed and metabolized in our bodies the same way as white sugar.
Yellow Sugar marshmallow peeps, cookies, baked goods, yellow frosting The only difference between this, white sugar and brown sugar is the varying amount of molasses added in. It’s identical to white sugar.

Now what?

brown-sugar-mult-grain-cereal-nutrition You’re probably bored with the above list of 57 different names for sugar. But look at the food label on the right. This label contains several different names for sugar so that if you just read the ingredient list (and most of us do), you could easily think that there is less sugar in it than there really is. This is what the manufacturers want you to believe. You need to see how many calories from carbohydrates are actually in each serving size (not eating size).