How to find those hidden added sugars

We’re consuming too much sugar. The average adult in the United States consumes over 1/3 a cup of added sugar each day, well above the amount recommended by the U.S. Dietary Guidelines for Americans. ^1,2  

Instead of limiting intake of added sugars per day to no more than 10% of total calories, or about 50 grams (g) based on a 2,000 calorie diet for adults, ² men and women are consuming well beyond this amount. ³  

The American Heart Association has further limits, recommending limiting added sugars to no more than 6% of calories each day. For most American women, that’s no more than 100 calories per day, or about 25 g of sugar. For men, it’s 150 calories per day, or about 37.5 g. ⁴  

When you think of sugar in foods, cakes, cookies, and other sweets come to mind. But those aren’t the only sources of sugar. Hidden sugar is common in packaged foods and goes by many names. Regardless of the name, they could all cause a glucose spike.  

But there’s good news. Even food labels with hidden sugars give us hints to lead us to them. Here are a few of them:   

1. In the United States, packaged foods will list the amount of added sugars on the nutrition facts label as well as the Percent Daily Value (% DV), which means the percentage of added sugar in a serving of food based on the daily limit. So, if you’re eating a food that lists 15% DV next to “Added sugar,” you’ll be eating 15% of the added sugars you should consume in a day, based on the Dietary Guidelines recommendation of no more than 50 g per day. ⁵  

2. Look for the words syrup and sugar. Examples include brown rice syrup, corn syrup, and cane sugar.  

3. Sugar may also be labeled with the ending “-ose”, like glucose, dextrose, fructose, galactose, sucrose, or maltose.  

4. Other names include molasses, honey, agave, cane juice, barley malt, and potato starch.  

It’s important to remember that just because foods contain these words, it doesn’t mean they’re always bad choices. You can still occasionally enjoy these foods, in the proper portions listed on the food label. Consuming them after you have foods like vegetables, protein, and healthy fats can help decrease their impact on your glucose. ⁶  

A final note from Lingo  

Hidden sugars can have a big impact on your glucose without you realizing you’ve been eating them. To maintain steady glucose levels and manage your sugar intake effectively, keep an eye on nutrition facts labels and ingredients lists. 

You can track the effects of hidden sugars on your glucose using a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) like Lingo. These devices provide glucose data that can help you learn which foods might be the best for you to keep your glucose steady. 

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