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62 sneaky ingredients mislead sugar alternative names labelling

62 sneaky ingredients out to mislead you

It’s common knowledge that sugar is to be avoided, but if only it were that simple. Did you now there are at least 62 words food manufacturers can use, instead of simply saying sugar?

Many of the words on the list, such as Golden syrup and HFCS may be obvious no-no’s, but what about less common words, such as Ethyl maltol and Panocha. Would you immediately know that these ingredients were essentially sugar?

Agave nectar
Barbados sugar
Barley malt/ Barley malt syrup
Beet sugar
Brown sugar
Buttered syrup
Cane juice/ Cane juice crystals
Cane sugar
Caramel
Carob syrup
Castor sugar
Coconut palm sugar/ Coconut sugar
Confectioner’s sugar
Corn sweetener
Corn syrup/ Corn syrup solids

62 sneaky ingredients mislead sugar alternative names labelling
Date sugar
Dehydrated cane juice
Demerara sugar
Dextrin
Dextrose
Diastatic malt
Diatase
Ethyl maltol
Evaporated cane juice
Free Flowing Brown Sugars
Fructose
Fruit juice/ Fruit juice concentrate
Galactose
Glucose/ Glucose solids
Golden sugar
Golden syrup
Grape sugar
HFCS (High Fructose Corn Syrup)
Honey
Icing sugar
Invert sugar
Lactose
Malt/ Malt syrup
Maltodextrin
Maltol
Maltose
Mannitol
Mannose
Maple syrup
Molasses
Muscovado
Palm sugar
Panocha
Powdered sugar
Raw sugar
Refiner’s syrup
Rice syrup
Saccharose
Sorbitol
Sorghum Syrup
Sucrose
Sugar (granulated)
Sweet Sorghum
Syrup
Treacle
Turbinado sugar
Yellow sugar

Whilst clearly it’s best to go for natural foods that don’t need labels, I can’t ever imagine a day where packaged foods aren’t commonplace. So surely those who buy them should be armed with full, honest information about the contents of these products, so they can make an informed decision?

It’s a shame manufacturers are allowed to be so misleading. Wouldn’t it be simpler if they perhaps had to use the word sugar, and follow that with the specific type of sugar? I can imagine many time-poor households trying to make good food choices – despite their best intentions, they can easily end up buying sugar laden foods.

Sugar can be a really confusing topic, especially when even healthy blogs use natural sugars in recipes (I put my hands up to this too, though in my recipes the natural sugar tends to be an optional addition). But are natural sugars actually any better for you – I’ve written the definitive guide to paleo sweeteners to help clear this up.

What’s your take on these sneaky misleading alternative words for sugar?

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The Definitive Guide to Paleo Sweeteners sugar stevia healthy agave-min

The Definitive Guide to Paleo Sweeteners

Whenever I write about sugar, I get a lot of spam comments trying to advertise brands of “natural, healthy” sweeteners that, apparently, are simply bursting with healthiness. I’m also constantly aware of people choosing artificial sweeteners to avoid sugar; as well as people choosing “natural” sweeteners over artificial, or just regular sugar.

So what is the difference between all of these types and brands of sweeteners? Are there really new natural sweeteners out there, or is it just clever marketing of an existing product, with a new brand name?

The Definitive Guide to Paleo Sweeteners sugar stevia healthy agave-min

 

Natural Sweeteners

A natural sweetener, by definition is one that is unprocessed, and naturally occurring in nature – in the same state (or requiring minimal processing that you could do yourself). A lot of sweeteners sold as natural, actually require a lot of refining and processing to get to the state they reach us in – far from natural.

Stevia

One of the most talked about sweeteners, Stevia is actually a herb. It has a natural sweet taste, but no actual sugar molecules. The green leaf Stevia plant is therefore a great alternative to sugar. Unfortunately, far more readily available than the green leaf versions, is the white powdered form of Stevia (i.e. branded as Natvia, Truvia or Sun Crystals). This is very processed, and definitely one to be avoided.

Honey

Raw Honey is a great natural sweetener. Using a local honey is even supposed to reduce hayfever. Whilst honey is natural (and in fact the only sweetener I use), it still produces an insulin effect and is definitely best suited for occasional use – as are all forms of sweeteners.

Maple Syrup, traditionally made Agave Nectar (Miel de Agave), Sorghum Syrup, Coconut Sugar, Palm Sugar, Molasses, Date Sugar, Cane Sugar, Fruit Juice, Muscovado and Sucanat are also natural sugars – but, again, no sweetener is the healthier choice, even if they are natural! Incidentally you might have seen Brown Rice Syrup in you health food shop – and whilst it too is “natural”, it contains malt and is therefore a source of gluten!

Not So Natural?

Agave Nectar is another one that seems to be thought of as another supremely healthy product. Agave is natural, in that it comes from the juice of the agave plant. It has a low glycemic profile, which means less of an insulin spike. However, this is because Agave nectar contains only 10% glucose – which means the other 90% is fructose, which comes with all sorts of health issues and is definitely to be avoided. Not only should Agave be avoided for its high fructose concentration, but it also contains saponins; toxins that have less than desirable effects on the body. Agave Nectar is produced in a not too dissimilar way to High Fructose Corn Syrup – yet at least HFCS is seldom marketed as a healthy sweetener.

Turbinado Sugar and Sugar Alcohols (i.e. xylitol and erythritol) are also not natural; but often sold with impressive health claims.

Artificial Sweeteners

The chemical sweeteners really are a no brainer. Recognised as toxins in the body – and in many cases not established enough for us to really understand their impact, I can’t see any reason why anyone would want to consume these. There is also a lot of research into the insulin response, with many suggesting that the sweet taste, even in the absence of sugar, is enough to trigger an insulin response.

Artificial sweeteners include Aspartame (sold as NutraSweet or Equal), Saccharin (Sweet n Low), Sucralose (Splenda), Acesulfame-K (Sunette or Sweet One), Sorbitol, Mannitol and Tagatose.

Sweeteners – Are They Paleo?

Whilst the natural sweeteners are without doubt less harmful than their chemical or processed alternatives, they still aren’t “Paleo”. As an occasional treat Raw Honey is the only sweetener I would suggest.

Ultimately, it’s best to give up the need for constant sweetness. Since doing so, I’ve found my taste buds have changed and I no longer crave sweet things like I used to. Try giving up sugar; after a few weeks you’ll be glad you did!

Have you given up sugar? If not, what types of sweeteners do you use?