Apr 8, 2023

 by Natalie Corradini

Have you ever heard someone say that they can’t eat a piece of fruit because it's “too much sugar”. While they are correct that fruits do contain sugar, they don’t understand the difference between natural sugar and added sugar. 

Added Sugar

Added sugars are sugars that, you guessed it, are added to foods. Fruit juices, soda, candy, and packed snacks are just a few of the places where added sugars can be found. Granulated sugar and high fructose corn syrup are just a few examples of types of sugars that can be added to foods. Added sugars are simple carbohydrates, meaning that the body can easily break down and digest them. This causes our blood sugar to rapidly spike shortly after eating and then crash soon after. This spike in blood sugar is commonly known as a sugar high. It is recommended to get less than 10% of your total calories from added sugars. 

Natural Sugar

Natural sugars come directly from plants. Foods that contain natural sugars are fruits and dairy products. Fruits and dairy products are part of a well balanced diet. 1.5-2 cups of fruit is recommended for the average adult. So what's the difference between natural sugar and added sugars? Natural sugars are more complex than added sugars, they take longer for your body to digest and do not spike your blood sugar. Instead of a sugar high from fruits, your blood sugar will be slightly elevated for a longer period of time, providing your body with longer lasting energy.  Fruits also contain vitamins and minerals that your body needs to function properly, an additional bonus to eating fruits.