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Apple vs. Sugar — In-Depth Nutrition Comparison

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How are apples and sugar different?

  • Apples are higher than sugar in fiber and vitamin C.
  • Apples are lower in sugar.
  • Sugar has a higher glycemic index (65) than apples (36).

Apples, raw, with skin and Sugars, granulated types were used in this article.

Infographic

Apple vs Sugar infographic
Infographic link

Mineral Comparison

Mineral comparison score is based on the number of minerals by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Apple
8
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 3.6% 1.8% 9.4% 4.5% 9% 1.1% 4.7% 0.13% 4.6% 0%
Sugar
1
Magnesium Magnesium Calcium Calcium Potassium Potassium Iron Iron Copper Copper Zinc Zinc Phosphorus Phosphorus Sodium Sodium Manganese Manganese Selenium Selenium 0% 0.3% 0.18% 1.9% 2.3% 0.27% 0% 0.13% 0.52% 3.3%
Contains more MagnesiumMagnesium +∞%
Contains more CalciumCalcium +500%
Contains more PotassiumPotassium +5250%
Contains more IronIron +140%
Contains more CopperCopper +285.7%
Contains more ZincZinc +300%
Contains more PhosphorusPhosphorus +∞%
Contains more ManganeseManganese +775%
Contains more SeleniumSelenium +∞%
~equal in Sodium ~1mg

Vitamin Comparison

Vitamin comparison score is based on the number of vitamins by which one or the other food is richer. The "coverage" charts below show how much of the daily needs can be covered by 300 grams of the food.
Apple
11
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 15% 1% 3.6% 0% 4.3% 6% 1.7% 3.7% 9.5% 0% 5.5% 2.3% 1.9%
Sugar
0
Vitamin C Vit. C Vitamin A Vit. A Vitamin E Vit. E Vitamin D Vit. D Vitamin B1 Vit. B1 Vitamin B2 Vit. B2 Vitamin B3 Vit. B3 Vitamin B5 Vit. B5 Vitamin B6 Vit. B6 Vitamin B12 Vit. B12 Vitamin K Vit. K Folate Folate Choline Choline 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 4.4% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0% 0%
Contains more Vitamin CVitamin C +∞%
Contains more Vitamin AVitamin A +∞%
Contains more Vitamin EVitamin E +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B1Vitamin B1 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B2Vitamin B2 +36.8%
Contains more Vitamin B3Vitamin B3 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B5Vitamin B5 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin B6Vitamin B6 +∞%
Contains more Vitamin KVitamin K +∞%
Contains more FolateFolate +∞%
Contains more CholineCholine +∞%
~equal in Vitamin D ~0µg
~equal in Vitamin B12 ~0µg

Macronutrient Comparison

Macronutrient breakdown side-by-side comparison
Apple
4
14% 86%
Protein: 0.26 g
Fats: 0.17 g
Carbs: 13.81 g
Water: 85.56 g
Other: 0.2 g
Sugar
1
100%
Protein: 0 g
Fats: 0 g
Carbs: 99.98 g
Water: 0.02 g
Other: 0 g
Contains more ProteinProtein +∞%
Contains more FatsFats +∞%
Contains more WaterWater +427700%
Contains more OtherOther +∞%
Contains more CarbsCarbs +624%

Carbohydrate type comparison

Carbohydrate type breakdown side-by-side comparison
Apple
3
20% 23% 56%
Starch: 0.05 g
Sucrose: 2.07 g
Glucose: 2.43 g
Fructose: 5.9 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0 g
Sugar
1
100%
Starch: 0 g
Sucrose: 99.8 g
Glucose: 0 g
Fructose: 0 g
Lactose: 0 g
Maltose: 0 g
Galactose: 0 g
Contains more StarchStarch +∞%
Contains more GlucoseGlucose +∞%
Contains more FructoseFructose +∞%
Contains more SucroseSucrose +4721.3%
~equal in Lactose ~0g
~equal in Maltose ~0g
~equal in Galactose ~0g

