SIt is said that Mozart’s genius was fueled by marzipan and Viennese pastries. In this, nothing special. Everyone likes the sweet taste, because we have specific taste receptors in the mouth and because for our ancestors it was equivalent to a reliable signal: in nature it indicates ripe, non-toxic and energy-filled fruits. In times when calories were scarce, the brain evolved to feel pleasure in front of sweets and want to repeat the experience. We are seduced, ensnared. However, our ancestors did not put sugar in their coffee, did not eat biscuits every morning and did not discard snacks. They were satisfied by the taste of a peach or a fig. Since the boom of the 1950s, the sucrose he forcefully entered the kitchens and lo corn syrup high in fructose it has become an ingredient of what was once called junk food and which is now defined ultra-processed food. The flour is very white, the soft drinks are drunk by the liter. We have to resist too many temptations to avoid gaining weight, but there is no reason to demonize every sweetness. Here you are 15 false myths about sugars.
1. Glucose is bad for you
Glucose is the universal biological fuel of every living being, from plants to insects, from yeasts to mammals. It travels dissolved in the blood and is essential in particular for the human brain, which is the the body’s first energy consumer at rest. If we completely eliminate carbohydrates, that is, our sources of glucose, the body is forced to produce it on its own, dismantling proteins through gluconeogenesis. This state of ketosis it can be useful in some pathologies (such as epilepsy) or temporarily for weight loss, but if kept for a long time it represents a strong metabolic stress.
2. All carbohydrates must be limited
Carbohydrates are not all the same. The complex ones, made up of starches (glucose polymers), are found in cereals, potatoes, legumes and in minimal quantities in vegetables. Among simple carbohydrates, the following are distinguished intrinsic sugarsnaturally present in fruit and milk, included in a healthy diet, and the free sugarscontained in table sugar, fruit juices, syrups and honey and added to packaged sweet products (from biscuits to fruit yoghurts) and often also in packaged savory products (loaf of bread or biscuits).
When you eat a fruit or vegetable, the Fiber slows digestion, preventing sugar spikes in the blood. This does not happen when we take free sugars, which enter the circulation quickly. If i high blood sugar spikes occur often, cells can become less reactive to insulin, the hormone responsible for breaking down blood glucose: the phenomenon is known as insulin resistance, which could evolve into type 2 diabetes.
«Excessive consumption of added sugars can also induce the liver to convert some of that sugar into fatwhich accumulates in the liver, increasing the risk of hepatic steatosis associated with metabolic dysfunction” explained al New York Times the endocrinologist Robert Lustigprofessor emeritus of pediatrics at the University of California. «Excess fat from the liver can enter the bloodstream and block the arteriesincreasing the risk of heart attack and stroke.” In summary, carbohydrates should occupy about half of our energy needs, but the ideal is to cover that share with whole grains, legumes, potatoes, chestnuts and fruit, avoiding excess “bad” carbohydrates.
3. Sugar is a white poison
Sucrose, formed by the union of a molecule of glucose and one of fructose, is not a toxic, carcinogenic substance. In itself it does not cause harm to health. If anything, as the chemist Paracelsus said, it’s the dose that makes the poison. Poison so to speak. The recommended limit of free or added sugars, according to the World Health Organization, it is the 5 percent of your daily calorie intake. In a diet of around 1,700 calories per day (suitable on average for an adult woman who does moderate physical activity), 5 percent corresponds to 21 grams, or four level teaspoons of sugar, 80 calories. All included: sweetness of tea or coffee and additions in preparations, whether home-made or industrial. However, sugars coming from fruit and milk are excluded from the calculation.
4. You need to replace sugar with honey
Sweeteners like honey or agave syrup are considered “natural” alternatives to sucrose and better options for your health. In reality the body does not distinguish them and breaks them down into the same molecules. And excess sugar is harmful to the body, whatever the source. «It is true that honey, thanks to the presence of water, provides a slightly reduced quantity of calories compared to table sugar (320 calories per 100 grams compared to approximately 400 for sucrose) and contains mineral salts, but the fact remains that if you really reduced your sugar intake, your intake of micronutrients would be minimal” we read on the team’s website Smartfoods of the Iothe European Institute of Oncology in Milan.
The energy difference is due to the fact that sucrose is anhydrous (without water) while syrups and honey are not and the calories are diluted. A teaspoon of maple syrup, extracted from the leaves of the tree, has 12, that is, 8 less than sugar; The malt, another product of vegetal origin, it has 16, but with a lower sweetening power than sucrose. «Most of the studies that have tried to answer the question of whether some sweeteners are “less harmful” have received funding from companies» clarifies Kimber Stanhope, researcher at the University of California. «So it’s difficult to know how much we can trust their results. In 2024, for example, research funded by the maple syrup industry suggested it was preferable for blood sugar levels, but then doubts were raised about the analysis method. In a small study in 2015, which lasted two weeks, no differences were found in blood glucose, cholesterol or inflammation levels between those who consumed honey and those who consumed sugar.”
