In the past, people with diabetes were told to avoid sugar as a way to control diabetes. And even today, you may hear someone you know tell you the same information. But the truth is, research has shown that people with diabetes can enjoy sugar and sugar-containing foods, in the context of a balanced diet. This section demystifies sugars.
- Sugars
- Sugar Alcohols
- Artificial Sweeteners
Contrary to popular opinion, people with diabetes can eat sugars and still meet their blood sugar goals. Research shows that the total amount of carbohydrate you eat has the biggest effect on your blood sugar level. So how does sugar fit in the picture?
Sugar is found in:
- Table sugar
- Brown sugar
- Molasses
- Honey
- Powdered sugar
- Cane sugar
- Raw sugar
- Agave nectar
- Syrups, like corn syrup and maple syrup
- Other names of sugar you might read are glucose, fructose, dextrose, maltose and sucrose
Sugar, like all carbohydrates, contains food energy. Every gram of carbohydrate has about 4 calories.
One teaspoon of sugar has about 5 grams of carbohydrate, and 20 calories. One tablespoon of sugar has about 15 grams of carbohydrate, and 60 calories. So it may be no surprise that sugar and sugar-containing foods still have an impact on your blood sugar and body weight, just like other carbohydrate foods.
Can I include sugar in my meal plan?
You can occasionally eat sugar and sugar-containing foods. Just like other carbohydrate foods, count the grams of carbohydrates in your sweets, and be sure to stay within your carbohydrate budget for the meal or snack. Sweets or desserts will need to replace another carbohydrate choice in order to meet your blood sugar and body weight goals. Because sugar-containing foods may also be high in calories and fat, aim for small portions of sweets.
How do I read food labels for sugar?
When you read food labels, the grams of sugar are already included in the total carbohydrate amount, so you do not need to count this sugar amount separately. The grams of sugar listed include both natural sugars, from fruit or milk, and added sugars. To learn more about label reading, view our Nutrition Facts Label example.
A word on treating a low blood sugar (Hypoglycemia)
Simple sugars are easy to digest, and can raise blood glucose levels quickly if eaten alone. That’s why these are the types of sugars suggested for treating hypoglycemia, or low blood sugar. But when sugar is mixed with fat, digestion is delayed. Foods that contain nuts, peanut butter, or fat such as chocolate, candy bars, ice cream or cookies don’t raise the blood sugar quickly enough. So if you have a low blood sugar, stick with fat-free sugar choices like jelly beans, fruit juice, or glucose tablets. Learn more about hypoglycemia.
View our printer-friendly Guide to Sweeteners.
Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohols are a type of reduced calorie sweetener and may be found in products that are labeled “sugar-free” or “no sugar added.” This can include sugar-free candies, desserts, and energy bars. But don’t be fooled – sugar alcohols are still a form of carbohydrate, and they still affect your blood sugar levels.
Examples of sugar alcohols include:
- Sorbitol
- Xylitol
- Mannitol
- Isomalt
- Maltitol
- Lactitol
- Hydrogenated Starch Hydrolysates
Here’s what you need to know:
Because sugar alcohols are harder for the body to digest, the effect on blood sugar levels is less than sugar. Sugar alcohols have about half the amount of calories compared with sugar and other types of carbohydrates. When counting carbohydrates for products made with sugar alcohols, subtract half of the grams of sugar alcohol listed on the food label from the total grams of carbohydrate.
Remember that because sugar alcohols are harder for your body to digest, eating too many sugar alcohols may cause digestive complaints like gas, cramping and diarrhea. So while it is safe to eat products with sugar alcohols, it is best to limit the amount.
Now let’s practice counting carbohydrates using the sample food label shown here:
- Locate the total carbohydrate in one serving. You will see that the total carbohydrate is 29 grams.
- The amount of sugar alcohol is 18 grams per serving.
- Calculate half the grams of sugar alcohol (18 grams of sugar alcohol divided by 2 equals 9 grams).
- Subtract only half of the grams of sugar alcohol from the total carbohydrate Count this product as 20 grams of carbohydrate (29 grams total carbohydrate minus 9 grams sugar alcohol equals 20 grams of carbohydrate).
View a printer-friendly Guide to Sweeteners.
Self-assessment Quiz
Self assessment quizzes are available for topics covered in this website. To find out how much you have learned about Understanding Carbohydrates, take our self assessment quiz when you have completed this section. The quiz is multiple choice. Please choose the single best answer to each question. At the end of the quiz, your score will display. If your score is over 70% correct, you are doing very well. If your score is less than 70%, you can return to this section and review the information.
- Recommended limits
- Added sugar vs. natural sugar
- How to reduce intake
- Summary
The average person in the United States consumes around 17 teaspoons, or 71.14 grams, of added sugar per day, which far exceeds recommended limits.
A gram (g) of sugar contains about 4 calories, which means that many people consume almost 270 calories a day from added sugar alone.
People sometimes describe calories from sugar as “empty calories” because they do not provide any nutrients.
Eating too much sugar can increase a person’s risk of many health problems, including weight gain, obesity, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, heart disease, liver disease, and tooth decay.
In this article, we look at the recommended sugar limits for different types of people and provide information on how to reduce the intake of sugar.
Discretionary calories are those that are left over once a person has met their daily nutritional needs.
A person who has consumed calories from high-nutrient foods throughout the day can use up this extra calorie allowance on treats, such as sugary or fatty foods.
