Sugars are simple carbohydrates, which are in many foods. A balanced diet emphasizes nutrient-dense foods, and your diet might have room for some sweet treats. If you have a medical condition, such as diabetes, which interferes with your ability to metabolize sugar properly, talk to your doctor about which foods to include in your daily meal plan.
Background on Sugars
Sugars contribute 4 calories per gram, but they do not contribute essential nutrients. The average American gets more than 350 calories per day from sugars, or about two to three times the recommended amounts, according to the Mayo Clinic. Too much sugar can lead to obesity, tooth decay and high triglycerides in your blood, causing an increased risk for heart disease. A good approach to a healthy diet is to choose nutritious foods with healthy carbohydrates, such as dietary fiber.
Types of Sugars
Some kinds of sugars are naturally present in foods. For example, fructose is in fruits, vegetables and honey, and lactose is the sugar in milk. Added sugars include refined white sugar, brown sugar, molasses, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup and dextrose. Manufacturers add sugars to foods to increase their sweetness, or to improve qualities such as texture, color or shelf life. Whether they are added or natural, all sugars add calories without nutrients to your diet.
Main Sources
The main sources of added sugars in the typical American diet are sugar-sweetened beverages, baked goods, candies and dairy desserts, such as ice cream, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. These foods are low in nutrients, and they can be high in calories or saturated fat. Fruits, which get most of their calories from the natural sugar fructose, can be high in dietary fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C and minerals such as potassium. Dairy foods such as milk, cheese and yogurt, which are mostly sweetened by the natural sugar lactose, contain calcium and high-quality protein.
Potential Benefits
Added sugars can be beneficial if they encourage you to eat healthy foods by making them palatable, according to the 2010 Dietary Guidelines from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Children, especially, might benefit from sugar-sweetened chocolate milk, flavored yogurt or whole-grain cereal, if the alternative is to refuse eating these nutritious foods. Fruits or sweet foods such as candy can be the best immediate treatment for hypoglycemia, or dangerously low levels of blood sugar.
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