"Worst" sauce for inflammation, weight gain

Details

Created on 07, November, 2022

An online article warns of "one of the worst" sauces/condiments that can lead to inflammation, weight gain, etc...

The “demon” sauce here is ketchup. The article says it contains a lot of sugar, and that sugar “isn’t great for your body;” that “too much... will increase one’s risk for chronic disease.”

In truth, ketchup isn’t that high in sugar (or calories) per serving. If you compare it to any sweetened drink (soda, coffee drinks, juices), it is really low (4 g sugar vs 20+). Even BBQ sauce has at least as much, so why not call out BBQ sauce... or fruit jams... or sweetened oat or almond milk... or sweet & sour sauces... or so many other food products that are sweetened? The key here, as with anything nutrition and health, is not to overdo it with any food, sweetened or not.

Additionally, there is a reason ketchup (and some tomato sauces, even homemade) has a little added sugar. When tomatoes are picked before ripe (typical when they are not going to be used immediately (for example in a salad)), they keep better for storage and transport, but are not very sweet or flavorful. A little sugar helps with the flavor. And when you cook most veggies and fruits, some of the starch converts to sugar anyway. So... just by cooking various ingredients (e.g., tart apples in pie) you are “adding” more sugar.