Refined Sugars

Refined sugars are made by extracting and processing the sugar found naturally in plants such as sugarcane, sugar beets, and corn.  These refined sugars are typically used to add flavor to foods but can also act as a preservative in jams and jellies or help foods like pickles and breads ferment. They are also often used to add bulk to processed foods like soft drinks and ice cream. Foods that are un-processed and in their natural form with different nutrients are called Whole Foods. 

• Foods with HFCS may cause us to become resistant to leptin, a hormone that signals our bodies when to eat and when to stop. This may partly explain the link between refined sugar and obesity.

• Many studies also associate diets high in added sugars with increased heart disease risk.

• Additionally, diets rich in refined sugar are commonly linked to a higher risk of type 2 diabetes, depression, dementia, liver disease, and certain types of cancer.

Foods with substances like refined sugars added to it to make it taste better, or to preserve it, or to make it look more appealing are called Processed Foods.They are usually high in calories. The calories in refined sugars are called empty calories because they contain no vitamins, minerals, protein, fat, fiber, or other beneficial compounds like natural sugars do. In addition to being low in nutrients, these processed foods also tend to have lots of salt and added fats, which can both harm our health when we eat too much.

High-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is a type of refined sugar. It is made from processed corn.  It has a higher content of the sugar fructose making it sweeter than regular fructose. The most common type is HFCS 55, which contains 55% fructose and 42% glucose.