Why some types of sugar are better than others

When it comes to food ingredients, sugar takes the cake for having the most names. There are multiple types of sugar, and at least 61 different monikers that may be listed on packaged food labels. Which means sugar may be hiding where you least expect it.

Nutritionally, too, not all sugars are the same. Some sugars are the kind that doctors advise you to cut down on—but others actually have modest benefits.

Sugar falls into two major categories: natural or added. Naturally occurring sugars are an inherent part of foods like all fruits, some vegetables, dairy products, and some grains. By contrast, added sugars are put into foods and beverages during the manufacturing, processing, or preparation processes. They’re practically ubiquitous. In an analysis of 40,000 packaged food products, researchers in Canada found that 66 percent of the items contained at least one added sugar.

(Which sugar substitute is best for you? Here’s how they compare.)

There are many different types of added sugars as well—including fruit juice concentrate, honey, molasses, and maple syrup. Each of these comes with its own nutritional profile.

Ultimately, your body responds to different types of sugar in a similar way—by breaking it down into glucose and fructose and causing your blood sugar to rise, explains Marisa Moore, a registered dietitian-nutritionist based in Atlanta and author of The Plant Love Kitchen. But research has shown there are subtle differences in how they are likely to affect the body’s physiological responses, including blood sugar, blood pressure, inflammation, and appetite.

“People often think of sugar as something they need to cut back on overall, regardless of the source,” Moore says. “It’s a nuanced issue.”

Here’s what you need to know about natural sugars and added sugars—and why some added sugars are slightly better for you than others.

Natural sugars

Certain types of sugar are naturally present in whole foods. Fruits and some vegetables contain fructose, glucose, and/or sucrose, in varying ratios, notes Lona Sandon, an associate professor of clinical nutrition at the UT Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas. By contrast, dairy products—including milk, cheese, and yogurt—naturally contain lactose, and flavored dairy products also may contain added fructose, glucose, and sucrose.

Natural sugars are generally less of a concern, experts say.

“When eating natural sugars, they’ll be part of a food matrix since they’re coupled with other beneficial nutrients like fiber and protein,” says Jackie Newgent, a registered dietitian-nutritionist, chef, and author of The Plant-Based Diabetes Cookbook. This “can help slow their absorption and improve overall health.”

(The skins of fruits and veggies pack a nutritional punch.)

Heidi J. Silver, a registered dietitian and research professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, adds that the indigestible fiber in these plant foods also benefits the gut microbiome.

Moore agrees. “In fruit, sugar is part of a package deal—you get fiber, vitamin C, antioxidants, and other nutrients with it,” she says.

Unless you have an intolerance to one of these foods or natural sugars or your doctor has advised you to limit their consumption, there’s no good reason to avoid them, Moore says.

Added sugars

If you sprinkle a spoonful of sugar or honey into your tea or onto a tart grapefruit, that’s a form of added sugar. But the bigger concern about added sugars is that many different types may be added to packaged foods during the manufacturing or production process.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention points out that consuming too many added sugars can contribute to an increased risk of weight gain or obesity, type 2 diabetes, and heart disease, among other chronic health conditions.

(Giving up sugar can change your body for the better—within days.)

This isn’t just because added sugar is considered “empty calories” but also because consuming it in substantial amounts may push out other beneficial nutrients. Research has found that adults who have a higher intake of added sugar in their diets tend to have a lower intake of micronutrients such as folate, magnesium, potassium, vitamin D, selenium, and zinc. 

The American Heart Association recommends limiting your consumption of added sugars to a maximum of 6 percent of your total calories a day. For most women, that’s about 6 teaspoons (or 25 grams) of sugar a day, while for men it’s about 9 teaspoons (or 36 grams) a day.

That’s why it’s important to make a habit of reading the Nutrition Facts Panel on food labels—to see how much added sugar is in a serving as well as what that amount represents in terms of the recommended percentage of the daily value for added sugars.

“Seeing the total grams of added sugar is important but I don’t recommend people keep a calculator handy and add it up throughout the day,” says Caroline Passerrello, a registered dietitian-nutritionist at the University of Pittsburgh. It’s a good rule of thumb to stick with foods where added sugars comprise 10 percent or less of the daily value for added sugars, she says. If the label indicates the food has 5 percent or less of the daily value, that means it’s a low source of added sugars; 20 percent or higher means it’s high.

The ingredients list on a packaged food label will also reveal what types of added sugar it includes: agave nectar, honey, molasses, evaporated cane juice, fruit juice concentrate, corn sweetener, and anything ending with –ose (as in: dextrose, fructose, glucose, maltose, or sucrose) and/or syrup (as in: maple syrup, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, or malt syrup).

Yet some added sugars actually have modest health benefits, which is another reason it’s worth evaluating the type of sugar listed on the label. Among added sugars, three have the most noteworthy health benefits.

Honey

In addition to sweetness, honey offers more minerals (such as calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, potassium, and zinc) and vitamins (including traces vitamin C and niacin) than regular white sugar.

“But you’re not getting a lot of them because the amount you’re eating is so negligible,” Moore says. In addition, honey contains antioxidants that can neutralize damaging free radicals in the body and it provides health perks such as reducing fasting blood sugar, total cholesterol, and harmful LDL cholesterol. After eating it, “the rise in blood sugar may be more gradual with honey,” says Silver.

Honey also has been shown to have anti-bacterial and anti-inflammatory properties that can assist with wound healing and respiratory health, among other conditions.

Maple syrup

It’s not just for pancakes and waffles. Maple syrup also shows up in processed foods and it can be used for baking. There are some benefits to maple syrup too: It contains phenolic compounds with antioxidant and anti-cancer properties, as well as amino acids and minerals such as calcium, manganese, potassium, and zinc.

A study in a 2024 issue of the Journal of Nutrition found that replacing refined sugars with an equivalent amount of maple syrup for eight weeks led to decreases in systolic blood pressure and improvements in gut bacteria. Even so, “it still needs to be considered as added sugar in your diet” and consumed in moderation, says Passerrello.

Molasses

This thick, dark syrup is often used for baking and cooking savory dishes like baked beans. Research has found that among 12 different sweeteners, dark and blackstrap molasses have the highest antioxidant scores. Molasses is also a surprisingly good source of iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, and selenium—although Sandon says you shouldn’t rely on it for your daily iron requirements as there are better options.

Newgent agrees. “Traces of minerals and health-protective antioxidants found in honey, maple syrup, and molasses make them a slightly smarter choice based on nutrient-richness over refined white sugar,” she says. But “a beneficial health impact will be minimal since people generally consume these sugars in relatively small amounts.”

Ultimately, the goal isn’t to obsess over sugar or shun it but to be intentional about how and where it can fit into a healthy diet, Passerrello says. Try to enjoy the sweet stuff in moderation, and whenever possible, appreciate naturally occurring forms of sugar such as a bowl of unsweetened yogurt with berries.