Not all sugars are created equal! In fact, there are sugars out there you really shouldn’t quit.
Some sugars are just fine in moderation, while others may even make you healthier! But before you dive head first into a bowl of ice cream, you might want to check if your sweet treat includes one of the good sugars below. More than likely, it falls into the “best avoid category”.
Glucose.
Simple carbs are abundant in glucose, so it often gets a bad rap. But while too much glucose can result in blood sugar spikes, it’s the preferred fuel source for almost all the cells in the body, particularly the brain.
On the I Quit Sugar: 8-Week Program, we favour fibre-rich carbohydrates that buffer the blood sugar response, such as legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains and vegetables. Yep, we’d call all of those healthy sources of sugar!
It’s why we also prefer rice malt syrup in our occasional desserts. This glucose-blend sweetener gives treats a sweet taste, but can be used in smaller quantities than other glucose-based sweeteners for a similar taste.
Trehalose.
While non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is strongly linked to fructose (more on that in a bit), trehalose could help prevent it. A preliminary study on mice found that when trehalose was consumed with fructose, it completely blocked the development of fatty liver. Trehalose is found in sunflower seeds, algae, yeast and mushrooms – but we still wouldn’t recommend eating these with a can of soda (especially until more research has been done).
L-fucose.
L-fucose is also found in seeds, seaweed and mushrooms (we know what we’ll be having for dinner). In one study, the sugar was found to fight melanoma (skin cancer) by increasing the number of immune cells. However, we’re being careful with this one, as the jury is still out on whether L-fucose is also linked to inflammatory conditions.
Sulfoquinovose.
Yes, there’s sugar in greens, too! But as you’d expect, this is one of the healthy ones. A recent Australian study identified sulfoquinovose (SQ) as a boon for your good gut bacteria, as it reaches the bowels undigested. The bacteria can then turn it into energy and grow their numbers, crowding out the bad microbes. Yet another reason to eat ya’ greens.
And one sugar that you should probably, DEFINITELY cut down on…
Fructose.
This is the bad boy we quit on the 8-Week Program. Huge studies and meta-analyses have backed up claims that fructose is strongly linked to non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, cardiovascular disease, stroke and even rapid ageing. It makes up 50 per cent of sucrose (table sugar), so we keep our fructose intake as low as possible by avoiding processed foods and getting our sweet hit from a little fresh whole fruit. And the negligible amounts in veggies like sweet potato don’t count!
We originally published this article in March 2016. We updated it in July 2016.
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