This article will examine what is sugar overload if you can overdose on it, and how it affects the body. You will also learn 9 ways how to feel better and bounce back after having too much sugar.
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Have You Ever Experienced Sugar Overload?
There can be some days when we overindulge in the sweet stuff. So if you suffer from sugar eating in excess, you are more than likely to experience sugar overload.
If today is one of those days and you’re going “I ate too much sugar!” Don’t get down on yourself!
Know that there is something you can do to bounce back from your sugar binge and feel good again.
Read on to learn what is sugar overload, what happens when you eat too much sugar, the 9 ways to get over your sugar overload, and how to spot sugar in the future.
What is Sugar Overload?
Sugar can make you feel great. At first. When you eat sugar you feel elation and a burst of energy. Unfortunately, this sugar high is short-lived. Next thing you know a sugar crash sets in and you are left feeling like you ate too much sugar and are suffering from sugar overload.
Can You Overdose On Sugar?
Though you may feel like you may have overdosed, to get actual sugar poisoning it will take quite a bit of the sweet stuff to have sugar toxicity.
According to the American Chemical Society, you would need to ingest 13.5 grams of sugar per pound of your body weight. It also needs to be all in one sitting.
Lots of sugar is toxic for those with diabetes. These individuals need to be careful with their sugar intake since they are at a higher risk of having a sugar overdose.
Though it may not be lethal, when you eat lots of sugar, health risks are increased. This is because there are many negative effects of sugar on the body
What Happens When You Eat Too Much Sugar
Like most things in excess, eating too much sugar and having a high-sugar diet can negatively impact your health.
How is Sugar Processed in the Body
Sugar is broken down for energy the same way regardless of whether it’s natural or added. There are a few exceptions to this rule. Fructose and foods containing both fiber and sugar are digested differently but more about that later.
When it enters your digestive system it will be broken down into glucose. Glucose is the body’s main source of energy. So essentially it is your body’s sugar.
The body’s blood sugar levels will rise in response to the sugar being absorbed from the digestive tract into the blood. For this blood sugar to be used for energy it must be moved from the blood into cells.
Insulin is a hormone that helps make this happen. The pancreas is another organ in the digestive tract. It will see glucose is being made.
In response, the pancreas produces insulin. Insulin will move glucose out of the blood and into cells. This hormone also tells the liver to take the extra blood sugar and hold on to it for storage.
Any excess glucose is stored as glycogen in the muscle cells or body fat. When insulin moves the glucose out of the blood and into cells it will lower blood sugar levels.
Sometimes there is too much blood sugar and the insulin cannot keep up. Alternatively, cells will not be able to take the blood sugar from insulin and they become insulin resistant.
Cells are resistant to insulin but the pancreas just sees a high blood sugar level. So it keeps pumping out insulin even though nothing is happening. As a result, blood sugar levels will elevate and the pancreas will not keep up.
This continual production of insulin can also wear down the pancreas.
Fructose: A Sugar Digested Differently
Fructose is digested like other types of sugar but about 50% of it goes through the liver in order to be converted to glucose. The other half is then converted by the small intestine. The liver also turns this sugar into fat.
The fat and glucose made by the liver will be moved into the bloodstream. It is also stored as glycogen and fat deposits.
Fructose and glucose consumed together will affect digestion When fructose is metabolized with glucose, there is an increase in how much fructose is absorbed from the gut.
Fructose also affects glucose metabolism. It can increase glucose storage in the liver. This can potentially increase glucose production.
Both glucose production and storage become a problem when it is in excess. Too much glucose in the blood will raise blood sugar levels and lead to insulin resistance. Excess storage that becomes fat deposits will result in a fatty liver.
Fiber Effects Sugar During Digestion
When food containing naturally occurring sugar and fiber, such as a piece of fruit, is digested different things happen.
- Fiber helps produce healthy bacteria in the gut
- Fiber slows digestion
About 30 percent of the sugar will not be absorbed. Instead, the bacteria in the gut will snatch it up and eat it. This can encourage the production of healthy bacteria which increases the diversity of the microbiome.
