Natural Sugar vs. Added Sugar: What’s the Difference and Why It Matters

Sugar is everywhere. And nowhere more so than the modern American diet. Over the past few decades, our increased reliance on processed foods and sugary beverages has led to a significant rise in sugar intake. This spike in consumption is closely tied to higher rates of obesity, diabetes, and other chronic health conditions.

But deciphering the sugar content of foods isn’t always straightforward. The most important distinction to understand is the difference between natural sugars and added sugars.

What Are Added Sugars?

Added sugars refer to any sugars or sweeteners that are included in foods during processing or preparation. These include white sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, honey, and high fructose corn syrup. You’ll find added sugars in everything from soft drinks and packaged snacks to salad dressings and even some breads.

Added sugars contribute calories but offer little to no nutritional benefit. They are quickly absorbed into the bloodstream, causing blood sugar spikes and increased insulin levels. Over time, this can contribute to insulin resistance and fat storage.

What Are Natural Sugars?

Natural sugars are those found inherently in whole foods, such as fructose in fruit and lactose in dairy. These sugars come packaged with other beneficial nutrients.  In that piece of fruit, for example, that fructose comes with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. The fiber slows sugar absorption, helping to minimize blood sugar spikes while supporting steady energy levels. Meanwhile, all those antioxidants help prevent cellular damage and all those beneficial minerals help keep blood pressure in check.

This is why consumption of whole fruits has been consistently linked to improved heart and metabolic health - regardless of the sugar content of the fruit!

How Step One Foods Uses Sugar

At Step One Foods, we believe in full transparency. You will see added sugars listed on our Nutrition Facts Panels for some of our products. You should know that those added sugars are part and parcel of the ingredients themselves (like dark chocolate, for example).  We do not add any sugars to our products when making them.  In addition, we  accept only the most minimal added amounts, and only when that addition serves a clear purpose in delivering flavor or texture without compromising nutritional value. 

Here’s how added sugar shows up in our products:

Fruit

Unlike many manufacturers who use “berry flavored fruit bits” in their products, we incorporate only real dried cranberries and real dried blueberries in our foods. As part of the drying process, a small amount of apple juice concentrate is added by the fruit supplier to keep the berries soft and chewy. This ensures quality while maintaining the benefits of whole fruit.  That apple juice concentrate is considered an added sugar. 

Chocolate

Our chocolate-containing bars are made with 72% cacao bittersweet chocolate, which includes a small amount of sugar as part of the chocolate ingredient itself. Unsweetened chocolate is very bitter and not enjoyable on its own, but the limited sugar we accept as part of the chocolate ingredient is balanced with high fiber from the complex grains that are part and parcel of all our bars. In addition, studies have shown that dark chocolate with at least 70% cacao offers cardiovascular benefits (in spite of the added sugars), so you can definitely feel good about these indulgent-tasting options.

At Step One Foods, our goal is to help you improve your health while still enjoying what you’re eating. That’s why every ingredient is carefully chosen and meticulously evaluated through a lens prioritizing BOTH health AND taste. In the end, our clinical trial results are the most powerful, objective validation of our approach and tell you everything you need to know about the superior ingredients and composition of our products.  

About Step One Foods: Step One Foods offers convenient, scientifically-formulated foods clinically validated to rapidly reduce cholesterol and improve cardiometabolic health. Real food. Real results. Unapologetically delicious. Learn more at steponefoods.com.