The American Heart Association (AHA) recommend that sugary foods comprise no more than half of a person’s daily discretionary calorie allowance.
This allowance differs for men, women, and children.
Men
According to AHA guidelines, most men should consume no more than 150 discretionary calories of sugar per day. This is equivalent to 38 g or 9 teaspoons (tsp) of sugar.
Women
Women should use no more than 100 discretionary calories on sugar per day. This is around 25 g or 6 tsp of sugar.
Children
Children between the ages of 2 and 18 should consume no more than 25 g, or 6 tsp, of added sugar daily.
People with diabetes
Diabetes makes it difficult for the body to use glucose effectively. Since the body converts both naturally occurring and added sugars into glucose, people with diabetes must monitor their overall sugar intake.
But some foods affect blood glucose levels more than others, depending on their glycemic index (GI). Foods with a higher GI raise blood glucose more than foods with a lower GI.
A person with diabetes should regularly check their blood glucose level to ensure that it is within a safe range. This range will vary slightly from person to person.
Avoiding added sugars and focusing on consuming the right amounts of fiber and nutrient-dense carbohydrates from whole foods can help stabilize blood sugar levels.
Share on PinterestHoney and maple syrup are examples of natural sugars manufacturers add to foods.
Certain whole foods contain naturally occurring sugars.
For example, fruits and some vegetables contain the sugar fructose, and milk contains a sugar called lactose. These foods also contain nutrients and may be sources of dietary fiber.
Added sugars are sugars or caloric sweeteners that manufacturers put in foods or drinks.
Added sugars can be natural or chemically manufactured. A type of sugar can be “natural” (i.e. unprocessed) without being “naturally occurring.”
Examples of natural sugars that manufacturers add to provide sweetness include honey, maple syrup, and coconut sugar.
Even fructose and lactose qualify as added sugars in many processed foods.
Examples of added sugars to look for on food labels include:
- refined white sugar
- brown sugar
- raw sugar
- invert sugar
- malt sugar
- coconut sugar
- molasses
- syrup
- maple syrup
- corn syrup
- high-fructose corn syrup
- corn sweetener
- honey
- fruit juice concentrates
- sugar molecules ending in “ose,” such as fructose, glucose, dextrose, lactose, maltose, and sucrose
People can reduce their intake of added sugar by:
Avoiding liquid sugar
Share on PinterestJuices and smoothies can be high in sugar
Liquid sugar is in soft drinks and juices. The body digests it more quickly than the sugar in foods, and as a result, liquid sugar causes a greater spike in blood glucose levels.
If a person drinks sugary liquids on a regular basis, the repeated spikes in blood glucose can overload the pancreas and liver, causing health problems.
Sodas tend to contain the highest amounts of liquid sugar. A 12-ounce can of soda contains about 8 tsp of sugar, or 130 empty calories.
The following drinks may also contain liquid sugar:
- fruit juices and smoothies
- high-energy drinks or sports drinks
- chocolate or flavored milk
Avoiding packaged foods
Research suggests that about 75 percent of packaged foods in supermarkets contain added sweeteners.
Examples of packaged foods that may contain added sugar include:
- candies and chocolate
- desserts
- breakfast bars
- breakfast cereals
- yogurt
- savory snacks
- sauces and salad dressings
- milk and soy beverages
- canned, frozen, and dried fruit
Swapping added sugars for natural alternatives
The following tips can help a person replace the added sugar in their diet with more healthful alternatives:
- Try adding mint leaves, cucumber, berries, or citrus fruit to plain or sparkling water.
- Swap sweets and desserts for fruit, but avoid canned fruit in syrup.
- Prepare homemade sauces and salad dressings.
- Replace store-bought granola and snack mixes with homemade varieties that include unsweetened dried fruits and non-frosted wholegrain cereals.
- When cooking or baking, use unsweetened applesauce or mashed bananas instead of sugar.
- Stop using sugar in tea and coffee or reduce the amount.
- Use herbs and spices instead of sauces that contain added sugar.
Trying sugar alternatives
Non-nutritive sweeteners (NNSs) contain few or no calories.
Researchers have investigated whether replacing sugary foods and drinks with sugar-free options containing NNSs may help people consume fewer calories and maintain a healthy weight. They have reached differing conclusions.
The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) have approved the following NNSs for use in food:
- acesulfame K, such as Sweet One
- advantame
- aspartame, such as NutraSweet and Equal
- neotame
- saccharin, such as Sweet’N Low
- sucralose, such as Splenda
Stevia is another type of NNS that the FDA consider to be “generally recognized as safe.” This means that experts agree that recommended amounts are safe to use.
It is best to limit the intake of NNSs and pay attention to overall calories consumed per day, as NNSs can lead to cravings and overeating.
Emerging research suggests that artificial sweeteners may have negative effects on metabolism, gut health, and cravings, but confirming these findings will require more research.
The average person in the U.S. consumes an excessive amount of added sugar, and experts have linked high sugar consumption to a range of diseases.
People can reduce their health risks by cutting down on the amount of added sugar in their diet. This may require a person to carefully check food and drink labels for different forms of sugar.
People can also gain more control over their sugar intake by preparing homemade meals and snacks using fresh, whole produce.
Last medically reviewed on March 12, 2019
- Nutrition / Diet
- Obesity / Weight Loss / Fitness