Sugar, where have you been hiding?

Fabio has set himself the goal of eating only one dessert a day and giving up sweet drinks completely. Convinced and conscious, he reaches for a ready-made salad, a slice of pizza and a Greek yoghurt nature for lunch. But even if these products don't taste sweet in the first place and the lunch is supposedly sugar-free, Fabio still consumes sugar without realising it. Sugar is added to the salad dressing, the pizza and the yoghurt.

Sugar content in convenience products often mistakenly appears moderate

It is therefore worth looking at the list of ingredients for any product. Unfortunately, analysing the list is not always easy, as sugar goes by many names. Sugar can also be listed as dextrin, dextrose, thick juice, fruit sweetener, glucose syrup, barley malt or malt extract. The portion information on various packages is also confusing. These are usually very tightly calculated, making the sugar content appear moderate. In reality, people usually eat more than the stated portion size, which in turn leads to too much sugar being consumed. Fructose is not healthier. It's no secret that too much sugar is bad for your teeth and your weight.

Fructose is no healthier than white sugar

Our body, especially our brain, is dependent on energy in the form of sugar. Unfortunately, the more sugar we eat, the smarter we become. Sweets give the brain its favourite food very quickly, and if it gets it often, it wants more and more. Today, science assumes that the brain can become downright addicted to sweets. It then plagues us with sweet cravings and ravenous hunger attacks. Our household sugar consists of half dextrose (glucose) and half fruit sugar (fructose).

Glucose or dextrose enters the bloodstream during digestion and causes blood sugar levels to rise quickly. This rapid availability of energy is particularly important during sporting activities. Fructose puts sugar in a better light because the word «fruit» is used. However, fructose is no healthier than white sugar. On the contrary: fructose is metabolised by the liver. If more fructose arrives there than can be metabolised, the excess is converted into fat. In contrast to glucose, fructose has hardly any satiating effect.

Industrially produced fructose is problematic

Certain studies provide evidence that fructose even stimulates the appetite. Naturally occurring fructose from fruit and vegetables is unproblematic in moderate quantities. Industrially produced fructose and fructose syrup, which are increasingly used in sweet drinks, sweets and convenience products, are problematic.

Sweet is popular and sells better

It is noticeable that it is mainly convenience products that are hidden sugar traps. Sugar is primarily used as a sweetener. And sweet is popular and sells better. Sugar also serves as a flavour carrier and preservative. Finished products must have a long shelf life and still taste like something despite this long shelf life, which is why sugar is used. Sugar is also very cheap and gives products the necessary volume.

Convenience products are not bad or high in sugar per se, but a look at the list of ingredients is always worthwhile and exciting at the same time. Cooking and baking yourself takes time and creativity. It's easy to reach for convenience products and the choice is huge. Convenience products can also be found in my kitchen from time to time and I really appreciate the large selection of tasty foods, especially after a hard day's work. Nevertheless, I prefer to cook with fresh ingredients and like to decide for myself whether and how much sugar I need.

To help you cook without spending too much time, it's worth cooking larger portions and freezing them so that you always have an «emergency menu» to hand if you're short on time or don't feel like cooking. Demonising sugar and banning it completely from the kitchen is an extreme solution and not easy to implement. Rather, it is important to consciously manage sugar and to rethink sugar consumption from time to time.