From seductive sweetness to white poison? Is sugar really unhealthy, or is it completely harmless to our bodies when enjoyed in moderation? With this article, I want to draw your attention to a more conscious approach to sugar and provide you with all the useful facts about it.
Why sugar can be harmful
Sugar is part of our bodies in the form of blood sugar. Sugar is also found in natural foods, such as fruit, vegetables, or grains. These forms of sugar generally do not pose a problem.
However, when it comes to added sugars such as table sugar or glucose syrup, it is worth taking a closer look at quantities and ingredients. How much blood sugar rises after a meal depends on various factors, such as the type and amount of carbohydrates and the overall composition of the meal. Sugary foods can cause blood sugar levels to rise. How large this increase is depends, among other things, on the quantity, the food, and the composition of the entire meal. High consumption of free sugars increases the risk of cavities in particular and can contribute to weight gain if energy intake remains consistently too high.
The Glycemic Index (GI)
How quickly and by how much blood sugar rises after eating a food is measured using a specific parameter: the glycemic index. The glycemic index describes how quickly carbohydrate-containing foods raise blood sugar levels compared to glucose.
Pure glucose has the highest GI of 100. White bread, for example, is rated 70 to 85, and cola is rated 70. Whole-grain products have a GI of 40, while legumes and most fruits and vegetables are even lower.
Foods with a lower glycemic index generally cause blood sugar to rise more slowly than foods with a high GI. However, the glycemic index alone is not enough to assess a food nutritionally. Portion size, fiber content, processing, and combination with other foods also play a role.
Different foods can affect blood sugar levels differently. What matters are not only individual types of sugar, but also, among other things, the composition, quantity, and combination of the foods consumed.
With natural sugar in fruit or grains, you also consume accompanying substances such as vitamins, minerals, and fiber. Unlike fruit or whole-grain products, isolated and refined sugars do not provide comparable amounts of fiber and other natural components of the original food.
What makes a sugar healthy?
Sugar occurs naturally, for example, in fruit and dairy products, and can also be added to foods. For nutritional assessment, therefore, not only the type of sugar is decisive, but also the overall composition of the food and the total amount consumed.
Health problems and risks
Highly processed foods and added sugars play a significantly greater role today than they did in the past. That is why it is worth consciously keeping an eye on quantities and ingredients.
Highly sugary and ultra-processed foods often provide only small amounts of fiber and micronutrients, depending on the product. However, the overall diet is decisive for nutrient supply. If we were to eat a sugar beet whole, for example, we would consume not only carbohydrates but also fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Nature has combined everything in fruit that serves a balanced nutrient supply.
Unfortunately, table sugar & co. no longer contain any nutrients. Refined table sugar provides mainly carbohydrates and contains no significant amounts of fiber or micronutrients. However, this does not mean that the body generally uses up its vitamin or mineral reserves when processing it.
A very one-sided diet can make it difficult to ensure an adequate supply of individual nutrients. However, whether a vitamin or mineral deficiency actually develops depends on the overall diet and other individual factors. And here we can put sugar, white flour, and white rice in the same boat. Due to the intensive processing, all of them have lost almost all their nutrient diversity.
What health consequences a specific nutrient deficiency can have depends on the nutrient affected, the severity, and the duration of the deficiency, and cannot be generalized.
Tips for switching to a low-sugar diet:
- Pay attention to the sugar content of drinks and choose low-sugar alternatives. Kombuchery, for example, contains 2.3 g of sugar per 100 ml.
- Start the day with a sugar-free breakfast.
- Eat plenty of fresh, raw foods with as many bitter substances as possible.
- Wild herbs can add extra variety to the menu with their different aromas and plant compounds.
- Prefer valuable carbohydrate-rich foods such as sprouts, nuts, or sweet potatoes.
- Eat as few ready-made products as possible.
- Read the ingredient lists of foods and also identify hidden sugars.
- Resort to alternative sweeteners.
- Get into the habit of chewing thoroughly.
Labeling of sugar
Reading the ingredient lists while shopping is sometimes not so easy – sugar hides behind many names, especially behind all kinds of sugar syrups. Syrup is cheap, sweetens even more intensely due to its usually higher fructose content, and has now crept into almost all ready-made foods.