The presence of fiber in food also will slow down blood sugar elevations. When sugar is consumed without fiber it will spike glucose. Fiber helps to reduce blood sugar from rollercoastering all over the place. This can improve health.
How Does Sugar Cause Inflammation?
Chronic inflammation is at the heart of many health conditions and diseases from sugar overload. It is associated with a diet high in processed foods.
Inflammation may also arise from excess sugar in the diet. Levels of C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation, were higher in those with a large amount of sugar in their diet.
What Does Sugar Do to Your Body
Whether it is natural or added sugar, fructose, or artificial sources when in excess there are many negative effects of sugar on the following:
- Blood sugar
- The Brain
- Heart
- Blood pressure
- Liver function
- Pancreas
- Kidneys
- Libido
- Metabolism and weight
- Teeth
- Joints
- Skin
High Blood Sugar Levels
One of the harmful effects of sugar consumption includes increasing blood glucose levels. Glucose is a sugar found in the blood. Foods that increase blood sugar levels include foods high in sugars, candy, cakes, refined carbs, and other processed foods high in added sugars.
Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas. It is needed to move glucose out of the blood and into cells, muscle, and fat so it can be used for energy.
Can you Get Diabetes by Eating Too Much Sugar?
Excessive sugar in the blood becomes a problem when the body becomes insulin-resistant. This means the body can no longer move glucose out of the blood. As a result, blood sugar will become elevated.
It can result in hyperglycemia, the condition of excessive sugar in the blood. When the body stops responding to insulin and blood glucose cannot get into cells, diabetes sets in.
Some research shows an association between diets high in sugar and hyperglycemia. In this respect, there is the potential that eating too much sugar can cause diabetes. However, there are other factors involved that lead to this condition and it is not solely the reason for diabetes.
Symptoms of High Blood Sugar
There are things to look out for when it comes to high glucose. Symptoms of high blood sugar include:
- High levels of sugar in the urine
- Frequently having to go to the bathroom
- Increased thirst
- Weight loss
- Fatigue
- Feeling weak
- Brain fog
- Blurred Vision
- Headache
How Sugar Affects the Brain
Just like other parts of the body, the brain needs energy. Glucose is the main energy source. Consequently, the standard American diet is full of a lot of hidden sugar. Pair that with the sugar you know you’re eating and you’re in for a sugar overload.
So how does sugar affect the brain? When consumed in excess it can be very problematic. The negative effects of sugar on the brain include the following:
- Activates the reward response
- Poor mental function
- Memory loss
- Changes your mood
Activates the Reward Response
When you consume foods with sugar things happen to the brain. One theory is that the brain sees foods high in sucrose as rewarding.
Foods with a high glycemic index often are higher in sugar. These foods will stimulate brain regions associated with rewards and cravings. This can occur even after eating which can make you crave more sugary foods.
Palatable foods like those containing sugar behave similarly to drugs in the brain. Reward systems in the brain will encourage continued use and possibly addiction.
One study found intense sweetness can surpass the cocaine reward that happens in the brain. It may come from having hypersensitive receptors in the brain called sweet tastants.
Common in humans, these sweet receptors evolved during ancestral times when sugar was scarce in the diet.
Today we have an abundance of sugar available to us and a taste of the sweet stuff may trigger a reward signal in the brain that makes us go gaga over the sweet stuff. It can override self-control and lead to addiction.
So your brain on sugar is similar to your brain on drugs.
Poor Mental Function
Are you suffering from a mental fog or is your brain not working like it used to? You may have what I like to call a sugar brain. Consequently, this poor cognition is another one of the many effects of sugar on the brain.
High blood sugar from too much of the sweet stuff can lead to cognitive impairment. This has been seen in people with both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Additionally, brain imaging scans of these individuals show abnormal structural changes in the brain.
Memory Loss
Additionally, the sugar effect on brain function can lead to memory loss.
