69 Names for Sugar, and How to Spot Them

You’re probably aware that too much sugar isn’t good for your health. Yet American adults eat an estimated 77 g (over 18 tsp) of sugar per day, which is far above the recommended limits. This is partly because sugar can be found in surprising places, from condiments to tea drinks. 

If you are trying to watch your sugar intake, you have to be able to identify it and know where it hides. Becoming familiar with the different names and types of sugar can help. Then you can follow simple tips for cutting back. 

What is sugar? 

Sugar is a type of carbohydrate. After you eat sugar, it’s quickly digested and absorbed into your bloodstream to provide your body with energy. Some sources of sugar are naturally present in foods. Examples include lactose in dairy products and fructose in fruit. 

Other types of sugar are added to foods to improve flavor, texture, and other properties of food. 

What are the different types of sugar that are found in foods?

Sugars come in many different forms and go by many names. This can make identifying them tricky. 

While this is not an exhaustive list, here are 69 names for sugar that you might find on an ingredient label: 

1. Agave nectar

2. Barbados sugar

3. Barley malt

4. Barley malt syrup

5. Beet sugar

6. Brown rice syrup

7. Brown sugar

8. Buttered syrup

9. Cane juice

10. Cane juice crystals

11. Cane sugar

12. Caramel

13. Carob syrup

14. Castor sugar

15. Coconut sugar

16. Coconut nectar 

17. Confectioners’ sugar

18. Corn sweetener

19. Corn syrup

20. Corn syrup solids

21. Crystalline fructose 

22. Date sugar

23. Date syrup 

24. Dehydrated cane juice

25. Demerara sugar

26. Dextrin

27. Dextrose

28. Evaporated cane juice

29. Free-flowing brown sugars

30. Fructose

31. Fruit juice

32. Fruit juice concentrate 

33. Fruit nectar

34. Glucose

35. Glucose solids

36. Golden sugar

37. Golden syrup

38. Granulated sugar

39. Grape sugar

40. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS)

41. Honey

42. Icing sugar

43. Invert sugar

44. Lactose

45. Malt sugar

46. Malt syrup

47. Maltodextrin

48. Maltol

49. Maltose

50. Mannose

51. Maple sugar

52. Maple syrup

53. Molasses

54. Muscovado

55. Palm sugar

56. Panocha

57. Powdered sugar

58. Raw sugar

59. Refiners’ syrup

60. Rice syrup

61. Saccharose

62. Sorghum syrup

63. Sucrose

64. Sugar 

65. Sweet sorghum

66. Syrup

67. Treacle

68. Turbinado sugar

69. Yellow sugar 

What is considered too much sugar? 

If more than 10% of your daily calories come from added sugar, experts consider that too much. So if you eat 2,000 calories in a day, no more than 200 of those calories (around 50 g) should come from sugar. 

The American Heart Association has slightly stricter limits and recommends the following:

• Men: No more than 36 g. This is equal to 9 tsp or around 150 calories’ worth.

• Women and children aged 2 and older: No more than 25 g, equal to 6 tsp or 100 calories’ worth.

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Keep in mind that these guidelines only apply to added sugars, which are not naturally present in food, rather than naturally occurring sugar, such as the type found in fruit. Both types of sugar can be found on the nutrition facts label underneath the “total carbohydrates” section. But you’ll notice a separate line below for “added sugar.”

While sugar in fruit and certain other unrefined forms of sugar are relatively better than most types listed above, eating too much of any kind can take a negative toll on your health. 

What happens if I eat too much sugar?

Eating more sugar than is recommended has been linked to many serious health problems, including: 

• Obesity

• Type 2 diabetes 

• High blood pressure

• High cholesterol

• Increased risk for heart attack and stroke

• Heart disease 

• Fatty liver disease 

• Mental decline, such as impaired memory 

• Some types of cancer 

How can I limit my sugar intake?

Unfortunately, added sugar is hiding in nearly 75% of packaged foods. While it's common to think of sugar as only being found in sweet foods, it is often hidden in many savory foods as well. This makes cutting back a bit more tricky, but not impossible. Here are six tips.

1. Read food labels

This is the best way to know if and how much sugar a packaged food has. It’s a good idea to check both the carbohydrates section of the nutrition facts label where it says “added sugars” and the ingredients list. Then, when possible, choose foods with the least amount of added sugars. 

2. Limit sweetened beverages 

Beverages are the most common source of all added sugars that Americans consume. These include sweetened coffee and tea drinks, as well as energy drinks, soda, and cocktails. Try asking for less sugar when ordering a drink, adding less sweetener to your drinks, or choosing naturally sugar-free drink options like sparkling water.

3. Be wary of condiments 

Things like barbeque sauce, ketchup, and pasta sauces can all be loaded with added sugars. For example, a typical serving of barbecue sauce can hide 10 g (more than 2 tsp) of added sugar. 

4. Limit sweetened breakfast foods

Flavored yogurt and other breakfast foods like cereal, pastries, and granola are other common offenders of added sugars. Alternative choices include plain yogurt that you flavor yourself with fruit or small amounts of honey and low-sugar cereals and granolas.

5. Watch out for fat-free products

Sugar is often added to these products to improve the flavor that is lost from removing the fat. Choosing low or full-fat products may be best in these situations. 

6. Eat whole, minimally processed foods 

Food in its natural state does not contain added sugars. Examples of whole foods include:

• Fruits

• Vegetables 

• Beans and other legumes

• Whole grains like oats, brown rice, and quinoa

• Healthy fat, like avocado, nuts and seeds, and plant oils

• Protein, such as meat, fish, and tofu

It's a good rule of thumb to make the bulk of your diet consist of these types of foods. 

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Written by:

Joanna Foley, RD

Joanna Foley, RD, is a registered dietitian (RD) and the owner of joannafoleynutrition.com, a private nutrition consulting business. She has previously worked as a clinical dietitian and outpatient renal dietitian.

Edited by:

Samvida Patel, MNSP, INHC

Samvida Patel, MNSP, INHC, is a health editor at GoodRx. She is a nutritionist and integrative nutrition health coach with over 8 years of experience in health communications.

Reviewed 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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