Is Natural Sugar Better Than Refined Sugar?

When thinking of sugary foods, most people probably imagine cookies or candy. But many different types of foods — like fruit and vegetables — also contain sugar. The difference is that fresh produce contains natural sugars and sweets contain refined sugars. Between the two, natural sugar is much better for your overall health. Here’s why.

What is natural sugar?

Natural sugar is sugar that naturally occurs in a food, in its purest form. This means it hasn’t been processed. Types of natural simple sugars include:

• Fructose: Mostly found in fruits and some vegetables

• Sucrose: Found in fruits and vegetables

• Glucose: Found in honey, agave, and molasses

• Lactose: Found in dairy foods, like milk, yogurt, and cheese

• Galactose: Found in dairy products, beets, nuts, legumes, and some fruits and vegetables

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What is refined sugar?

Refined sugar starts with a natural source — like corn or beets — but has been processed so that it can be easily packaged or added to certain foods and drinks. Examples of refined sugar include:

• Corn syrup

• High-fructose corn syrup 

• Granulated sugar (also known as regular or white sugar)

• Brown sugar

• Coconut palm sugar

Often refined sugar is found in sweets like:

• Candy

• Cake

• Ice cream

• Cookies

• Juice

• Sports drinks

• Energy drinks

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Foods that contain refined sugar but maybe seem less obvious include:

• Breads

• Soups

• Cured meats

• Condiments (like ketchup)

What are added sugars?

There are additional ways to categorize sugars that can be confusing. Take, for example, added sugars. Think of natural and refined sugars as two ends of a spectrum. Somewhere in between are added sugars. Added sugars are syrups and other caloric add-ins used to sweeten foods. 

Refined sugars are always classified as added sugars. But some natural sugars — like honey and agave — are considered to be added sugars, too. Even though these are natural sugars, they are categorized as added sugars because they add calories without adding nutrition. 

Are artificial sweeteners refined sugars?

No, artificial sweeteners — like stevia and aspartame — are not sugar. They are considered sugar substitutes. This means they give a sweet taste to food, but they don’t actually contain any sugar.

Is natural sugar better for you than refined sugar?

When it comes to a nutritious diet, natural sugar is better than refined sugar. This is because foods with natural sugar often contain other ingredients — like protein and fiber — to help lower blood sugar spikes. Stable blood sugar levels can also help prevent you from crashing or feeling low energy after eating. And this can help keep your weight stable. Plus, foods high in natural sugar, like fruits and vegetables, usually contain antioxidants and important vitamins and minerals.

Diets high in refined sugar have also been linked to heart disease, diabetes, and weight gain.

It can be hard to know where to start if you’re looking to limit sugar in your diet, especially since it’s present in so many foods. Reading food labels may be a good place to start.

How do you read food labels for sugar?

To make it easier to understand food labels, the FDA requires that food labels clearly list added sugars. 

To find added sugars on a food label, first find the bold line labeled “total carbohydrates” on the nutrition fact box. (Sugars are a type of carbohydrate.) Below that line, you’ll see “total sugars.” Total sugars include natural sugars plus any added sugars (if there are any). There’s no recommended daily value for total sugars. 

Beneath total sugars, you’ll see “added sugars” listed. According to the American Heart Association, women should limit their added-sugar intake to 25 g (around 6 teaspoons) daily. Men should limit their added-sugar intake to 36 g (around 9 teaspoons) daily. For reference, a teaspoon of sugar is roughly equal to 4 grams.

If there’s no label, then check the list of ingredients for the refined sugars listed above. Look for words ending in “ose,” since that usually means the ingredient is a type of sugar. Ingredient lists are ordered from the most to least abundant ingredients. So, if an added sugar is near the top of the list, it means that this food probably has a high amount.

Remember that carbohydrates — including sugar — are part of a balanced idea. And it’s OK to eat them occasionally. You don’t need to cut refined sugar completely out of your diet. 

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Written by:

Cherilyn Davis, MD

Cherilyn Davis, MD, is a board-certified pediatrician in New York City. She has held local and national roles at the American Medical Women’s Association including board member of the physician division and physician chair of social media.

Edited by:

Katie E. Golden, MD

Katie E. Golden, MD, is a board-certified emergency medicine physician and a medical editor at GoodRx.

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