Over 34 million people have issues with diabetes according to the CDC. Sugar impacts the immune system, sleep, body fat, and energy levels. Sugar is in everything, our condiments to any packaged item used for flavor enhancing and preserving foods. In an effort to label things as "No Sugar" companies are using synthetic sugars or using natural sugars that also have fibers in them. Due to fiber slows down the way the body absorbs sugars, this is why it is a good idea to eat fruit as a whole not juiced. If something is sweet to the taste it has some form of sugar, even if it is labeled no sugar.
Most foods, even fruits, vegetables, and complex carbohydrates, your body is converting into a form of glucose. This glucose is either used for energy and body functions at the time or it is stored in muscles and liver. If muscles and liver are full of glucose then the body is turning it into fat and storing it on other organs which are bodyfat. When you have an abundance of sugar and it is being converted into fat, organs are being coated by this fat and eventually are being suffocated by this fat. Packaged tightly in subcutaneous fat/visceral fat, stresses organs and impacts how they can function. The pancreas is also being overloaded, needing to put out insulin for the cells to take the glucose in, cells are also being overloaded with glucose an abundance of glucose and will eventually become insulin resistant which ends up often in neuropathy.
In an effort to avoid sugar most move to foods that state they are "No sugar" we often move to fruit and veggies which still will be converted into sugar, but the amount you absorb will be lower due to fiber. Which has synthetic or we go to "natural" sugars and avoid plain white sugar. Going to natural sugar is better for you but the ultimate goal should be looking at how to reduce the sugar overall. Reducing your sugar intake is important and understanding what sugar is called in efforts to avoid it is important.
Sugars and the different forms can have some nutrition to them and some impact the glycemic aspects differently. Which can help with how our body responds to the sugar, and glycemic response. In the book, fat burn fix Dr. Cathrine Shanahan talks about the mere taste of sweetness causes insulin reaction. Good overall health has a lot to do with our insulin regulation so this is not something you want to be engaging all the time. Using natural sweeteners is better nutritionally, but the overall goal is to look at how we can lower the constant blast of sugar. I believe the constant blast of sugar is part of what sets us up for bad eating habits. Sugars, salts, and spices are ways that bring an abundance of flavor to our foods. We often push away from healthy foods cause they do not have this flavorful taste not to mention the abundance of sugars that feeds out "bad" bacteria in our gut. These bacteria help us digest and speak to our brain pushing us towards or away from certain foods. Limiting sugar and bringing in fermented foods we open this door to healthy food tasting good again.
There may be a time you need to avoid sugar as much as possible and then there will be a time when it is managed you will have it in healthy amounts. When it comes to sugars using the least refined least processed sugar is the best way to go. Sugars that have that some nutrients to them are Stevia, raw cane sugar, and Honey. But again sugar is sugar you do not want in an abundance of it.
We have synthetic sugars, which can have even more of a negative impact on the body. These often are in drinks and foods that state no sugar. Here is a list of sugars you should avoid.
ACESULFAME POTASSIUM ACK Ace K Equal Spoonful (also +aspartame) Sweet One Sunett
ASPARTAME APM AminoSweet (but not in US) Aspartyl-phenylalanine-1-methyl ester Canderel (not in US) Equal Classic NatraTaste Blue NutraSweet
ASPARTAME-ACESULFAME SALT TwinSweet (Europe only)
CYCLAMATE Not in US as per FDA Calcium cyclamate Cologran = cyclamate and saccharin; not in US Sucaryl
ERYTHRITOL Sugar alcohol Zerose ZSweet
GLYCEROL Glycerin Glycerine
GLYCYRRHIZIN Licorice
HYDROGENATED STARCH HYDROLYSATE (HSH) Sugar alcohol
ISOMALT Sugar alcohol ClearCut Isomalt Decomalt DiabetiSweet (also contains Acesulfame-K) Hydrogenated Isomaltulose Isomaltitol
LACTITOL Sugar alcohol
MALTITOL Sugar alcohol Maltitol Syrup Maltitol Powder Hydrogenated High Maltose Content Glucose Syrup Hydrogenated Maltose Lesys MaltiSweet (hard to find online to buy) SweetPearl
MANNITOL Sugar alcohol
NEOTAME
POLYDEXTROSE Sugar alcohol (Derived from glucose and sorbitol)
SACCHARIN Acid saccharin Equal Saccharin Necta Sweet Sodium Saccharin Sweet N Low Sweet Twin
SORBITOL Sugar alcohol D-glucitol D-glucitol syrup
SUCRALOSE 1',4,6'-Trichlorogalactosucrose Trichlorosucrose Equal Sucralose NatraTaste Gold Splenda
TAGATOSE Natrulose
XYLITOL Sugar alcohol Smart Sweet Xylipure Xylosweet