5. Raw sugar is better than white sugar
There is a widespread belief that brown sugar, known as cane sugar, is healthy because it retains beneficial substances. The truth? The white, refined one is cleaned of molasses residues, responsible for the darker color. As for mineral salts, such as potassium, there are some in crude oil, but in ridiculous quantities if we consider the modest intakes. Brown or white, it doesn’t make that big of a difference: it’s important to limit sugar.
6. Artificial sweeteners instead of sugar
Researchers are still trying to understand how synthetic sweeteners like aspartame or sucralose could affect, or even potentially compromise, your health. Among other things, according to a recent review of 56 European studies, published in British Medical Journal, there is no evidence that they have any effect on weight loss.
7. I can use as much stevia as I want
The powder obtained from a South American perennial plant, la Stevia has a sweetening power up to 250 times greater than sugar and zero calories: its sweetening active ingredients are not metabolised by the body. Everything perfect? THE’European Food Safety Agency (EFSA) he set a daily intake limit which corresponds to 4 milligrams for every kilo of weight, because in high doses stevia can cause hypotension or hypoglycemia. For example, a 60-pound woman should not exceed 240 milligrams per day.
8. Erythitrol is a great alternative
Erythitrol, an ingredient of biological origin, derived from the fermentation of glucose, has gained attention in recent years. It is a sweetener with a zero glycemic index, but the latest studies show that habitual use would not be completely risk-free for everyone. Further investigations into the long-term effects are also necessary for xylitol, another glucose polyol, which has a proven anti-caries action. For both, the European obligation to include the warning wording on the laxative effect on the label applies.
9. Exaggerated taxation of drinks
A can of iced tea or carbonated drink such as cola contains on average 30-40 grams of sugar, the equivalent of 6-8 teaspoons. «A large consumption of sugar in soft drinks is associated with an increased risk of non-communicable diseases» we read in a study published in 2025 (on Bmc Public Health ). “Tiered taxation, which applies higher rates to drinks with a higher sugar content, has been used to incentivize producers to reduce sugar content.” The researchers evaluated the impact of taxes in France, Ireland, Portugal and the United Kingdom and concluded that they “may be effective” and “should be considered by policy makers as part of comprehensive strategies to improve population nutrition.” In Italy the sugar tax, which should have been applied at the beginning of 2020, has been postponed for years.
10. With “zero” drinks I solved my problems
Carbonated and sugary drinks are ultra-processed and all “zero” drinks always are, due to the addition of often artificial sweeteners and flavourings. A glass every now and then is not a problem, but diets rich in this type of drink and food, invented by the industry, are correlated with a higher risk of obesity, even in childhood, of cardiovascular diseases, of gastrointestinal pathologies, of cancer.
11. Sugary fruit, to avoid
The sugar contained in an apple is composed of the same constituent elements as sucrose, i.e. glucose and fructose, but the way in which the body assimilates them is different, because in the fruit the fibers slow down their absorption. All global guidelines recommend eating fruit, for its contribution of vitamins, minerals and phytocompounds, while sucrose provides only energy and no nutrients.
12. Wine is not that caloric
The energy contribution of wine comes mainly fromethanol. With a traditional glass (125 milliliters), they are thrown down 90 to 130 calories, equal to four or more sugar cubes. The energy share of spirits is even higher.
13. Lactose-free milk is less caloric
Delactosate is offered to those who have an intolerance to lactose, milk sugar, or believe they have it. It is an alternative that satisfies the palate, but its glycemic index is high. «Let’s say it resembles that of a cup of normal milk sweetened with honey» explains Enzo Spisni, professor of nutritional physiology at the University of Bologna. «Lactose is split through industrial processing into two sugars, glucose and galactose, which for this reason are absorbed more quickly».
14. Homemade desserts are healthy
Cakes and biscuits, even if homemade, should be considered a gift to give yourself every now and then. According to the Smartfood team, sugar should not exceed 15 percent of the total weight of the dough, i.e. 150 grams per kilo of preparation.
15. Chocolate and jam should be banned
Despite the fats and sugars, the At least 70 percent dark chocolate is beneficial: only one small square contains polyphenols as much as a cup of green teai.e. those substances whose protective properties are known. Not so the milk one, which has about double the sugar and a lower cocoa mass content. Even if sweet, a veil of jam is recommended for breakfast, due to the content of substances with antioxidant activity: compotes are idealwhich have a reduced amount of sugars.
Eliana Liotta (photo by Carlo Furgeri Gilbert).
Eliana Liotta is a journalist, writer and science communicator. On iodonna.it and on the main platforms (Spreaker, Spotify, Apple Podcast and Google Podcast) you can find his podcast series The good that I want.
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