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In the nutritional value table of a product, under the heading carbohydrates, there is often the text “of which sugars”. What does that actually mean?
Of which sugars: added or natural sugars?
To clear up a widespread misunderstanding once and for all; the amount of sugars mentioned under “of which sugars” says nothing about the origin of these sugars. They are not necessarily added. If nothing is mentioned here, it also does not mean that all carbohydrates in the product, if present, would be natural, although the chance is high.
“Sugars” vs. “Carbohydrates”
To start, it’s helpful to address the definition of sugars. Sugars are a type of carbohydrate. So, all sugars are carbohydrates, but not all carbohydrates are sugars.
There are different types of carbohydrates, also called saccharides. These are molecules formed by a chain of oxygen, hydrogen, and carbon atoms. The differences in carbohydrates are determined by the number and type of saccharides that form a chain:
- One chain: monosaccharides. Like glucose, fructose, and galactose
- Two chains: disaccharides. For example, lactose in milk (glucose+galactose)
- Several chains (3 to 9): oligosaccharides. For example, raffinose (in beans, one galactose-, one glucose-, and one fructose-chain)
- Many chains: polysaccharides. For example, starch as in bread (multiple glucose-chains)
Under the term “sugars,” the carbohydrates of 1 and 2 chains are meant. Examples of these are table sugar, which is a disaccharide and thus consists of two chains. Another example is lactose in milk.
Lactose is an excellent example. Look at the ingredients and nutritional value table of a pack of milk. For instance, on my pack of semi-skimmed milk from Jumbo, it states 46 grams of carbohydrates of which sugars 46 grams. These sugars, as said, are not added. Under the ingredients, only milk is listed.
The type of carbohydrate in milk is lactose. Lactose is a disaccharide and thus a ‘sugar,’ despite it being a ‘natural sugar’ that naturally occurs in milk.
Why is “of which sugars” important?
Your body does not differentiate between sugars that are naturally present in a product and the same type of sugars added by a producer. What’s important is that ‘sugars’ are formed by a very short chain and therefore are processed differently than carbohydrates that consist of longer chains.
In a previous article, I went into detail on the different effects of various carbohydrates and muscle growth. Here, I only want to touch on the most important points briefly. Carbohydrates with a short chain, also called fast or simple sugars, are absorbed quicker and lead to a quicker rise in your blood sugar. This causes a quicker rise in insulin which can lead to fat storage and an increased risk of diabetes. Carbohydrates with long chains, also called slow or complex carbohydrates, cause a more gradual rise in blood sugar (glucose) and insulin.
A quicker rise in your blood sugar is not necessarily bad. For example, when your blood sugar is low after significant exertion or because you haven’t eaten for too long. Also, the rise in insulin from fast sugars can cause your muscle cells to store more glucose as glycogen and start producing more proteins (thus, muscle growth).
Quantify total and be discerning
As also mentioned in the previous article, it’s important first to know exactly how many carbohydrates you’re getting and how much you actually need. You can now become very discerning and
eat only complex carbohydrates but still gain weight because you’re simply consuming too many carbohydrates.
People quickly tend to learn a dietary trick, like “no gluten,” “no fats,” or “no purple food on a Monday”. However, you’re not there yet if you’re critical of the label and boycott certain ingredients. A general understanding of what you need and when takes you a lot further.
If you want to know if you’re consuming too many carbohydrates as a good starting point for assessing your sugar intake, then download the FITsociety App for iPhone or Android, where you can easily track and measure your diet.