Sugar can bear the following labels:
| Sugar | Sugar syrup | Alternative sweeteners |
|---|---|---|
|
Brown sugar Dextrose Fructose Jam sugar Barley malt extract Invert sugar Rock sugar Caramel sugar Lactose Maltose Malt sugar Milk sugar Cane sugar Sucrose Grape sugar Vanilla sugar White sugar |
Fructose syrup Glucose-fructose syrup Glucose syrup High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) Isoglucose Caramel syrup Corn syrup Molasses Starch syrup |
Agave nectar Date syrup Fruit concentrates Fruit juice concentrates Honey Coconut blossom sugar Palm sugar Stevia Grape fruit sweetener |
Pay attention!
When reviewing ingredient lists, it can be easy to misjudge the sugar content and the sweeteners used.
- Sugar hides behind names that do not directly suggest sugar, such as dextrose or isoglucose.
- Listing sweetening ingredients multiple times causes them to move further down the ingredient list, but in total, they add up to enormous amounts of sugar.
- Products labeled "unsweetened," such as rice milk, still contain 7.2 g of sugar per 100 ml.
- Products such as pizza, vegetarian spreads, and many more contain various added sugars.
Overview of sugar alternatives
Agave syrup
Agave syrup is obtained from agave and then filtered and thickened, among other things. It consists mainly of fructose and glucose and has a comparatively high fructose content. Agave syrup is therefore also considered one of the sugar-rich sweeteners and should be regarded as a sugar source accordingly.
Caution: A high fructose content can also have negative effects. Fructose is metabolized predominantly in the liver. Agave syrup therefore remains a concentrated sugar source despite its high fructose content and should be considered accordingly, like other sweeteners.
Maple syrup
Maple syrup is the boiled-down sap of the Canadian maple tree. About one liter of syrup is produced from approximately 40 liters of sap. It tastes slightly of caramel and contains around 67 percent sugar, 1:1 glucose and fructose, as well as small amounts of minerals such as potassium, iron, and magnesium. Maple syrup consists predominantly of sugar and also contains small amounts of various minerals and other plant components. The composition and sweetness vary depending on the product; maple syrup should also be considered a sugar source.
Apple nectar
Apple nectar is also known as apple sweetener. During production, apples are pressed into juice and steamed. Apple nectar is a regional sweetener, tastes slightly tart, and a little bit like apples. Depending on the production method and temperature, minerals and secondary plant compounds are preserved. It should be noted that nectars have a fructose content of around 60%.
Date syrup
Date syrup is made from dates and consists largely of various types of sugar. Depending on the production method, it may also contain small amounts of minerals and other date components.
Date paste can be very easily made at home and contains – unlike a highly filtered syrup – also components of the whole fruit.
Recipe:
Soak 200 g of dates in water for at least 2 hours. Then blend into a puree and, if desired, season with cinnamon, vanilla, or cardamom. The amount of water determines how thick the paste will be. It keeps well for about a week in the refrigerator when sealed in a screw-top jar.
Honey
Just like sugar, honey consists of glucose and fructose, but also contains the minerals potassium, magnesium, calcium, B vitamins, vitamin C, and additionally enzymes. It is recommended to buy cold-pressed honey from a local beekeeper. Honey is traditionally used as a sweetener and differs significantly in taste, origin, and composition depending on the variety.
Coconut blossom sugar
This is the thickened, crystallized blossom sap of coconut palms. Like regular sugar, it is sucrose, composed of one part glucose and one part fructose. Coconut blossom sugar, like table sugar, consists predominantly of sugar and should therefore also be used consciously and in appropriate amounts. In addition to minerals such as iron, magnesium, zinc, and potassium, it also contains the fiber inulin. It tastes slightly caramel-like and is not quite as sweet as table sugar.
Rice syrup
Rice syrup is made from rice or rice flour and consists predominantly of glucose and carbohydrates derived from it, but contains almost no fructose. Nevertheless, it remains a sugar-rich sweetener and should be included in the overall sugar intake accordingly. Rice syrup also contains some minerals such as potassium, iron, and magnesium, and tastes slightly malty and nutty. Its sweetness is only half as high as that of table sugar.
