100+ Hidden Names For Sugar We Bet You Didn't Know

Sugar is everywhere - it is added to cans, snacks, pastries, ice creams, cakes, cookies, and other processed foods.

There are too many ‘hidden’ names for sugar, and some are very tricky. This makes it very hard to figure out if there is added sugar to a particular food.

In this article, you will find over 100 different names for sugar, why added sugar can be bad for you, and other commonly asked questions. Let’s jump right in!

Sugar is made by extracting sugar juice from sugar beet or sugar cane plants. After that, many types of sugar are produced.

Chemically, sugar is considered a carbohydrate. When carbohydrates are consumed, they are digested and broken down into glucose.

This is the preferred energy source for cells throughout the human body, including your brain and central nervous system.

1. Agave nectar

2. Agave Syrup

3. Anhydrous Dextrose

4. Barbados sugar

5. Barley malt

6. Barley malt extract

7. Barley malt syrup

8. Beet juice concentrate

9. Beet sugar

10. Blackstrap Molasses
11. Brown cane sugar

12. Brown rice syrup

13. Brown sugar

14. Brown cane sugar

15. Buttered syrup

16. Cane crystals

17. Cane juice

18. Cane sugar

19. Caramel

20. Carob syrup

21. Castor sugar

22. Coconut nectar

23. Coconut palm sugar

24. Coconut sugar

25. Confectioner’s sugar

26. Corn sweetener

27. Corn syrup

28. Crystal Dextrose

29. Crystalline Fructose

30. D-xylose

31. Date sugar

32. Dehydrated cane juice

33. Demerara sugar

34. Dextran

35. Dextrin

36. Dextrose

37. Diastatic Malt

38. Disaccharides

39. Erythritol

40. Ethyl Maltol

41. Evaporated cane juice

42. Fructan

43. Fructooligosaccharides

44. Fructose

45. Fruit juice

46. Fruit juice concentrate

47. Galactose

48. Glucitol

49. Glucosamine

50. Glucose

51. Golden sugar

52. Golden syrup

53. Granulated Sugar

54. Grape Juice Concentrate
55. Grape sugar

56. Hexitol57. HFCS

58. High-Fructose Corn Syrup

59. Honey

60. Icing sugar

61. Inversol

62. Invert sugar

63. Isomalt

64. Lactose

65. Levulose

66. Liquid Fructose

67. Malt extract

68. Malt syrup

69. Malted Barley

70. Maltitol

71. Maltodextrin

72. Maltol

73. Malts

74. Maltose

75. Mannitol

76. Mannose

77. Maple syrup

78. Molasses

79. Muscovado

80. Muscovado Syrup

81. Nectars

82. Oligofructose

83. Palm sugar

84. Panela sugar

85. Panocha

86. Pear Syrup

87. Powdered sugar

88. Raisin syrup

89. Raw cane sugar

90. Raw sugar

91. Rice malt

92. Rice maltodextrin

93. Rice syrup

94. Saccharose

95. Sorbitol

96. Sorghum Syrup

97. Sucrose

98. Sugar
99. Sugarcane Molasses

100. Sweet Sorghum

101. Syrup

102. Table Sugar

103. Tapioca Dextrin

104. Treacle

105. Trehalose

106. Turbinado sugar

107. Wheat dextrin

108. Xylose

109. Xylitol

110. Yellow sugar

111. Zylose

Sugar is added not only to make things sweet but for many other reasons. Some of the main ones include:

● Acts as a preservative

● Texture modifier

● Fermentation substrate

● Flavoring agent

● Coloring agent

● Bulking agent 

Added sugar in moderation is okay. However, most foods are packed with added sugars, and people don’t even realize how much they consume.

The most common sources of added sugar include soda, fruit drinks, cereals, cookies, cakes, candy, flavored yogurts, bread, tomato sauce, and other processed foods.

● Glucose - Common sources of glucose are carbohydrates such as fruit, bread, pasta,and cereals. It can be metabolized by nearly every cell in your body.

● Fructose (Fruit sugar) - Found in its simplest form in fruits and some vegetables. It is metabolized almost entirely in the liver.

● Sucrose (Table sugar) - Naturally occurring carbohydrate in many fruits and plants. It is usually extracted from sugar cane or sugar beets. It consists of 50% glucose and 50%fructose bound together.

● Lactose (Dairy sugar) - A sugar naturally found in milk and milk products.

Naturally, fruits and vegetables contain small amounts of sugar, but they are nutrient-dense and provide fiber, vitamins, minerals, and other beneficial compounds. 

Because of that, there’s no reason to avoid the sugar naturally present in whole foods..

Best Natural Sugars:

● Monk fruit sweetener. It is a natural, zero-calorie sweetener from the mogroside, the sweetest part of the monk fruit. It has zero calories and carbs so that it won’t spike your blood sugar.

● Stevia. While it is naturally occurring, it is better to limit it since it is highly refined natural sugar. Its glycemic index is 1.

● Coconut sugar. It has a lower glycemic index (35) than white sugar (60 to 65). It won't spike your blood sugar as table sugar does.

● Agave syrup. Agave has a very low glycemic index (11 - 18) and may help you control your blood sugar.

● Dates. Unprocessed sweet fruit that contains fiber, various antioxidants, and several micronutrients. The glycemic index is 42.

● Pureed fruit. Better than other types since it naturally occurs in the fruit and is not processed. It has a low glycemic index and comes with fruit from vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants.

● Maple syrup. It is sourced straight from tree sap and goes through minimal processing. It contains a good amount of essential minerals like zinc and manganese. 

Keep in mind that the digestive tract breaks down all sources of sugar into simple sugars called monosaccharides.

Ultimately, your body will not know if it came from table sugar or agave nectar.

As a rule of thumb, women should consume no more than 6 teaspoons or 24 grams of added sugar, and men - no more than 9 teaspoons or 36 grams of sugar.(1)

Sugar naturally occurring in fruits and vegetables isn’t harmful and essential for good health.

However, added sugars contribute calories but no essential nutrients. Therefore, overeating added sugar could have many adverse health effects.

These include insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, fatty liver disease, and type 2 diabetes.(1,2,3)

Eating too many foods and beverages that are processed and sweetened can also lead to weight gain, cavities, blood sugar problems, and an increased risk of heart disease.

Each snack featured in DeliciousDoor is not only low in sugar but also 100% plant-based, gluten-free and non-GMO.

All products are carefully curated to ensure they are high in protein or fiber. DeliciousDoor never includes snacks that contain more than 5 grams of added sugars! 

Because there are many debating arguments over the safety of artificial sugars and possible carcinogenicity, we chose not to include them in DeliciousDoor.

The sugar in the snacks is either in its complete forms, such as sugar in whole fruit, or refined, such as agave, coconut sugar, etc.

DeliciousDoor offers healthy and mouth-wateringly delicious snacking alternatives.

Each Snack Box is packed with carefully curated full-sized snacks, drinks, and meal items to fuel your body. You’ll receive 6 Discovery Items and 6 Fan Favorites that meet our stringent nutritional standards to ensure a healthier and higher-quality snacking experience.

Consuming snacks and foods containing naturally occurring sugars or very little added sugar is okay. Just make sure it is in moderation. The best thing you can do is to become more mindful of your sugar consumption and opt for low-sugar options to keep your health in check.