Hidden Sugars Impacting Our Health and Longevity

Sweeteners – they make our mornings a bit brighter, our desserts a bit tastier, and, unfortunately, our understanding of our diet a bit murkier.

When we think of sugar, we often picture the common granulated table sugar that we add to our coffee or sprinkle on our cereal. However, sugar can take many forms and appear under a host of different names on food labels. In fact, according to the University of California, San Francisco, there are at least 61 different names for sugar listed on food labels.¹ UCSF SugarScience. Hidden in Plain Sight Source

In light of these revelations, it becomes crucial to familiarize ourselves with the common actors playing out on our food labels. Just as a soldier wouldn’t step onto a battlefield without recognizing their adversary, we shouldn’t navigate our nutritional choices without knowing what we’re up against.

In our next section, we’ll arm you with that vital knowledge. We’ll detail some of the most common sweeteners – both artificial and natural – their aliases, and their potential effects on our health and longevity.

Some sweeteners include familiar ones like fructose (sugar derived from fruit) and sucrose (table sugar). However, many others are less recognizable. High fructose corn syrup, dextrose, maltose, and glucose are all forms of sugar. Honey, molasses, and syrup also count as added sugars, as do agave nectar and cane sugar. Even ingredients that sound healthy, like fruit juice concentrate, are just another form of sugar.

On our journey to healthier eating, let’s take a closer look at the sweeteners often found in our everyday foods and drinks. Despite their sweet appeal, some of these could carry hidden health risks, reminding us of the importance of understanding what’s really in our meals.

Artificial Sweeteners:

1. Sucralose. Known commercially as Splenda, it’s frequently used in ‘sugar-free’ and ‘no sugar added’ products. The recent revelations regarding its impurity, sucralose-6-acetate, underscore the importance of caution with this sweetener.³Schiffman SS, Scholl EH, Furey TS, Nagle HT. Toxicological and pharmacokinetic properties of sucralose-6-acetate and its parent sucralose: in vitro screening assays. J Toxicol Environ Health B Crit Rev. 2023 May 29:1-35. doi: 10.1080/10937404.2023.2213903. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 37246822. PubMed Source
2. Aspartame. Often found in diet drinks, aspartame goes by names like NutraSweet and Equal. Despite FDA approval, some studies link aspartame to headaches, depression, and increased cancer risk.⁴ Humphries, P et al. “Direct and indirect cellular effects of aspartame on the brain.” European journal of clinical nutrition vol. 62,4 (2008): 451-62. doi:10.1038/sj.ejcn.1602866 PubMed Source ⁵Yang, Qing. “Gain weight by “going diet?” Artificial sweeteners and the neurobiology of sugar cravings: Neuroscience 2010.” The Yale journal of biology and medicine vol. 83,2 (2010): 101-8. PubMed Source ⁶ Landrigan, Philip J, and Kurt Straif. “Aspartame and cancer – new evidence for causation.” Environmental health : a global access science source vol. 20,1 42. 12 Apr. 2021, doi:10.1186/s12940-021-00725-y PubMed Source
3. Acesulfame potassium. Also known as acesulfame K or Ace K, it’s used in a variety of foods and drinks. Some studies suggest potential links to changes in brain function and metabolic disorders.⁷ Ibi, Daisuke et al. “Effect of AceK (acesulfame potassium) on brain function under dietary restriction in mice.” Physiology & behavior vol. 188 (2018): 291-297. doi:10.1016/j.physbeh.2018.02.024 PubMed Source⁸ Hanawa, Yoshinori et al. “Acesulfame potassium induces dysbiosis and intestinal injury with enhanced lymphocyte migration to intestinal mucosa.” Journal of gastroenterology and hepatology vol. 36,11 (2021): 3140-3148. doi:10.1111/jgh.15654 PubMed Source

Natural Sweeteners:

1. Fructose. Found naturally in fruits and honey, but also a main component of high fructose corn syrup. While fructose from whole fruits is part of a healthy diet, its processed form can contribute to obesity and diabetes.⁹ Lustig, Robert H. “Fructose: it’s “alcohol without the buzz”.” Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) vol. 4,2 226-35. 1 Mar. 2013, doi:10.3945/an.112.002998 PubMed Source ¹⁰Bocarsly, Miriam E et al. “High-fructose corn syrup causes characteristics of obesity in rats: increased body weight, body fat and triglyceride levels.” Pharmacology, biochemistry, and behavior vol. 97,1 (2010): 101-6. doi:10.1016/j.pbb.2010.02.012 PubMed Source
2. Stevia. A plant-based sweetener often used as a ‘natural’ sugar substitute. While generally safe, overconsumption may lead to gastrointestinal discomfort.¹¹ Ruiz-Ojeda, Francisco Javier et al. “Effects of Sweeteners on the Gut Microbiota: A Review of Experimental Studies and Clinical Trials.” Advances in nutrition (Bethesda, Md.) vol. 10,suppl_1 (2019): S31-S48. doi:10.1093/advances/nmy037 PubMed Source
3. Agave nectar. Although marketed as natural, it’s highly processed and contains high levels of fructose, posing similar health concerns as high fructose corn syrup. Agave syrup has gained popularity due to its low glycemic index, meaning it doesn’t cause a sudden surge in blood glucose levels post-consumption. Even though fructose might not immediately spike your blood sugar levels, excessive consumption could lead to insulin resistance over time. This can result in sustained increases in blood sugar and insulin levels, significantly boosting the risk of conditions like metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. ¹²Alternative sugars: Agave nectar. Br Dent J 223, 241 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1038/sj.bdj.2017.697 Source

But, why does the food industry use so many different names for sugar? The simple answer is that by using different types of sugar, manufacturers can list them separately on the ingredients list.

Regulations imposed by the FDA mandate that food labels should list ingredients according to their weight. If manufacturers were to depend solely on cane sugar or corn syrup for their sweetening needs, these familiar sugars would invariably feature among the top three ingredients. This level of transparency might dissuade potential consumers, particularly those conscious of their health and parents considering their children’s dietary intake.

So, rather than using 100 grams of cane sugar, for instance, they might opt to use 10 grams each of ten different types of sugar. This strategy keeps the individual weights of each sugar variety low, subsequently pushing them lower down on the ingredient list.

A high intake of added sugars, including those hidden under aliases, has been associated with an increased risk of a variety of health issues, such as obesity, heart disease, cancer, and type 2 diabetes.¹³ Paglia, L. “The sweet danger of added sugars.” European journal of paediatric dentistry vol. 20,2 (2019): 89. doi:10.23804/ejpd.2019.20.02.01 PubMed Source These conditions can significantly impact our longevity and quality of life.

Artificial sweeteners, though often marketed as a healthier alternative, have their own set of concerns. Recent research has linked them to altered gut microbiota, metabolic disorders, and increased risk for type 2 diabetes.¹⁴ Suez, Jotham et al. “Personalized microbiome-driven effects of non-nutritive sweeteners on human glucose tolerance.” Cell vol. 185,18 (2022): 3307-3328.e19. doi:10.1016/j.cell.2022.07.016 PubMed Source

Understanding food labels is crucial to spotting these hidden sweeteners. Be aware of terms like “corn syrup,” “maltose,” “sucrose,” or words ending in “-ose,” which indicate sugars. For artificial sweeteners, look out for names such as aspartame, saccharin, or anything ending with “-tol“.