A list of the names corporations use to sneak sugar into your food

Illustrations by Lara Intong | Photo by Patrick Fore/Unsplash

We live in a generation where every other person is either diagnosed with diabetes or is slowly getting there. You’ve probably experienced, at least once in your life, someone telling you to cut back on sugar.

We’re all aware of its health risks, so it’s no surprise that everyone is going to tell you to avoid it. But, it’s not as easy as looking at the back of a candy bar to look for the word ‘sugar.’ More and more food companies are coming up with different names for sugar that you won’t even recognize they’re sugar.

Added sugar is sugar that doesn’t naturally occur or are added during the creation process. While these sweeteners usually bring out the worst in you, some of them are a little better than others. If have to use sugar, go natural. In comparison, it isn’t as processed as much, so it still retains some nutritional value. Examples are agave, coconut sugar, date sugar, maple syrup, honey, and molasses. While these are a little better, it’s still best to avoid artificial sweeteners and opt for naturally sweet food like fruits.

If you’re going to be scanning the food aisle for added sugar, watch out for these names on the nutritional label. Note that even if you only see the word sugar once does not mean there’s only one kind in there.