Sugar is the same, nutritionally, even by any other name

Consumers who think brown sugar is healthier than white sugar, that the large-grained demerara sugar is healthier than brown sugar, or that honey is better than any of them, think again nutritionally, they're all basically the same, according to some experts.

"The short answer is no," said KateComeau, a Halifax-based dietitian and spokeswomanwith Dietitians of Canada, when asked if there are any differences.

"There may be minimal differences, nutritionally speaking. You may hear that one had a littlebit more minerals or anti-oxidants."

The sweet substance is back in the headlines this timethe focus of a new surveythat indicates fruit drinks consumed by children contain more sugar than soft drinks,more challenging news for parentslooking for healthy alternatives.

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In recent years, sugar has become a favourite target formany dietitians and nutrition specialists,warning of its potential health risks.

Action on Sugar, a British-basedgroup of specialists andthe organization behind the survey released earlier this week, has repeatedly sounded the alarm on the substance, going so far as to call on the government to impose a sugar tax on the food industry if it doesn'tcomply with certain targets.

The survey, Squeezing the Truth out of Hidden Sugars in Children's Juices,found that over a quarter of products such as juices, juice drinks and smoothiesin in the survey (57 of 203 products) contained the same amount or more of sugar than a common soft drink, which contained five teaspoons of sugar per 200-ml glass.

Different forms of sugar in store aisles

Shoppers can find a wide varietyofsugars in grocery stores.

As the Canadian Sugar Institute notes on its website: "Sugars may differ in colour, flavour, sweetness and crystal size. Each of these characteristics allows sugar to perform a variety of functions in food products, in addition to providing a sweet taste."

But one particular sugar is not much better than the other from a nutritional standpoint, expertssay.

Even those sugars thatmay have a higher amount of certain minerals won't be consumed in amounts to gain much of a benefitfromthem,Comeausays.

"The amount we would need to get the benefitfrom thatmineral, we can get those minerals other places, and in morenutritious placeswithout the negative consequences of sugar."

'Really isn't that much difference'

However,Comeausaid one of the benefits of sweeteners like honey or maple syrup is that consumers may not use as much.

"Maybethat'sa choice youwill make to reduce youroverall consumption, but interms ofproviding you with significant levels of anti-oxidants orsignificantlevels of minerals,there just reallyisnt that much difference."

When it comes to calories, all sugarsprovide about the same amount of energy about 16 caloriesper teaspoon, she said.

"The calories from all of these are identical within less thana per cent," adds Dr. ThomasWolever, a physician and professor atthe University of Toronto's department of nutritional sciences. "In terms of energy,they are no differentwhatsoever."

Even high fructosecorn syrup, used in soft drinks andwhich has also received a lot of badpress,is basically the same as sugar, Wolever said.

"Tiny difference, but it's so small its essentially the same as sugar," Wolever said. "It containsthe sameamount of calories."

Is fruit better than fruit juice?

But what about the sugar found infruit? Is the sugar found ina natural,juicy apple any differentthan the sugar in a can of pop?Well no. Sugar is sugar, wherever you find it. (As Wolever points out, table sugar could be technically refined out of oranges.)

"The sugar perse is not any different. What elsecomes along with it is better," Wolever says.

This means that anyone consuming a piece of fruita source of simple sugars, fibre and vitamins important for healthrather than a soft drink or fruit juicewill get more nutritional benefits.

As well, Comeau adds, fruit juice has more concentrated levels of sugar:"A cup and a half of juice is the equivalent of three pieces of fruit.That would be a lot of naturally occurring sugar without the benefitsof fibre and the other nutrients that would come in the wholepiece of fruit."

Comeau stressed that for both children and adults, who require a healthy intake of fluids to stay hydrated and keep the body functioning optimally, it's better to focus on drinking water.

"Children dont really need juice, and if they do, no more than125 ml per day," says Comeau.

Wolever, on the other hand, says there's nothing wrong with having a standard cup or two of juice a day.

"But having it as as thirst quencherin large amounts can be problematic. Better to drink somethingwith less calories."