Acesulfame potassium is a zero-calorie sweetener that is added to many sugar-free…
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Sugar
Sugar
Sugar
What is it:
Sugar on a nutrition label typically refers to any form of sugar that has been added to the product during processing or preparation. This normally means refined white table sugar, which is derived from cane or beet. The production process involves extracting juice from these plants, clarifying it, and then concentrating and crystallizing the sugar. After centrifugation and refining steps to remove impurities and color, the result is nearly pure sucrose. This refined sugar is typically white or light in color and widely used in various food and beverage products.
Rating:
Refined sugar is processed in a way that separates the sucrose from the fiber, antioxidants, and other nutrients that are present in cane or beet juice, making a product that is far from its whole form. Consuming high amounts of sugar in any form has been linked to many adverse health effects such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes. Additionally, sugarcane production is a very water-intensive crop that also has resulted in deforestation and loss of biodiversity in many regions of the world, requires the significant use of fossil fuels, and contributes to pollution. The use of harmful herbicides like glyphosate may be used during sugarcane production as a ripener.
Resources:
- Differential effects of refined sugar intake versus natural sweeteners in rats (animal study)
- Sugar consumption impact on metabolic health and association with chronic disease (review)
- The environmental impact of cane sugar production
- WWF overview of sugarcane production on the environment
- Herbicides as sugarcane ripeners
How we rate ingredients
Health is like a bank account, certain ingredients make a deposit into your health bank, meaning they add to
your health. Certain ingredients withdraw from your health bank. We want health promoting ingredients in our diet. To keep things simple, we rate ingredients on a green, yellow, red scale:
Clean
It is naturally occurring in food and has no harmful effects on the body. It is real food. It is health promoting.
Caution
It goes into one or more of the below categories
- It is not naturally occurring in food but doesn’t have data showing it has a harmful effect on the body (additives like Gellan Gum)
- It is naturally occurring but can have some harmful effects on the body (added sugars, oils, gums etc.)
We Avoid
It is known to have a harmful effect on the body (ex. All food colorings, Natural Flavors, MSG, Potassium bromate, aspartame, artificial flavors)
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