Consumption of high-sugar diets will impair learning and memory in animals. Sugar causes inflammation and oxidative stress in the hippocampus which is needed for these tasks.
High-sugar diets were found to decrease levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF). BDNF is a protein found in the hippocampus needed for memory. So not having enough BDNF can reduce brain function and learning abilities.
Animals given a refined high-sugar diet for between two and 24 months failed at memory-related tasks. Liquid sugar diets have also been associated with memory deficits in animal studies.
However, when their diet improved so did their memory.
Memory issues are also likely to be found in humans so these findings could be useful in improving cognitive problems in people.
Mood Changes and How Sugar Affects Mental Health
Sugar effects on brain function include mood changes. When you mix the brain and sugar what you get is a change in mood ultimately affecting your mental health.
Mood and sugar have an inverse relationship. As one goes up the other goes down. With increasing sugar intake your blood sugar becomes elevated and your mood goes south.
People with type 2 diabetes felt anxiety, sadness, and lethargy after they were put into a hyperglycemic state with a dose of glucose.
Intake of sweetened food and beverages over a period of just two years has a negative impact on psychological health.
Depression has also been linked to a high-sugar diet.
We know that sugar intake affects levels of BDNF. Similarly, this protein will also impact mood. Decreases in this protein may incite depression.
Reducing sugar in the diet may also improve mental health.
Effects of Sugar on Heart and Blood Pressure
When it comes to the heart, sugar intake in excess can result in major health problems.
Diseases caused by sugar consumption include hypertension and heart disease. Too much sugar can cause an increase in blood pressure and heart rate to rise. High blood pressure and hypertension lead to constricted blood vessels.
This increases the risk of coronary heart disease and other cardiovascular disorders.
Effects of Sugar on Liver Function
One of the side effects of sugar overload is damage to the liver. Excess sugar in the diet from sucrose, corn syrup, and high fructose corn syrup will increase your risk for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
NAFLD is when your liver has excess fat hanging out in your liver. NASH is when there is not only fat build-up but also inflammation and scarring or “steatosis” on your liver. The scarring is your body’s way of healing the injuries. However, the scarring will cut blood off blood flow to the liver.
Poor gut health can also lead to these conditions. Reducing sugar intake, especially added sugar can help prevent this from happening.
Effects of Sugar on Pancreatic Function
When sugary foods and drinks are consumed blood sugar levels will rise. The pancreas responds by pumping out insulin. This hormone will help move glucose into cells where it is used for energy.
There are instances when insulin cannot keep up with blood sugar. Cells may also be resistant to insulin and will not be able to get glucose inside. This is known as insulin resistance.
People who consume sugary drinks are more likely to have insulin resistance. This can be damaging to pancreatic function.
According to research, too much fructose is also a big culprit for the pancreas. It could trigger the release of a protein called the carbohydrate-responsive element-binding protein, or ChREBP for short. This compound will continue to elevate blood glucose all the while the pancreas is making insulin to overcome the high blood sugar.
High consumption of sugar-rich foods and beverages, specifically those with fructose, is associated with a greater risk of pancreatic cancer.
Excess glucose that is turned into fat can sometimes wind up in the blood. This can cause a condition known as pancreatitis. It is when the pancreas becomes inflamed. There are two types of pancreatitis:
- Acute pancreatitis
- Chronic pancreatitis
Acute pancreatitis happens suddenly while chronic is an ongoing issue. Chronic pancreatitis is worse because the inflammation does not heal and can lead to permanent damage.
Effects of Sugar on Kidney Function
Damage to the kidneys is another one of the harmful effects of sugar in the diet. Constant consumption of sugar elevates blood glucose. High blood sugar will damage blood vessels in your kidneys.
Damaged blood vessels don’t work and your kidney function will suffer. People with uncontrolled blood sugar have a greater risk of kidney damage and getting chronic kidney disease.
Effects of Too Much Sugar on Libido
Effects of too much sugar include a decline in libido. A wane in the sex drive has been seen with excess sugar consumption.
