Low Refined Sugar Diet

A low refined sugar diet includes little refined, granulated sugar---the kind most people put in their coffee, on their breakfast cereal and into homemade baked goods---and other sugars that, through processing, offer little nutrition. A low refined sugar diet may include the sugars in fruits and vegetables.

Types of Refined Sugar

Refined sugars include granulated sugar and four other types: powdered sugar, used in frostings and sweet sauces that require smooth textures; brown sugar, a blend of granulated sugar and molasses; sanding sugar, a course type of granulated sugar that you might find on the tops of some muffins and decorated cookies; and caster sugar, which you'll find in beverages and meringues because it is a super-fine sugar that dissolves easily. Both refined sugar and raw sugar originate from sugar cane, but raw sugar undergoes less processing.

Raw Sugar No Better

Raw sugar contains about the same amount of calories as refined white sugar, and both cause similar spikes in blood sugar levels. Registered dietitian Cathy Nonas, director of the New York City Health Department's Physical Activity and Nutrition Programs, told John Stossel of ABC News, "People are very susceptible to marketing. And just because something is natural doesn't mean it's particularly healthy for you," she said.

The American Dietetic Association calls for very restricted use of refined and raw sugars. The ADA says sugars in complex carbohydrates, such as brown rice, whole-grain bread and high-fiber cereals are healthy. Most fruits are also compatible with a sugar-restricted diet, although acidic fruits such as green apples, oranges, strawberries and grapefruit are better choices than watermelon and bananas, according to the ADA.

Guidelines for Diabetics

The ADA makes no distinctions between refined and raw sugar and advises following a varied diet that low in refined carbohydrates, which includes sugar, white bread, white rice and commercial baked goods. Such foods cause rapid elevations in blood sugar levels, which forces the pancreas to work overtime to correct the imbalance. When the pancreas is continuously overworked because of sugar consumption, a person can develop Type 2 diabetes. The ADA also recommends eating frequent meals and eating about the same amount at each meal to help maintain or lower blood sugar levels.

Guidelines for Healthy Adults

For persons who do not have diabetes, small amounts of sugar---refined or raw---are not harmful. The Mayo Clinic Diet permits 75 calories per day from sweets of any kind and recommends that other dietary sugars come from fruits, vegetables and whole-grain carbohydrates. The United States Department of Agriculture, somewhat more lenient, suggests that healthy adults may include up to three servings of refined carbohydrates in their daily diets if they also include three servings of complex carbohydrates, three servings of vegetables, three servings of fruit, two to three servings of dairy foods and six ounces of protein in their diets.

Balancing Food Intake

Sugar is sugar in your body, and it's best to restrict all kinds, says Leslie Beck, a Canadian nutritionist. Substituting raw sugar or molasses for granulated sugar does not fit a low refined sugar diet. Beck says the effects of refined sugar and refined carbohydrates can be somewhat offset by pairing them with foods that have a neutral or lowering effect on blood sugar. Instead of eating mashed potatoes, biscuits and cake at the same meal, for example, pair a baked potato--a food known to elevate blood sugar--with broccoli, a skinless chicken breast and a bowl of fresh strawberries, you will keep your blood sugar within a healthy range, Beck says.