13 Sweet Facts About Sugar

How much do you really know about sugar? Different sugar studies consistently find that people have some misconceptions about sugar. Test your own knowledge of sugar here with these fun sugar facts.

Did you know that…

1.    Sugar is found in the fibers of all plants, as a byproduct of the process of photosynthesis. Sugar occurs naturally in fruits, dairy products, grains, and vegetables.

2.    Sugar is only found in high enough concentrations from two plants to make sugar crystals for food consumption: sugarcane and sugar beets.

3.    Carbohydrates can be obtained from three different sources: sugar, fiber, and starch. Carbohydrates are necessary for human and animal survival as the building blocks of cells.

4.    Contrary to what many people believe, there are only 15 calories in a teaspoon of sugar, which can be burned off in 15 minutes simply by socializing with other people.

5.    Sugar does not make a person gain weight. Consuming too many calories is what causes a person to gain weight, regardless of where the calories are found.

6.    Sugarcane is a species of grass native to Southeast Asia. There are 37 different species of sugarcane and they all crossbreed with one another.

7.    According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations, sugarcane is the world’s largest crop. 168 million tons of sugar were produced around the world in 2011. 80% of the world’s sugar production comes from sugarcane, while the other 20% comes from sugar beets.

8.    Before sugar became more widely available in the 18th Century, common people relied on honey for sweetening foods.

9.    Christopher Columbus was the first person to bring sugarcane to the New World.

10.  Brown sugars contain more vitamins and minerals than granulated sugars (white table sugars), according to nutritional information listed in the USDA Nutrient Database.

11.  When it comes to food there are two types of sugar: added sugar and naturally occurring sugar. The body can’t tell the difference between the two because they have the same chemical composition.

12.  Labels on food packages include both added and naturally occurring sugars, while ingredient lists include only added sugars. Added sugars are usually natural sweeteners other than granulated sugars.

13.  According to TotalHealth, men and women should consume different amounts of sugar. Women should limit their sugar consumption to 6 tsp. per day, while men may eat as many as 9 tsp. of sugar per day.