Did You Know the Hidden Sugar in Your Food Packets?

Nowadays we see that more and more people are becoming more aware and conscious about their food and health because of incremental rates of different diseases, environmental changes, lifestyle, eating habits, and of course social media on which much good content is available to make us more aware. But, wait we all feel in our life whenever we take extra care there is always some sneaky culprit that comes under our eye and harms us, it is none other than but a sweet position – Sugar. In this blog, we will see the mystery of hidden sugar in packed food and help you make informed decisions for a healthy lifestyle.

Hidden sugar is the sugar that is added to processed and ultra-processed food to enhance its texture, flavor, and shelf-life. It’s not like exists in only obvious sweet products like biscuits, ice cream, and chocolate but is also found in many healthily labeled products such as :

• Flavored yogurt
• Granola bars
• Breakfast cereals
• Sauces and dressings
• Energy drinks and fruit juices

The more shocking thing is sugar exists in salty, spicy, and unexpected food items like pasta, chips, baked beans, salad dressing, peanut butter, and bread. Manufacturers cleverly add sugar to enhance test and texture with other label names.

You may be wondering how sugar remains so well hidden. It comes down to the way it’s listed on food labels. Food manufacturers use multiple names for sugar, making it difficult for consumers to recognize. Some common aliases for sugar include:

• High-fructose corn syrup
• Dextrose
• Maltose
• Sucrose
• Barley malt
• Cane juice
• Fruit juice concentrate
• Molasses
• Agave nectar
• Raw sugar
• Brown sugar
• Corn sweetener
• Glucose

It’s most required to check the ingredients list closely. If you see any such names, sugar is lurking in the food, even if the product is labeled healthy.

Excessive sugar consumption is directly linked to various health issues like tooth cavities, obesity, diabetes, and heart disease. Hidden sugar often leads to these conditions because we don’t know that unknowingly we are consuming higher than the required amount of sugar which is slow white poison that slowly kills our organs. The American Heart Association recommends no more than:

• 25 grams (6 teaspoons) of sugar per day for women
• 36 grams (9 teaspoons) for men

However, many processed and ultra-processed foods consumption quickly cross the per day limits for example, one energy drink contains almost 40-70 gm of sugar, which is around double our daily consumption limit.

Here are some tips which can help you to manage hidden sugar:

• Read the Labels: Always check the first few ingredients from the list if sugar comes in the top 3-4 ingredients then try to avoid that product. Also, check different names of sugar.
• Choose Whole Foods: Choose natural forms of food like fruits, vegetables, and whole grains. They are unprocessed so they contain naturally low sugar.
• Go for Unsweetened Versions: Always opt for unsweetened food options like plain oats, plain yogurt, or milk, and add natural toppings to enhance the taste like fresh fruits, honey, cinnamon, jaggery, and many more.
• Make Your Own Sauces and Dressings: Mostly all ready-made sauces and dressings contain excessive sugar for a better taste and texture, so avoid using it and make homemade sauces as per your requirements and taste.
• Watch Portion Sizes: Even healthy foods like granola or fruit juices can be loaded with sugar. Keep an eye on portion sizes to avoid excess intake.

Overconsumption of sugar not only leads to obesity or diabetes but it affects our whole body from head to toe. Here let’s see how:

Stay alert about hidden sugars that can greatly impact your diet and health. Reducing hidden sugar from the diet can benefit the entire body—from the brain to the joints. While the occasional treat is fine, regularly consuming high levels of sugar can harm health in more ways than one. Regularly review the nutritional labels, and consider reducing processed foods to improve your lifestyle. A little effort goes a long way in steering clear of unnecessary sugar!