The Difference in Sugar Alcohol, Fruit Sugar, Cane Sugar and Root Sugar

by | May 10, 2018 | Ice Cream Consulting

Not all Sugars are the same:

Different sugars such as Sugar Alcohol, Fruit Sugar, Cane Sugar and Root Sugar are generally termed as sugar and typically used to describe sweetness, however because there are many forms of the carbohydrate “sugar” it’s important to better understand how the body process it and how used in products. Here are a list of sugar carbs, its origin and how the body accepts it.

Glucose, a simple sugar with the molecular formula (C6H12O6 ). The most important monosaccharide is glucose, the body’s preferred energy source,  also called blood sugar, as it circulates in the blood, and relies on the enzymes to initiate metabolism. Your body processes most carbohydrates you eat into glucose, either to be used immediately for energy or to be stored in muscle cells or the liver as glycogen for later use.

Sucrose:

Cane Sugar (C12H22O11) Grass growing. It enters your bloodstream, goes to your pancreas, which then releases a hormone called insulin – your body’s sugar regulator. The sugar is then stored in your liver, muscles and fat cells. A popular component used in ice cream as a solid to improve texture and lowers the freezing point. Also found in baked goods and many other processed foods.

Beet Sugar (Beta vulgaris) Root growing. Same chemical make-up as cane and processed in the body the same way. Considered by many in the ice cream industry as the “higher end” sugar and although it requires one less processing step than cane, it can be more costly of the two. Used as a solid in ice cream to improve texture and lowers the freezing point.

Fructose:

Found naturally in fruits and vegetables such as honey, tree and vine fruits, flowers, berries, and most root vegetables. Common in Soda, Candy, Sweetened Yogurt, Salad Dressing, Frozen Junk Foods, Breads, Canned Fruit and Juice.  Read more on the difference in the three.

Low Sugar, Low Carb Fruit:

Avocado ( 1 gram of sugar per cup)

Lime (1.1 grams of sugar per fruit)

Lemon (1.5 grams of sugar per fruit)

Rhubarb (1.3 grams of sugar per cup)

Apricots (3.2 grams of sugar per small apricot)

Cranberries (4 grams of sugar per cup)

Guavas (4.9 grams of sugar per fruit)

Raspberries (5 grams of sugar per cup)

Kiwis (6 grams of sugar per kiwis)

Low to Medium Levels of Sugar and Carb Fruit:

Blackberries and Strawberries (7 grams of sugar per cup)

Figs (8 grams of sugar per medium fig / Dried (5 – 12 grams of sugar per fig)

Grapefruit (8 grams of sugar per grapefruit half)

Cantaloupe (8 grams of sugar per wedge)

Tangerine (9 grams of sugar per medium size)

Nectarine (11.3 grams of sugar per one small size)

Papaya (12 grams of sugar per one small size)

Orange (12 grams of sugar per medium size)

Honeydew (13 grams of sugar per wedge)

Cherries (13 grams of sugar per cup)

Peaches (13 grams of sugar per medium size)

Blueberries ( 15 grams of sugar per cup)

Grapes (15 grams of sugar per cup)

Used in sorbet, Italian ice, ice cream and non-dairy frozen products. They do not added for added solid purposes and typically used for flavor and minimum sweetness.

High Sugar, High Carb Fruit:

Pineapple (16 grams of sugar per slice)

Pears (17 grams of sugar per medium size)

Banana (17 grams of sugar per large size)

Watermelon (18 grams of sugar per wedge)

Apple (19 grams of sugar per small size)

Pomegranate (39 grams of sugar per one)

Mango (46 grams of sugar per one)

Prunes (66 grams of sugar per cup)

Prune Raisin (86 grams of sugar per cup)

Prune Dates (93 grams of sugar per cup)

Very Well Fit is an excellent source and to read more.

Sugar Alcohol (HOCH2(CHOH)nCH2OH): FDA

Neither sugars nor alcohols, they are carbohydrates with a chemical structure that partially resemble sugar and partially resembles alcohol, but do not contain ethanol as alcoholic beverages do. SA’s are incompletely absorbed and metabolized by the body, and consequently contribute fewer calories than most sugars. Polyhydric alcohols, polyalcohols, alditols or glycitols are typically derived from sugars and water soluble, used for sweetness and sometimes thickness purposes adding zero solids to products and does not assist or hinder the freezing process of a dairy or non-dairy product.

The Names of Sugar Alcohols:

Very popular in products making claims of low calorie and carbs and for some individuals effects the stomach and gastrointestinal tract. Glycerol, Erythritol, Threitol, Arabitol, Xylitol, Ribitol, Mannitol, Sorbitol, Galactitol, Fucitol, Iditol, Inositol, Volemitol, Isomalt, Maltitol, Lactitol, Maltotetraitol, Maltotriitol and Polyglycitol. All containing different carbons.

Sugar Substitutes:

A food additive providing a sweet taste while containing significantly less food energy and can be made from natural and synthetic origins. Can be more costly than other sweeteners that do not require as much processing. A concentrated item that many people consider having a bitter aftertaste and found in candy, diet foods, soda, desserts and chewing gum.

Carbohydrate:

Carbohydrates (also called saccharides) are molecular compounds made from just three elements: carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. 

Carbohydrates are a source of energy for the body e.g. glucose and a store of energy, e.g. starch in plants and building blocks for polysaccharides (giant carbohydrates), e.g. cellulose in plants and glycogen in the human body.

Knowing the sugar you decide to include in your product or daily diet is important, because different carbons are commonly termed as “sugar” or “sweetener” but have a very different purpose and digestion effect in the body.

Contact Darryl, he will help you decide on the best sugar for your product.

Darryl David
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