There are different types of sugar and not all of them have the same effect in our body. Although while following a keto diet all of them are like the devil…But even so, some of them are healthier than others. Let’s take a look:

Added sugar 🍦

Added sugar is free sugar that has been added to the food/product during its production (industry), preparation (cooks) or at the time of consumption (when we add sugar to our coffee, for example).

Oh! And let’s clear something up: Although fruit juices or smoothies do not contain added sugar (at least not the ones we make at home), they contain a high amount of free sugar. That’s because the fruits used in it do not maintain its original nutritional matrix; in the process of pressing we have broken their fibers down, thus releasing free sugar. ⚠️

Daily intake recommendations for free sugar

Due to the detrimental effect of free sugar on metabolism and the relationship of its consumption with weight gain, the World Health Organisation (WHO) recommends that free sugar does not contribute more than 5% of our daily calorie intake.❗️

What happens with intrinsic sugar? 🍊

This limitation does not apply to intrinsic sugar, which is found naturally in whole foods (it preserves its matrix) and does not seem to be harmful to health.

It is important to know that the amount of sugar that appears on the nutritional label of products, does not distinguish between both types of sugar.

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How do I know which type of sugar has been added to that product?

To know if that sugar is added or not, we must take a look at the ingredients list.

If added, the ingredients include “sugar” or any of these words:

• Sucrose
• Glucose
• Fructose
• Corn syrup or vegetable syrup (rice, agave, etc)
• Coconut or birch sugar
• Inverted sugar
• Maltodextrin
• Dextrin
• Dextrose
• Fruit concentrates
• Molasses
• Raw cane sugar
• Honey

Yes! All of these ingredients have the same detrimental effect on the body as white sugar. Scary, right?

Don’t be fooled by “sugar-free” products that have agave syrup or similar…You can put lipstick on a pig, but it’s still a pig. 🐷