Are you actively trying to avoid adding unnecessary sugar to your diet?
You already know that sugar is bad for your teeth. Consuming sugar attracts bacteria that attach to your teeth by forming an acid that causes holes in your teeth, also known as cavities.
Sugar also can cause complications that increase your risk of heart disease, diabetes, and even stroke. The American Heart Association found that Americans consume nearly 22 teaspoons of sugar per day. The maximum should be 9 teaspoons for men, 6 teaspoons for women, and only 4 for children.
In general, avoiding sugar seems relatively easy. You just need to check the ingredients on packages before you eat and look for sugar. Well, that’s easier said than done, unfortunately.
The problem is that sugar is in many of the foods and drinks that you consume on a regular basis. Plus, many companies in the food industry try to mask sugar by calling it by different names. Actually, sugar has 56 different names. All variations of it are bad for you and many do not include the word sugar in the name, so how can you avoid them?
First, it can be helpful to be familiar with their names. You may notice that there are commonalities between some of the sugars in this list, namely that a majority of them include the word syrup. All of the following variations can cause cavities, so it’s important to watch what you eat. If you see any of the following sugars listed on your go-to snacks or favorite foods, you should consider limiting your intake of them.
Second, by taking a look at your diet and seeing where your unnatural sugar intake comes from, you probably can easily swap some of those bad choices for healthier alternatives.
56 Types of Sugar:
• Agave nectar
• Barbados sugar
• Barley malt
• Beet sugar
• Blackstrap molasses
• Brown rice syrup
• Brown sugar
• Buttered syrup
• Cane juice crystals
• Cane sugar
• Caramel
• Carob syrup
• Castor sugar
• Confectioner’s sugar
• Corn syrup
• Corn syrup solids
• Crystalline fructose
• Date sugar
• Demerara sugar
• Dextran
• Dextrose
• Diastatic malt
• Diatase
• Ethyl maltol
• Evaporated cane juice
• Florida crystals
• Fructose
• Fruit juice
• Fruit juice concentrate
• Galactose
• Lucas
• Glucose solids
• Golden sugar
• Golden syrup
• Grape sugar
• High-fructose corn syrup
• Honey
• Icing sugar
• Invert sugar
• Lactose
• Malt syrup
• Maltose
• Maple Syrup
• Molasses
• Muscovado sugar
• Organic raw sugar
• Refiner’s syrup
• Rice syrup
• Sorghum syrup
• Sucrose
• Sugar
• Treacle
• Turbinado sugar
• Yellow sugar
Of course, memorizing all 56 forms of sugar is not only really difficult to do, but also impractical. The best way to avoid sugar as often as possible is to look for variations with the word sugar or syrup. Avoiding sodas, juices, and alcohol can also help drastically lower your sugar intake.
It’s not easy to avoid sugar altogether, but by brushing regularly, flossing, using mouthwash, and scheduling regular dental cleanings you can do all that you can to prevent cavities.
Are you worried about developing cavities? Schedule an appointment today to learn more about taking better care of your teeth.