This is because sugar can increase cortisol levels. High levels of cortisol and chronic stress have been shown to lower sexual arousal.
Low testosterone was also associated with high blood glucose that results from eating too much sugar.
Women with high blood sugar and diabetes were also found to have several sexual dysfunction issues including a decrease in sexual desire and arousal, orgasmic dysfunction, and problems in lubrication and sexual satisfaction.
In addition, damage to the blood vessels in the penis and clitoris are some devastating sugar side effects.
Does Sugar Make You Gain Weight?
“Can sugar make you fat?”
This was a question that came into my mind when I was looking into the various effects of sugar on the body.
Earlier we mentioned that blood sugar or glucose is used as energy by cells. Any leftover glucose is stored in the liver and fat cells. However, this is not the case with the sugar, fructose. Fructose bypasses the liver and is metabolized into fat.
So if you’re wondering, “Does sugar make you fat?” The answer is yes. However, it also depends on the quantity and type of sugar.
As we saw above, an excess of sugar will lead to fat production.
One study found that a higher intake of fructose will lead to more fat production than glucose. Fructose may also be responsible for eating more. It decreases the production of insulin and the hormone leptin which creates that feeling of fullness that will stop you from eating.
Another interesting thing about the effects of sugar on fat production is that each sugar will yield a different type of fat.
Excess fructose consumption will lead to visceral fat production. This is fat that attaches to the body’s organs and cannot be seen.
Too much glucose will result in subcutaneous fat. This is the tissue that is just below the skin’s surface and is often jiggly. Subcutaneous fat is not as dangerous as visceral fat.
The problem is that most sugars contain both glucose and fructose. So a case of sugar overload could result from too much of both of these sugars.
Effects of Sugar on Teeth
When you have a sweet tooth it can be hazardous for your oral health. This is because your diet affects the integrity of your teeth.
Add sugar to a mouth and it is a breeding ground for bacteria and not the good kind. These microbes will break down your enamel leaving you with cavities.
Lowering your sugar intake prevents plaque buildup and demineralization of enamel which leads to tooth decay.
Joint Pain and Sugar
Other damage sugar does to your body includes affecting the joints. Too much sugar inflames the joints and muscles. So eating too much sugar effects include an increase in inflammation and pain in the body.
You may be wondering, is sugar bad for arthritis, the answer is yes. Eating sugary foods like soda and desserts worsened symptoms in those with Rheumatoid Arthritis (RA).
Sugar may also increase chronic inflammation that occurs in those with RA.
Effects of Sugar on Skin Health
If you’re wondering, does sugar age you? Yes, the effects of sugar on skin health can be seen on your face.
This sugar effect on the skin can be toxic when consumed in excess. This is because sugar produces glycogen end products (AGEs).
These compounds are formed when the blood sugar gets high. Glucose and fructose attach to amino acids in the collagen and elastin in your skin. The collagen fibers become cross-linked and unable to be repaired.
The addition of ultraviolet light triggers further oxidation of your skin cells.
Excessive sugar intake may result in acne and wrinkles.
Good vs. Bad Sugar
Some articles call naturally occurring sugars good sugars. These sugars are found in foods like fruits, vegetables, and dairy.
These foods are deemed “good” sugars because the sugar is digested more slowly. This is because these foods contain fiber and/or protein that regulates blood sugar.
On the other hand, bad sugar is considered sugar that is added to foods during processing to enhance their flavor. Processed sugar found in foods like donuts, cookies, cakes, and candy is bad for you.
The danger of sugar is when there is a large amount of added sugar in the diet regardless. Too much sugar is bad no matter if it is in natural or processed form.
Does Your Body Need Sugar?
The body needs a certain amount of energy to function. The main energy source to fuel our bodies, brain, and central nervous system is glucose. It is the sugar found in your blood. Glucose can be naturally obtained from whole foods like fruits, vegetables, and dairy products.
