Sugar, by any other name would it taste as sweet?

There has been quite the surge over the past decade with a fight against sugar, I quit sugar, sugar-free, free from added sugars, but can we pause for a minute and consider what is sugar and what isn’t?  

Sugar, white or brown, is processed cane sugar, which we have used for centuries as a sweetener in baking or as an additive.

In recent times there have been adaptations of sugars, man made formulas that are just as sweet, but have less calories. These come in the form of such names as aspartame, sucralose and saccharin. Alternatively there are more “natural” sugars such as honey, coconut sugar, rice malt syrup.

But when it all comes down to it, are we splitting hairs and calling them all different names, when really they are sugars? Quite simply yes. Whilst there is a more detailed response that can argue the merits and benefits of the different types through their molecular structure, release over time, and levels of processing amongst other factors, any of these sugars are sugars.

There is also the increased desire for sweet foods that can arise from the gut-brain axis and the reward system in our brain feeling satisfied when we have sugar, as opposed to when we consume and artificial sweetener [1]. So in fact, whilst having a diet soft drink may seem better, you sometimes will crave more of this to get that hit, or the reward that you typically would have had if you had the full sugar variety. In addition our tolerance builds, so over time we need more and more to achieve that same sugar “high”.

In addition the long term benefits of some artificial sweeteners are still being researched in order to be better understood for their relationship with the gut microbiome [2]. As a result, some people who have gut issues should tread carefully on excessive consumption of these artificial sweeteners in order to reduce their possible symptoms.

So what does this mean for the average person?

Simply put, don’t buy into the jargon. Limit your sugars to a sensible range. The Australian guidelines recommend no more than 10% of your daily intake or 50g (10 teaspoons) per day, [3]. Just because something may say sugar-free, they may be hiding the sugars in a super sweet and dense fruit like a date, packing a “healthy treat” full of more sugar than a chocolate bar at the convenience store.

Everything comes back to moderation and being aware of what is in your foods. Understand what you are eating. Don’t avoid anything, but enjoy the sugar you have. Sometimes it may be better to have the cake than have the “healthy vegan treat”. If time permits, make your own bliss balls, batch cook and freeze sweet muffins, use whole foods like a ripe banana, honey or good old table sugar to make the cake as it should taste!

[1] https://doi.org/10.1007/s00018-020-03458-2

[2] https://doi.org/10.1007/s11894-017-0602-9

[3] https://www1.health.gov.au/internet/fr/publishing.nsf/Content/C6995F10A56B5D56CA2581EE00177CA8/$File/Policy%20Context%202017.pdf