No Sugar Added

Written by Lynn Roblin, M.Sc. RD

Products labelled "no sugar added" or "unsweetened" have no sugar added but may contain naturally occurring sugar. This information is meant to point out that no sugars have been added as an ingredient when processing or producing that particular product.

The terms "no sugar added", "unsweetened" or "not sweetened" are terms that the Canadian government has approved for use on food labels. These terms are meant to help consumers who want or need to limit or manage their sugar intake. To see how much sugar is in a food look at the Nutrition Facts table.

Many foods contain natural sugars. For example fruit and vegetables contain the sugars sucrose, fructose and glucose. Milk contains a sugar called lactose. Sugar, maple syrup, and molasses contain sucrose. Honey and high-fructose corn syrup contain the sugars glucose and fructose. People who need to manage their sugar intake for health reasons also need to look at the natural sugars in foods.

Even though sugars come in many forms, they are all carbohydrates, one of the body's main energy sources. All carbohydrates, no matter what food you get them from - as a natural sugar found in fruit or as teaspoon of honey - are broken down by the body into simple sugars. The simplest form of sugar is glucose, which circulates in our blood stream and provides our body with energy.

Sugar is added to many foods for various reasons. For example, it is used in bread-making to help the yeast ferment and the bread rise. Sugar is used as a preservative in jam, jellies and pickles to inhibit the growth of micro-organisms that could spoil these foods. Sugar is used to make cookies and other baked goods turn a nice golden brown colour. Sugar is also an important flavour enhancer. It helps cut the acidity in yogurt and salad dressings, and improves the taste of many foods including breakfast cereals.

From a health standpoint, there is no scientific evidence directly linking sugar consumption to obesity, diabetes, heart disease, or behaviour problems. If you eat according to Canada's Food Guide, keep active and brush your teeth regularly each day, the sugar your get in your diet should not be a problem.

In order to help you towards better health and a healthy body weight, Canada's Food Guide recommends limiting foods and beverages high in calories, fat, sugar or salt (sodium) such as cakes and pastries, chocolate and candies, cookies and granola bars, doughnuts and muffins, ice cream and frozen desserts, French fries, potato chips, nachos and other salty snacks, alcohol, fruit flavoured drinks, soft drinks, sports and energy drinks and sweetened hot or cold drinks.

Lynn Roblin is a registered dietitian, freelance nutrition writer and co-author of Suppertime Survival (2005). For more information visit www.eatwrite.com. The nutrition and physical activity information found in this article is provided as a service to the public. It is for informational purposes only and may not be applicable to everyone. Always consult your health care professional before making any significant changes in your dietary habits or your physical activity routines.