However, added sugars even from natural sources, can flavor foods but it does not play a role in energy production. Added sugar is not essential and is not needed by the body. So it’s best to get your sugar from natural sources.
Does Sugar Give You Energy?
There is a great scene from Parks and Rec that I think of when I hear the question: does sugar give you energy?
The main character Leslie Knope is feeling tired so she eats a bunch of high-sugar energy bars. At first, she has a burst of energy but this sugar energy effect is short-lived and leaves her asleep on her desk.
So ultimately, too much sugar can make you crash. So it is better to get energy from whole food sources instead. These will give you the sustainable energy needed to get through the day.
How Much is Too Much Sugar
Like most things in excess, there are disadvantages of sugar overload. But how much sugar is bad for you?
For this, we look to the general guidelines for health. The World Health Organization (WHO) and the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) recommend limiting sugars to just 10 percent of calories each day. In a 2,000 calories diet that is about 12 teaspoons of sugar.
The American Heart Association goes further to give specific guidelines to men and women. Men should have no more than 37.5 grams of sugar a day. Recommendations for women are lower at 25 grams of sugar a day.
To put this into perspective 4 grams of sugar is 1 teaspoon so men should have no more than about 9 teaspoons. Women should get only about 6 teaspoons themselves.
Sugar Guidelines Are for Healthy People
One thing to note is that these guidelines are for HEALTHY individuals. So if you have a health condition or may suffer from chronic stress you need to scale it down a bit.
I would even recommend getting half of this amount if you are someone who is not in the best health. So as a woman, you should maybe get in about 4 teaspoons of sugar. Men should not get more than about 5 teaspoons of sugar a day.
What Are the Symptoms of Too Much Sugar?
So what happens if you eat too much sugar? Aside from getting a sugar high, some tell-tale symptoms of sugar overload can be seen from excess sugar intake. They include:
- Sugar cravings
- Fatigue
- Feeling blue or moody
- Acne or wrinkles
- Joint paint
- Cavities
- Bloating and other digestion issues
- Poor sleep
- Brain fog
- Weight gain
Eating too much sugar symptoms may be physical like above or they can be less obvious. They cannot be detected by the naked eye and need to be confirmed by clinical tests. They include
- High blood sugar
- High blood pressure
- Inflammation
What Happens When You Stop Eating Sugar?
If you stop eating sugar after your sugar overload you may experience some quitting sugar side effects. This is because your body may be going through withdrawal. With this will come some crappy feelings.
The sugar side effects that happen after stopping sugar are similar to the symptoms of too much sugar. They include both mental and physical issues that may leave you feeling blah.
In case you’re wondering what they are here is a list:
- Low energy
- Bad mood or irritable
- Nausea
- Brain fog
- Headache
- Anxiety
- Poor sleep
- Cravings
How Do You Recover From Sugar Overload?
If you’re suffering from a sugar overload and wondering how do you flush sugar out of your body? You are in luck! Read on to learn what to do after eating too much sugar.
The most important thing is to stay calm. Please don’t feel guilty or bad about your recent sugar overload. Getting sugar out of your system can be a positive experience.
Instead, you can recover positively from your sugar indulgences with these 9 tips.
1. Make Your Next Meal and Snack Low Sugar
If you’re suffering from sugar overload and curious about how to get rid of sugar in your body, one thing you can do is to make sure the rest of your meals and snacks that day have no added sugar. Consuming low-glycemic foods is another way to counteract eating too much sugar.
These foods will not elevate your blood sugar. When you consume sugar your blood sugar will become elevated. So eating foods that stabilize blood sugar will help you recover from having too much sugar.
These foods are digested slower than sugar and will help you feel better. foods that counteract sugar are also high in protein, fiber, and healthy fat.
