Natural sugar typically refers to those sugars derived from plant material. In some countries, by definition, a natural sugar must be produced from plant matter and not made in a lab. Many sugar substitutes are considered non-natural sugar because they are made in a lab from chemical compounds. By this definition, sugar from beets, cane or fruit would be natural sugar, while sugar substitutes like saccharin would not be natural.

Definition of "natural" can lead to some quibbling. Products labeled natural enjoy significant popularity. Yet in early 2008, the Sugar Association was disappointed by the fact that the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) would not let them label their cane and sugar beet products as natural. There is an ongoing battle to define natural and what it means, and at least in the US, people will not see “natural” applied to table sugar, brown sugar or powdered sugar unless the FDA changes course.

In some instances when people discuss natural sugar, they are actually referring to sugar that is less processed. The term could be applied to things like raw sugar, which is minimally processed. Products like muscovado or Barbados sugar retain a few more vitamins and minerals than do table sugar and also have a slightly stronger taste.

Alternately, some people may use the term natural sugar to define those sugars present in plant products. Fructose, which is available in high amounts in many forms of fruit, might be viewed as a natural source of sugar. It can be refined too to produce fruit sugar, which may be used as a sugar substitute in baking.

Most plants produce sugars through the process of photosynthesis and most creatures need certain types of sugar to provide energy. Various forms of sugar are present in many foods like milk, grains, and starchy foods. Occasionally when people refer to natural sugar, they can mean those sugars that are readily available in all foods and not just plants.

The main contrast to natural sugar may occur when people discuss sugar substitutes. Some of these are considered natural. These include fruit sugar, honey, xylitol, maple syrup, and stevia. Non-natural substitutes are many in number and are present in quite a few diet products. Many people call these artificial sweeteners and in addition to saccharin, other artificial sweeteners include aspartame and sucralose (Splenda), though sucralose is refined from sugar.

Whether natural or non-natural, sugars can contain what are called empty calories. Even sugar substitutes like honey don’t really provide much in the way of nutritional value, and artificial sweeteners should be consumed on an infrequent basis. Though all sugars can add sweetness to foods, they don’t necessarily benefit people much. Instead, obtaining sugars and energy through natural sources like the foods in which they come (eating fruit instead of using fructose, for example), is a better way to get plenty of sugar in the diet.