Written By: Gloria Tsang, RD
Title: Founding Registered Dietitian
Alumni: University of British Columbia
Last Updated on:
Sugar 101 for Diabetes – How to Spot Hidden Sugar
For people with diabetes, avoiding sugar is the most common dietary concern. However, some people may be too strict in their sugar avoidance. In fact, sugars and sweetened foods can be eaten by those with diabetes – as long as they are only eaten in moderation.
Table of Contents
How much Sugar?
Health authorities and experts suggest that most people with diabetes can consume up to 10% of their daily energy requirements as items with added sugars without causing harmful effects on blood sugar or the blood cholesterol profile. For an average adult consuming 2,000 calories daily, that means no more than 32 g or about 8 teaspoons of sugar per day. Speak to your dietitian about how to fit sweetened foods into your diet.
How to spot Sugar on food labels
Sugar might be “hiding” on the food labels you’re reading. All of the following terms indicate added sugar, so read carefully!
- white sugar
- brown sugar
- icing sugar
- invert sugar
- corn syrup
- high fructose corn syrup
- maple syrup
- honey
- molasses
- brown rice syrup
- cane juice
- evaporated cane juice
- all fruit juice concentrates, including apple and pear
- all “ose” including Dextrose, Fructose, Lactose, Glucose, Maltose and Sucrose
The Bottom Line
Contrary to popular myths, there is really no advantage to people with diabetes in using one type of sugar over another. “Natural” forms of sugar are metabolized the same way in the body as refined sugar and they all provide the same amount of calories, i.e. 4 calories per gram. The key is to focus on the amount of sugar you consume, instead of the type of sugar on the ingredient list.
Alumni: University of British Columbia – Gloria Tsang is the author of 6 books and the founder of HealthCastle.com, the largest online nutrition network run by registered dietitians. Her work has appeared in major national publications, and she is a regularly featured nutrition expert for media outlets across the country. The Huffington Post named her one of its Top 20 Nutrition Experts on Twitter. Gloria’s articles have appeared on various media such as Reuters, NBC & ABC affiliates, The Chicago Sun-Times, Reader’s Digest Canada, iVillage and USA Today.
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