For your next meal or snack here is a list of what to eat to counteract sugar overload:
| Pasture-raised eggs | Lean grass-fed beef (no additives) | Lean meats with no additives (chicken, turkey, pork) | Plain grass-fed yogurt |
| Broccoli | Green peas | Leafy greens | Asparagus |
| Artichokes | Cabbage | Cauliflower | Celery |
| Cucumbers | Lettuce | Mushrooms | Onions |
| Spinach | Zucchini | Yellow summer squash | Avocado |
| Turnips | Blueberries | Raspberries | Apples |
| Oranges | Raw almonds | Raw pecans | Sunflower seeds |
| Raw hazelnuts | Olives | Raw walnuts | Steel-cut gluten-free oatmeal |
2. Get Enough Fluids
Getting enough fluids is how to get sugar out of your system. Our bodies are programmed to maintain fluid balance. So if that equilibrium is altered it will correct itself until it is restored. Sugar is something that throws off that balance.
As the sugar levels increase, fluid levels will shift. The body will respond by moving water out of our cells to maintain a steady amount of fluid. Inside the cells, water levels diminish. This leads to poor cell function and fatigue.
The body will also want to get that sugar into your cells so it can be used for energy. So the body tells the pancreas we need to get this sugar into the cell. As a result, it will secrete insulin. As stated above, the insulin should move the sugar into the cells to be metabolized. Any excess sugar will be stored as fat.
Sugar also needs water for metabolism inside the cell which can further deplete water levels.
If you’re suffering from a sugar hangover be sure to hydrate with some plain water. Drink about two 8 oz glasses and see how you feel. Another way to get more water into your system is by munching on some hydrating veggies like cucumbers, strawberries, lettuce, cabbage, celery, spinach, pickles, and cooked squash.
3. Get Moving and Grooving
Though you may want to lie down and take a nap, exercise is actually a great way to overcome your sugar overload. So fight those urges to sleep it off and instead get moving and grooving.
Exercise is one way how to get sugar out of your body. It has been recommended because it stabilizes blood sugar. Aerobic exercise also helps insulin do its job and get sugar into your cells so they can make energy.
So even getting a little activity post-sugar overload is just the thing you need to feel better.
Remember, It does not need to be crazy. Even just a little movement will help. If you make it a 20 or 30-minute workout you will get the additional bonus of lowering your stress levels. These calming effects will last you hours after you finish.
Here are some ideas of what you can do to overcome that sugar crash:
- Take a short walk.
- Walk up and down steps for about 10 minutes
- Have a pool? Get in a swim for 20 minutes
- Jump rope
- Rollerblade (my personal favorite)
- Go for a run
- Do a pilates or yoga workout
- Dancing
4. Learn to Relax
This may be easier said than done. But really, just learning to relax can do so much for sugar overload. For me, relaxing starts with deep breathing. When you take control of your breath you feel so much at ease.
Sit in a comfortable position. Then take a deep breath in. Let the air fill up your belly then exhale slowly. Repeat for two minutes. This simple act can do wonders for your health and make you feel better if too much sugar has got you down.
Other things that can help you relax include exercise (see tip #3 for ideas), meditation, or thinking about something that makes you happy or grateful.
Gratitude is also a good relaxation technique. For me, it’s all about naming three things I’m thankful for and I forget what was causing me distress in the first place.
5. Have Some Self-Care
Self-care is so important, especially for women who are stressed out and suffering from too much sugar intake.
If you are feeling the pains of sugar overload it is important to stop and implement some self-care. Self-care is something you should be doing on a weekly if not daily basis.
It has been shown to lower stress. So this can be helpful when your body is undergoing excess sugar intake.
According to Modern Therapy, there are eight main areas of self-care. They include the following:
- Physical
- Psychological
- Emotional
- Social
- Professional
- Environmental
- Spiritual
- Financial
They include
- Exercise
- Taking a bath
- Getting a good night’s rest
- Reading a book
- Learning to say no
- Spending time with family and friends
- Having clear professional boundaries
- Limiting your screen time
- Decluttering your home and workspaces
6. Plan Ahead with Healthy Food and Snacks
One way to overcome excess sugar intake is to have a plan for next time. When you have a food plan you can surround yourself with nourishing food that will help your body thrive.