Comparison summary table

Pay attention to the rightmost column. It displays the amounts side by side, giving a clearer understanding of the difference.
Apple Sugar
Lower in Saturated fat ok
Lower in price ok
Lower in Sugar ok
Lower in Glycemic Index ok
Rich in minerals ok
Rich in vitamins ok
Lower in Cholesterol Equal
Lower in Sodium Equal

All nutrients comparison - raw data values

Nutrient Apple Sugar DV% diff.
Carbs 13.81g 99.98g 29%
Calories 52kcal 387kcal 17%
Fiber 2.4g 0g 10%
Fructose 5.9g 0g 7%
Vitamin C 4.6mg 0mg 5%
Vitamin B6 0.041mg 0mg 3%
Potassium 107mg 2mg 3%
Vitamin K 2.2µg 0µg 2%
Copper 0.027mg 0.007mg 2%
Phosphorus 11mg 0mg 2%
Vitamin B1 0.017mg 0mg 1%
Manganese 0.035mg 0.004mg 1%
Choline 3.4mg 0mg 1%
Folate 3µg 0µg 1%
Vitamin B5 0.061mg 0mg 1%
Vitamin B2 0.026mg 0.019mg 1%
Protein 0.26g 0g 1%
Selenium 0µg 0.6µg 1%
Vitamin B3 0.091mg 0mg 1%
Vitamin E 0.18mg 0mg 1%
Magnesium 5mg 0mg 1%
Calcium 6mg 1mg 1%
Iron 0.12mg 0.05mg 1%
Fats 0.17g 0g 0%
Net carbs 11.41g 99.98g N/A
Sugar 10.39g 99.8g N/A
Zinc 0.04mg 0.01mg 0%
Starch 0.05g 0%
Sodium 1mg 1mg 0%
Vitamin A 3µg 0µg 0%
Saturated fat 0.028g 0g 0%
Monounsaturated fat 0.007g 0g 0%
Polyunsaturated fat 0.051g 0g 0%
Tryptophan 0.001mg 0%
Threonine 0.006mg 0%
Isoleucine 0.006mg 0%
Leucine 0.013mg 0%
Lysine 0.012mg 0%
Methionine 0.001mg 0%
Phenylalanine 0.006mg 0%
Valine 0.012mg 0%
Histidine 0.005mg 0%

Which food is preferable for your diet?

ok
ok
is better in case of low diet
Apple Sugar
Low Calories diet ok
Low Fats diet ok
Low Carbs diet ok
Low Glycemic Index diet ok

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Vitamins & Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score

The summary scores indicate the extent to which this food can fulfill your daily vitamin and mineral requirements if you consume 3 servings, consisting of 100 grams of each (an approximation of 3 serving sizes).
Vitamins Daily Need Coverage Score
4%
Apple
0%
Sugar
Minerals Daily Need Coverage Score
4%
Apple
1%
Sugar

Comparison summary

Which food is lower in Saturated fat?
Sugar
Sugar is lower in Saturated fat (difference - 0.028g)
Which food is cheaper?
Sugar
Sugar is cheaper (difference - $0.4)
Which food is lower in Sugar?
Apple
Apple is lower in Sugar (difference - 89.41g)
Which food is lower in glycemic index?
Apple
Apple is lower in glycemic index (difference - 29)
Which food is richer in minerals?
Apple
Apple is relatively richer in minerals
Which food is richer in vitamins?
Apple
Apple is relatively richer in vitamins
Which food contains less Cholesterol?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Cholesterol (0 mg)
Which food contains less Sodium?
?
The foods are relatively equal in Sodium (1 mg)

References

All the values for which the sources are not specified explicitly are taken from FDA’s Food Central. The exact link to the food presented on this page can be found below.

  1. Apple - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/171688/nutrients
  2. Sugar - https://fdc.nal.usda.gov/fdc-app.html#/food-details/169655/nutrients

All the Daily Values are presented for males aged 31-50, for 2000-calorie diets.

Data provided by FoodStruct.com should be considered and used as information only. Please consult your physician before beginning any diet.