B1312 words2:15News Report American AccentPublished Jun 14, 2026 · Updated Jun 14, 2026

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Many people try to reduce the amount of sugar in their diet, but this is not easy.

Sugar is added to a wide range of food and drink products, including some that do not taste sweet.

In fact, sugar has more than fifty different names on food labels, which makes it difficult for consumers to identify.

So what exactly is sugar?

Most people know table sugar, which is called sucrose.

It is made from sugar cane or sugar beet.

However, sugar is also a general term for simple carbohydrates that are found naturally in many foods.

Fructose and glucose are present in fruits and some vegetables.

Lactose is found in dairy products like milk and yoghurt, and maltose comes from malted grains.

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Is all sugar bad for your health?

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According to nutrition experts, sugar in whole foods is not harmful.

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Sammie Gill, a senior scientist at the British Nutrition Foundation, has explained that foods like fruit and milk offer many important nutrients.

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"Fruit contains vitamin C, fibre and other beneficial substances, and milk provides calcium, protein and vitamin B12," she said. "You cannot compare a piece of fruit to a bag of sweets."

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The sugar types that people should limit are called "free sugars."

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These are sugars that have been added by manufacturers, cooks, or consumers themselves.

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Free sugars are commonly found in fizzy drinks, biscuits, cakes, and chocolate.

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They are also present in alcoholic drinks, fruit juices, and smoothies, because the natural sugars are released during the juicing process.

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Many consumers have also wondered about artificial sweeteners as an alternative to sugar.

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These products have been used in diet drinks and low-calorie foods for many years.

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However, opinions about their safety and health effects remain divided among scientists.

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For now, experts recommend that people focus on eating whole foods and reducing their intake of processed products that contain hidden free sugars.

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Everything you need to know about sugar – from how much you should consume, to some of its 50...

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