Fill your fridge and pantry with hearty foods like veggies, whole grains, lean proteins, and fruits. Fruits are a great way to squash that sugar craving while feeding your body nutrients.
If you don’t have time to go to the store you can always shop online to get what you need.
7. Out of Sight, Out of Mind (Get Rid of that Sugar!)
I have a sweet tooth. If I get started with some sugar I sometimes cannot stop. That is why I usually avoid having sugary foods in my home.
This has been the best thing for me to prevent future sugar overload. Now it’s not just the likely suspects (ice cream, candy, cookies, etc), it often is regular food that can have hidden added sugar.
This can be annoying especially when your yogurt or breakfast cereal has more sugar than you should be consuming in a day.
One way I have combated this problem is by reading every label I put in my cart.
8. Listen to Your Body
If you’re feeling meh from all that sweet stuff you just imbibed here is something that will help recover from that sugar overload. Listen to what your body is telling you.
If you’re feeling amped up then get outside and take a walk. If you’re feeling sluggish lay down for a bit until you feel better. Maybe a nap is needed.
Listen and you shall receive a message of what to do.
9. Don’t Beat Yourself Up
This is probably the most important tip. So if you are suffering from sugar overload please don’t beat yourself up. Your mind is a powerful thing. Dwelling on it will just make it worse. It’s all about mind over matter.
So put it out of your mind and it will no longer matter.
But seriously, learn from your actions and work to create new habits. I have found that focusing on just one thing until I have it down pat is what works best for me.
Remember it can take about 65 days for habits to form. So be easy on yourself and learn to keep moving forward until it becomes routine.
Learn How to Spot Different Types of Sugar
Though now you know how to deal with sugar overload, there is still one more thing I want to bring up before you go. I wanted to give you some insight into how to spot different types of sugar in your food.
We know there is sugar in foods like cakes, cookies, and other sweets but there can be a lot of hidden sugar in regular and so-called healthy things like granola, yogurt, and breakfast cereals.
This is because they have gotten sneaky with their labeling and started calling sugar other names. So remember that any sugar by another name would still be as sweet.
Here is a list of some of the other names for sugar:
| Agave | Nectar | Barbados Sugar | Buttered Syrup |
| Barley Malt | Beet Sugar | Brown Sugar | Carob Syrup |
| Cane Juice | Cane Sugar | Caramel | Corn Syrup |
| Castor Sugar | Confectioner’s sugar | Corn Syrup Solids | Sugar |
| Date Sugar | Dehydrated cane juice | Demerara | Diatase |
| Dextran | Dextrose | Diastic Malt | Fructose |
| Ethyl | Maltol | Florida Crystals | Glucose |
| Fruit Juice | Concentrate | Galactose | Golden Syrup |
| Glucose | Solids | Golden Sugar | Icing |
| Grape Sugar | High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS) | Honey | Malt Sugar |
| Sugar | Lactose | Maltodextrin | Molasses |
| Maltose | Mannitol | Maple Syrup | Refiner’s Syrup |
| Muscovado | Panocha | Raw Sugar | Sorbitol Sucrose |
| Rice Syrup | Sorbitol | Sorghum Syrup | Yellow Sugar |
| Sugar (Granulated) | Treacle | Turbinado Sugar |
Want this Sugar List Cheatsheet? Get it FREE when you sign up to get my Smart Sugar Reset!
Beat Sugar Overload: Your Recovery Plan
While sugar is a major energy source, too much-added sugar can make you fall into a sugar overload. If this happens from time to time it’s not a big deal but excess sugar intake can cause some major issues for your health.
So next time you feel like you’ve overdone it with the sugar, be sure to incorporate hydration, healthy eating, exercise, plan ahead, relaxation, rid the house of sugar, and most importantly don’t beat yourself up!
In addition, learning how to spot hidden sugar can prevent you from falling into a sugar coma. Join my FREE self-paced Sugar Smart Reset to beat sugar overload!
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