Sarah Di Lorenzo: Are all sugars created equal? Natural versus processed in fruit, chocolate & treats

It would be fair to say most of us are aware of sugar’s negative impact on health, but many people query is all sugar is created equal?

While sugar molecules like glucose, fructose, and sucrose are found both in apples and sweet chocolates like Mars bars, the way these sugars behave in our bodies is very different in how the body digests, metabolises and responds to them.

Sugar in our diet is absolutely shaped by the foods it comes from. The fibre and nutrients in fruit with a slow release of sugar compared to the rapid absorption of sugar in processed sweets and chocolates.

Understanding these differences is essential for anyone wanting to make healthier choices and manage blood sugar, weight, and lower their risk of chronic disease.

Chemically, the sugars in fruit and chocolate are simple sugars such as fructose, sucrose and glucose and our body will metabolise these sugars in almost the same way.

Sucrose, which is table sugar, is made up of glucose and fructose, which is a structures found in fruits and processed sweets. But they are extremely different when it comes to overall impact on health and how they are absorbed.

Fruit contains natural sugar that is within the matrix of water, vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and fibre. This natural structure and natural packaging will slow down the absorption of sugar and digestion, resulting in a gradual rise in blood glucose.

The fibre will also help you feel full, support gut health, stop you from overeating and give you a good slow release of energy, plus not is amazing for the gut and overall health full of nutrient density.

Different fruits will have different effects, though, fruits can be low-carbohydrate and high-carbohydrate, but it is coupled with fibre that helps with the slower release of glucose.

Sugary chocolate bars, however, are mostly added sugar that is highly refined, has no fibre and is full of unhealthy fats. It is a nutrient-poor processed food.

The sugars in sweets and chocolates are absorbed very quickly, leading to blood sugar spikes and crashes that leave you with increased cravings and hunger. Plus, processed sweets are full of extra “empty” calories.

The consequences of eating fruit is linked to much better metabolic health, lower risk of heart disease, lower incidence of type 2 diabetes and generally a healthier body weight, given that fruit eaters are generally healthier eaters than those who eat a lot of chocolates.

Fruit in its whole form delivers fibre, antioxidants, vitamins, minerals and a slower absorption of sugar.

When eating sweets, chocolates and sugary snacks, these processed foods are linked with obesity, heart disease, dental decay, increased risk of type 2 diabetes and a much higher risk of chronic disease. A high intake of these sugars promotes fat storage around the belly, known as visceral fat, which promotes inflammation, which drives chronic disease like insulin resistance as a starting point.

Fruit can have a moderate glycemic response, much depending on what type of fruit it is, but in general, the fibre steadies the blood sugar response. Chocolate and processed sugary treats will cause a fast sugar spike, dangerous to our health, driving insulin resistance.

The food matrix in fruit supports health, the fibre in fruit is filling and delays hunger, preventing overeating, the complete opposite of chocolates, which simply cannot provide this.

There is no evidence linking whole fruit consumption to poor health outcomes. Fruit needs to play a role in a healthy and balanced diet with recommendations of around two to four pieces per day, depending on individual needs. Chocolatey sugary treats drive chronic disease risk.

So while sugars themselves may be chemically similar, the health impact of sugar from a whole fruit (not juicing) is profoundly different from the sugar consumed in chocolatey sweets and treats because of the additional nutrients, fibre, absorption rate, and effects on satiety and metabolism.

Choosing whole fruits over highly processed sweets and chocolate is consistently linked with better health outcomes and reduced chronic disease risk.