Important Sugar Products you Should Avoid or Never Eat Again

One form of carbs found in several foods, such as vegetables and fruits, is sugar. Ever since the industrial age took off, sugar has been consumed in excessive proportions, causing obesity and a slew of related diseases, such as Type II diabetes, cancer, fatty liver disease and tooth decay.

These days, foods are artificially sweetened, resulting in additional calories to your drinks that make you obese and exposing you to other medical conditions. Before you buy any such foods, check the food label and if you find any of the following ingredients, realize that your drink is heavily loaded with sugar:

• Corn syrup

• High-fructose corn syrup
• Sucrose
• Fructose
• Honey
• Fruit juice concentrates
• Syrup
• Dextrose

Here’s a list of sugar-based foods that you should avoid or limit to stay healthy:

Granulated Sugar:

This food contains the highest amount of sugar–99%! Brown sugar or demerara sugar contains 97% sugar, while honey contains 82% sugar, sorghum syrup 75% sugar, molasses 55% sugar and sweetened condensed milk 54% sugar. For health reasons, it’s best to go with a natural sweetener like molasses which has the least sugar content.

Artificial Sweeteners:

If you come across foods labeled ‘diet’ or ‘sugar-free’, you must realize that they contain artificial sweeteners. Sucralose-based foods are safe to go with, but not others. However, they do nothing to reduce your cravings for sweets. It is identical in taste to sugar and can easily be used as a replacement.

Soft Drinks and Drink Powders:

These contain 94% sugar, amino acids and caffeine that escalate your heart rate and your blood pressure, so if you must drink them, look out for low sugar options. A can of soft drink usually contains about 38 grams of sugar, so it’s healthier for you to eat a banana, which is more nutritious anyway.

If you drink colas, remember that they can cause Type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, obesity, kidney stones, gout, tooth decay, insomnia, tension, increased urination, tension, dehydration, irritability, irregular heartbeat, gastrointestinal disturbance, acidity and restlessness.

All carbonated or aerated drinks contain a mix of carbon dioxide and the drink that cause it to fizz. Our human body throws out carbon dioxide after metabolizing foods, so how can we remain healthy by taking it in through drinks? These drinks also cause acidity whereas a healthy body needs to be alkaline in nature. Since these drinks also contain caffeine, they cause behavioral problems, besides diabetes and seizures.

Soda drinks are sometimes sold as “diet soda”. These contain artificial sweeteners like aspartame that cause diabetes, mood disorders, tinnitus, heart palpitations, brain damage, shortness of breath and problems with vision.

Nougat and Candies:

With a sugar content as high as 83%, nougat should be eaten with great judiciousness. Candied fruits trail soon after at 81% sugar content. The high content of sugar here causes poor performance, hyperactivity and mood swings while its chemical content and preservatives lead to asthma, coughs and colds.

Dried fruits:

If you’re into eating dried apples, pears, dates and prunes, their sugar content can go up to 81%. Watch it, you may be harming your health inadvertently.

Cookies, Cakes, and Pies:

These sugar-based foods contain about 71% sugar. The highest among them are macaroons at 71% sugar, while others stack up to about 63% sugar. Cakes are slightly unhealthier at 57% sugar, even if you ice them.

Preserves, jams and Spreads:

Peanut butter is the least unhealthy with a sugar content of 10%, while preserves stack up 49% sugar, spreads about 54% and marmalade 60%. So much sugar in your food can give you Type 2 diabetes, so watch how much of these foods you eat.

Boxed Cereals and Cereal Bars, and Instant Oatmeal:

If you read the food label on boxed cereals, you’ll find that they are high on sugar–up to 56%. Granola, and fruit and nut bars aren’t far behind at 55%. This level of sugar increases your blood sugar level and your energy flags in the middle of the morning while you notch up more calories and have food cravings.

Instant oatmeal contains 39% sugar, so stay healthy by opting for the unflavored variety or make yours at home. They won’t contain more than 1% sugar, plus you’ll give yourself additional complex carbs and vitamins that your body’s going to love.

Sauces and Ketchup’s, Salad dressing and Chocolate Syrup:

Tomato ketchups for all their yummy taste are made by cooking tomatoes, removing the seeds and cooking them for several hours on a high flame. This kills all their minerals and vitamins. Sugar and salt are added in large measure, which are bad for blood pressure; while additional corn syrup causes Type 2 diabetes and obesity.

While sauces and salad dressing can have 29% sugar without our realization, chocolate syrup contains 50% sugar. Syrups, on the whole, are much sweeter than sugar and is a part of all processed foods. Take care when you buy them because very often they contain chemical toxins. Besides, excessive sugar in your food can raise your weight, so to remain healthy; don’t eat foods containing high fructose syrup.

Ice Cream and Milk Shakes:

The sugar content in ice creams is 26%, while milk shakes have 23% sugar. However, it helps to go easy on these high-sugar foods because it could lead to a huge build-up of yeast in the body, causing yeast infection.

Canned Fruit in Syrup:

Canned fruit in sweetened syrup contains 22% sugar, while fruit packed in water contains barely 10% sugar. So, when you have less sweetened options, go for them.

According to the American Heart Association, a healthy intake of sugar per day should not exceed six teaspoons for women and nine for men. So, try to stick as close to this as possible while also adding a bit of exercise to your daily routine. Then, your sugar levels will come down naturally.