White sugar, brown sugar, honey, artificial sweeteners, plant-based sugar substitutes… The options… endless!
White sugar, brown sugar, honey, artificial sweeteners, plant-based sugar substitutes… The options are endless for coffee, tea or yogurt. But which is the healthiest?
Is sugar healthy or not?
Sugar, its simplest form, glucose, isn’t bad for the body, says nutritionist Natalie Rizzo, who writes about nutrition for TODAY.
“The organism needs glucose to survive and develop. It gives our brain, muscles and organs the energy they need to perform their daily functions. In addition, glucose also provides energy for exercise,” he said.
That is, “sugar” is in every food containing carbohydrates, but this does not mean that all these foods are healthy.
For example, bananas, which are rich in natural sugars, contain nutrients like fiber and potassium, but soft drinks only add sugar.
According to the US Department of Agriculture, table sugar, honey, maple syrup and molasses are known as nutritive sweeteners, meaning they provide energy in the form of carbohydrates. Non-nutritive sweeteners, also known as sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners, contain very little carbohydrate or energy.
As a dietitian, Rizzo says she favors natural sugars in all foods, but limiting added sugar is important because it’s usually found in foods that don’t have much nutritional value.
Sugar is not inherently bad. Joanne Slavin, a nutritionist and professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota, adds that any concern is about the extra calories in the diet. “For healthy people,” he says, “I wouldn’t say (sugar) is bad. They’re necessary.”
What is the healthiest sweetener?
Using fruit or 100% natural fruit juice to sweeten foods or drinks, such as adding fresh strawberries to yogurt, bananas to oatmeal, or a little orange juice to sparkling water, is a healthy choice because fruit contains nutrients that are beneficial. to health.
When it comes to the healthiest sweetener for coffee or tea, the choice is largely a matter of preference, as the different options aren’t all that different, both nutritionists say.
Simply put, women should limit added sugar to six teaspoons per day and men to nine teaspoons per day, according to the American Heart Association.
Is honey healthier than sugar?
Experts say not really.
“If you look at the composition of honey, there may be some vitamins or minerals that might be better than processed sucrose,” Slavin says, adding that the same goes for maple syrup.
Rizzo notes that honey and maple syrup may be “slightly healthier” because of their micronutrients and phytonutrients, but he still wouldn’t consider them healthy or good sources of these nutrients in the recommended amount, which is about 1 tablespoon. .
The result
That’s why a little sugar in coffee or breakfast doesn’t hurt.
The point is not to overdo it.
Think about what else you’re eating throughout the day and whether you’re adding more sugar than you need, experts say.