The type of sugar you should use depends on what you are using the sugar for. Some types of sugars can be used interchangeably, while others can only be used for certain purposes, or only with adjustments to other ingredients in recipes. In some cases you can use sugar substitutes if you want to save on calories.
Types
Some sugars are naturally present in foods, such as fructose in fruit, while others are added to foods. Naturally occurring sugars are better for you than added sugars, which you should limit, according to the Mayo Clinic. The different types of sugars you might find in stores or listed on food labels include white or table sugar, brown sugar, molasses, honey, corn syrup, raw sugar, powdered or confectioners' sugar, concentrated fruit juice, invert sugar, turbinado sugar, sucrose, glucose, fructose, maltose, lactose and high fructose corn syrup.
Health Effects
When it comes to nutrition, all of these sugars are basically equal. Molasses and brown sugar have small amounts of additional nutrients compared to white sugar, but not enough to make a difference in your diet. Some people think that raw sugar is better because it is less processed, but it has the same effect on health. Consuming too much sugar can increase your risk for diabetes, obesity, dental problems and heart disease.
Considerations
Artificial sweeteners include saccharine, aspartame, sucralose, stevia and acesulfame-potassium. Although they are marketed as having no calories, in fact sucralose has 2 calories per teaspoon and aspartame has 13 calories per teaspoon. This is still a lot less than the calories in sugar. However, most of these options either are not heat-stable, meaning you can't use them for baking, and they tend to leave an aftertaste. They also only provide sweetness, and not the other properties sugars provide in baking, such as browning, adding bulk and balancing flavors.
Recommendations
Reduce your overall sugar intake by reading labels and choosing products with less added sugar, especially if they are not products you would normally consider as being sweet, recommends Dr. David L. Katz on Oprah.com. The American Heart Association recommends that women limit added sugar to approximately 6 teaspoons per day and men limit added sugar to approximately 9 teaspoons per day. Added sugar is commonly found in foods with little nutritional value, and high-sugar foods also tend to be high in fat. Limit foods that don't provide you with other nutrients, such as the fiber, vitamins and minerals that come with the sugar in fruit.
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