Stevia
Stevia, also known as sweet herb, is a plant with intense sweetness and a licorice-like taste. About 20% of the green leaves consist of the sweetening substances stevioside and rebaudioside A, which are 300 to 400 times as sweet as sugar. However, intensive processing is required to extract the sweetening substances. Steviol glycosides provide a very high sweetness and are therefore only used in small quantities. The properties and ingredients of finished stevia products vary depending on the manufacturer and form.
Yacon syrup
Yacon syrup has a caramel-like sweetness similar to maple syrup. It is made from the tuber of the yacon plant, which is related to the topinambur. Like topinambur tubers, yacon tubers contain plenty of water-soluble fiber. In addition to inulin, yacon tubers also contain fructooligosaccharides (FOS). Fructooligosaccharides belong to the indigestible carbohydrates and can be fermented by certain microorganisms in the gut.
Yacon syrup is often offered as an alternative to classic sweeteners due to its composition. It contains fructooligosaccharides, among other things. However, its composition and sugar content should still be considered in the diet, as with other sweeteners. It should be noted that consuming yacon syrup can lead to digestive discomfort in the form of diarrhea or bloating in sensitive people.
Erythritol
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol with about 70 percent of the sweetness of table sugar. The substance also occurs naturally in small amounts in various foods and is produced industrially for use as a sweetener.
Erythritol provides practically no usable carbohydrates and therefore has only a very small effect on blood sugar levels. However, sugar alcohols can cause gastrointestinal discomfort in larger quantities. Taste and tolerance vary individually.
*from "How Not to Die" by Dr. Michael Greger
Conclusion
The sweeteners presented differ in taste, composition, and sweetness. A blanket classification as "healthier" than table sugar is therefore not possible. Alternative sweeteners should also be used consciously and in appropriate amounts.
Which sweeteners you use is ultimately a matter of taste, recipe, and personal diet. What remains decisive is the total amount of sugar or sweeteners consumed.
Sugar plays an important role in kombucha fermentation and is partially metabolized by the microorganisms involved. Kombuchery contains 2.3 g of sugar per 100 ml, and thus 50% less sugar than conventional soft drinks. Our Raw Kombucha remains unpasteurized and contains millions of active cultures as well as vitamin C from acerola.*
In addition, I recommend new taste experiences with fresh fruit and vegetables, combined with plenty of leafy greens and wild herbs, to initiate a gentle change in taste.
Good luck and good health!
Sugar: The most important at a glance
- The total amount of sugar and the overall diet are more important than whether a sweetener is considered "natural".
- The glycemic index can provide clues about the blood sugar course, but does not fully reflect the effect of a meal.
- Honey, syrups, and many alternative sweeteners also provide sugar and should be considered in the total intake.
- A look at the ingredient list and nutritional table helps to identify sugar sources in processed foods.
- Those who want to consume less sugar can gradually sweeten less and choose water or unsweetened drinks more often.
Frequently asked questions about sugar and sugar alternatives
Is sugar fundamentally unhealthy?
Sugar is not fundamentally toxic. What matters are the amount consumed, the rest of the diet, and the individual state of health. High consumption of free sugars can, among other things, increase the risk of cavities and promote weight gain if energy intake remains consistently too high.
Is natural sugar healthier than table sugar?
That depends on the food. Fruit, for example, contains not only naturally occurring sugar but also water, fiber, and other nutrients. Honey and syrups, on the other hand, consist predominantly of sugar and are not automatically a nutritionally better alternative to table sugar.
What sugar alternatives are there?
Common alternatives include honey, maple syrup, agave syrup, date syrup, rice syrup, stevia, and erythritol. They differ in sweetness, composition, and tolerance. Not every alternative reduces sugar intake: Many syrups still contain significant amounts of sugar.
How do I identify hidden sugar in foods?
Check the ingredient list for labels such as glucose syrup, dextrose, fructose syrup, sucrose, or maltose. The nutritional table also provides information about the total sugar content. Ingredients are generally listed in descending order of their weight.
How much sugar does Kombuchery contain?
According to the nutritional information provided, Kombuchery contains 2.3 g of sugar per 100 ml. For a beverage, it is worth looking at the serving size and the other nutritional values in addition to the sugar content.
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