Added sugars

Added sugars and solid fats are considered empty calories.

These refined sugars or added sugars are sugars and syrups that are added to foods or beverages when they are processed or prepared and are often high glycemic leading to insulin resistance, weight gain and metabolic syndrome.

This does not include naturally occurring sugars such as those in milk and fruits as they are not considered processed or added.

Examples of added sugars
The major food and beverage sources of added sugars for Americans are:


 * donuts
 * regular soft drinks, energy drinks, and sports drinks
 * candy
 * cakes
 * cookies
 * pies and cobblers
 * sweet rolls, pastries, and donuts
 * fruit drinks, such as fruit punch
 * dairy desserts, such as ice cream

Read the label
Reading the food label or list of ingredient label on processed foods can help to identify added sugars.

Names for added sugars on food labels

 * soda
 * anhydrous dextrose
 * brown sugar
 * confectioner's powdered sugar
 * corn syrup
 * corn syrup solids
 * dextrose
 * fructose
 * high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS)
 * honey
 * invert sugar
 * lactose
 * malt syrup
 * maltose
 * maple syrup
 * molasses
 * nectars (e.g., peach nectar, pear nectar)
 * pancake syrup
 * raw sugar
 * sucrose
 * sugar
 * white granulated sugar

Other names for added sugars
Some other names include cane juice, evaporated corn sweetener, fruit juice concentrate, crystal dextrose, glucose, liquid fructose, sugar cane juice, and fruit nectar.

Also see
 * empty calories
 * insulin resistance
 * metabolic syndrome
 * weight gain