If you're constantly suffering from cravings, looking for sweet pick-me-ups or if you're never satisfied until you have dessert, you might have a sugar addiction.
In March 2015, the World Health Organization recommended people consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugar a day. That's the equivalent of a single serve cup of strawberry yogurt.
But added sugar (often, not labelled as sugar) is hidden in foods we don't typically consider to be sweet. Sugar acts as both a flavour enhancer and a preservative in many pre-packaged foods like pasta sauce, oatmeal, bread and protein bars, says registered dietitian Kiran Bains, founder of Edo Vivo Nutrition Counselling and Corporate Seminars.
And just because it comes from a health store, it doesn't mean it's low in sugar or even healthy for you, Bains warns.
"It comes down to consumers learning to be smarter shoppers through reading labels and recognizing ingredients to stay away from."
In the slideshow below, Bains looks at 21 common names for added sugar and types of sweeteners you should strive to avoid. From barley malt to rice syrup, these sweeteners can be found in everything from candy bars to canned soups and loaves of bread.
And these aren't the only words used to refer to sugar — other names include scientific terms for simple sugars like dextrose, fructose, galactose, glucose, fructose, maltose, maltodextrin and sucrose.
But if you have a sweet tooth and love to bake, Bains suggests using apple sauce, dried raisins and apricots, dates and bananas instead of sugar to add sweetness to your recipe. In oatmeal or yogurt, skip the packets and use cinnamon, nuts and berries to add natural sweetness and flavour. Even your coffee can get healthier with a natural sweetener like stevia in place of sugar cubes.
Did any of these names surprise you? Let us know in the comments below.
