By Connie Bennett

            Most people, I daresay, fall into the trap of not knowing that sugar goes by more than 100 names. What’s more, we just don’t know all those confusing terms. So if you're trying to cut out or cut back on caloric sweeteners (which most of us call “sugar”) to improve your moods and health, you need to become a “Savvy Sugar Sleuth” to identify sugar’s many disguises.

First and foremost, when reading food labels, you should watch out for more than just the obvious sucrose, dextrose and maltose—or other words ending with an “ose.” Rather than give you all 100-plus names for sugar, here are the most popular sweeteners used to foods today. FYI, bear in mind that I’m talking about artificial sweeteners, and given some of the recent research, I’m not a fan of them either.

High fructose corn syrup (most popular)
Sucrose (from cane or beet)
Brown sugar
Corn syrup
Invert sugar
Dextrose (refined corn sugar)
   Fruit juice concentrates (concentrated
   fruit juice)
Raw sugar
Maltodextrin*
Turbinado sugar
Crystalline fructose (not the same as fruit
    sugar or levulose and not metabolized as
    such

Molasses
Maple syrup
Sugar alcohols or polyols ++
Honey
Rice syrup
High maltose corn syrup
Barley malt syrup
Powdered sugar
Cane juice (evaporated sugar cane)++++
Inulin syrup***
Chicory syrup***
Tapioca syrup
 

* Please note that both maltodextrin and sugar alcohols or polyols are not technically sugars. Maltrodextrin is derived from the corn wet refining process and metabolized rapidly in the body.

++ Sugar alcohols or polyols (sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol or hydrogenated starch hydrolysate, lactitol, xylitol and glycerol/glycerin, d-tagatose, isomalt, polydextrose, and erythritol) aren’t sugars or artificial sweeteners. The name “sugar alcohols” comes from the fact that their structure resembles sugar, and they’re chemically similar to alcohol. They’re typically genetically modified from corn or wheat. Experts say that sugar alcohols can cause stomach cramps, bloating, diarrhea, and anal leakage, because our bodies poorly absorb them. In large quantities, they’re non-GRAS (Generally Recognized As Safe) and some research shows that they can cause cancer.

***Inulin syrup and chicory syrup are non-FDA approved terms (non GRAS and non-CFR compliant) for high fructose syrup. (CFR means Code of Federal Regulations.)

++++Cane juice or evaporated sugar cane are non-FDA approved terms for sugar.

Adapted from Sugar Shock! (Berkley Books) by Connie Bennett, with some additions.