Ahh, sugar. We all know that it’s not good to eat too much of it, yet it’s highly palatable and can be hard to stay away from. Fat is also highly palatable – why else do fried foods taste good?!
Even though they both taste good, sugar does NOT have fat. Sugar is a type of carbohydrate, which is a different nutrient than fat.
We’ll explain more in detail below!
What is sugar?
Sugar is a type of carbohydrate, and carbohydrates are one of the three main nutrients your body uses to obtain energy.
There are different types of sugars that are found in various foods. Some of the most commonly known sugars are:
- Sucrose (table sugar)
- Glucose (blood sugar; also found in sweeteners like honey)
- Fructose (fruit sugar; also found in high-fructose corn syrup)
- Lactose (milk sugar)
When you think of sugar, you likely think of table sugar and other sweeteners. Sugar is added to a lot of processed foods (not just sweets) such as soups, bread, condiments, and much more.
Does sugar have fat?
Sugar doesn’t contain fat. Fat is a different type of nutrient completely, so you can also say that fat doesn’t have sugar!
Which foods are high in fat?
So if sugar doesn’t have fat, which foods are high in fat?
Some examples of foods that are high in fat include:
- Vegetable oil
- Coconut oil
- Nuts and seeds
- Avocados
- Meat (especially red meat)
- Full-fat dairy products (cream, whole milk, cheese, etc.)
Keep in mind that some foods that are high in fat can contain sugar, but that doesn’t mean that sugar has fat. An example is flavored full-fat yogurt – it’s high in fat from the cow’s milk and also contains sugar to sweeten it – but the sugar itself doesn’t have fat.
FAQs:
Eating too much sugar (especially added sugar in processed foods and sugary drinks) can make you gain weight by providing extra calories in your diet. If you eat more calories than you burn for energy, then you will gain weight. Weight gained from extra calories without working out (e.g. weight lifting or running) is typically fat.
Sugar is a type of carbohydrate (carb). The other types of carbs are starch and fiber.
It’s thought that too much added sugar can be worse for you than fat, even saturated fat (according to more recent studies). However, too much of any nutrient can potentially be harmful, so it’s best to aim for a diet that includes all nutrients in moderation while limiting added sugar.
Sugar is a type of carbohydrate that is used for energy in your body. It’s broken down into glucose, which feeds your cells. If your body doesn’t use sugar for energy (such as excess sugar intake), it’s stored as fat.
Eating more calories than you burn for energy can make you gain weight. Sugar is especially notorious for causing weight gain because it’s added to many foods (some of them you might not be aware of), which increases the calories you consume.
Sugar-sweetened beverages are among the worst culprits for weight gain because they don’t make you feel full yet are very high in calories.
Finally, eating sugar stimulates insulin production. Insulin is a hormone that not only lowers your blood sugar, but promotes fat storage as well.
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