Secret Sugars: 56 Different Names for Sugar

Sugar is a master of disguise: just because you don’t see “sugar” on the ingredient list when scanning a nutrition label does not guarantee the item is sugar or sweetener-free. There are several “synonyms” for sugar that you should be aware of - at least 56 of them!

Sugar goes by a slew of different names, making it easy for manufacturers to hide how much sugar is truly in a given product. While some of these names are more obvious, like brown and cane sugar, others are trickier to spot (e.g., maltodextrin and dextrose).

Shockingly, over 68% of barcoded food products sold in the U.S. contain added sweeteners—even if they are labeled as “natural” or “healthy.”¹

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Sugar in your diet

Sugar is sneaky, and can appear where you least expect it. There are the more obvious items like cakes, sweets, sodas, and table sugar that you might add to your morning coffee. But it can also hide out in things like sauces, salad dressings, granola bars, and pre-made foods. Even fruit – while it’s considered “natural” – contains sugar.

Everyone’s tolerance for sugar is different, but for people with type 2 diabetes who are “carbohydrate intolerant,” consuming too much sugar can lead to issues like spiking blood sugar, weight gain, and more. Learn more about how sugar and carbohydrates impact your blood sugar readings here. If you have a lower tolerance to carbohydrates, it’s important to be aware of all of the different names or “synonyms” for sugar, so you can check labels and identify products where sugar might be hiding out, even when at first glance, the nutrition facts appear to show it’s low in carbs and added sugar.

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What to look out for

The best way to ensure you’re not consuming excess added sugars is to get in the habit of always scanning the ingredient list below before you throw the item in your cart. Keep in mind that ingredients are listed by quantity from high to low: the closer to the front of the list a form of sugar is, the more the product contains.

Feeling overwhelmed? Use this list of sugar names below to help you avoid a head rush when you shop!

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Sugar synonyms - the most common names for sugar

(Excluding artificial sweeteners and sugar substitutes)

‍Basic Simple Sugars (monosaccharides and disaccharides):

1. Dextrose
2. Fructose
3. Galactose
4. Glucose
5. Lactose
6. Maltose
7. Sucrose

Solid or Granulated Sugars:

8. Beet sugar
9. Brown sugar
10. Cane juice crystals
11. Cane sugar
12. Castor sugar
13. Coconut sugar
14. Confectioner's sugar (aka, powdered sugar)
15. Corn syrup solids
16. Crystalline fructose
17. Date sugar
18. Demerara sugar
19. Dextrin
20. Diastatic malt
21. Ethyl maltol
22. Florida crystals
23. Golden sugar
24. Glucose syrup solids
25. Grape sugar
26. Icing sugar
27. Maltodextrin
28. Muscovado sugar
29. Panela sugar
30. Raw sugar
31. Sugar (granulated or table)
32. Sucanat
33. Turbinado sugar
34. Yellow sugar

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Liquid or Syrup Sugars:

35. Agave Nectar/Syrup
36. Barley malt
37. Blackstrap molasses
38. Brown rice syrup
39. Buttered sugar/buttercream
40. Caramel
41. Carob syrup
42. Corn syrup
43. Evaporated cane juice
44. Fruit juice
45. Fruit juice concentrate
46. Golden syrup
47. High-Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)
48. Honey
49. Invert sugar
50. Malt syrup
51. Maple syrup
52. Molasses
53. Rice syrup
54. Refiner's syrup
55. Sorghum syrup
56. Treacle

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How much sugar should I consume?

The short answer if you have prediabetes or type 2 diabetes: as little as possible. But if you spot any of these names listed on a label, it’s not necessarily an automatic no-go. It’s the amount of sugar that counts.  Again, everyone has a different tolerance for sugar and carbohydrates. 

If the total carbohydrate count is 1–2 grams, it’s often still fine to have if you’re following a low carb lifestyle. For example, many keto-friendly salad dressings include a pinch of sugar with 1–2 grams total carbs—these are still suitable to consume.

Are you carbohydrate intolerant? Do you struggle with high blood sugar? Learn more about how Virta can reverse the root cause – insulin resistance.