Sucrose
"Whether from sugar cane (20 percent by weight) or sugar beets (15 percent by weight), and whether raw or refined, common sugar is still sucrose," according to and article on 3Dchem.com. Yet, sucrose is most often prepared as a fine, white, crystalline powder with no odor. Commonly known as table sugar. Made by boiling, filtering, and decolorizing cane juice before it is dried and packaged. Though not as bad as the artificial sweeteners listed here, refined sugar is no saint.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
By now we've probably all seen the HFCS commercials, stating that this product is natural and perfectly good for your health. Well, it's not. Found in just about every type of food we eat including mustard, bread, and frozen goods, HFCS is versatile and cheap, making it a preferred ingredient. It is processed more than table sugar and is sweeter. According to studies conducted by the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, diabetes and obesity are directly linked to consuming refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup. The Corn Refiners Association, who put out those commercials, won't tell you that though. Their whole 18-month ad campaign, featuring commercials, full-page ads, and a SweetSurprise.com website, is going to cost 20 to 30 million dollars. SweetSurprise.com features quotes from reputable associations including the American Medical Association. The site quotes that the AMA has recently concluded that HFCS "doesn't appear to contribute more to obesity than other caloric sweeteners," but they fail to state that the AMA also called for "further independent research."
Aspartame
This artificial sugar substitute is commonly found in diet sodas and sugar free foods. May also be disguised as NutraSweet or Equal. The safety of aspartame has never really been proved. It was denied approval by the FDA eight times since it was first introduced in 1973. It was finally approved for use in limited dry goods through manipulation of the bureaucratic process. Aspartame was then approved for use in beverages in 1983, despite the fact that the National Softdrink Association urged the FDA to delay approval until further safety testing could be done. Later, in 1996, the FDA approved it for use (without restriction) despite the 92 recognized symptoms caused by ingesting aspartame. Some of those symptoms include memory loss, nerve cell damage, migraines, reproductive disorders, mental confusion, brain leisons, blindness, joint pain, Alzheimer's, bloating, nervous system disorders, hair loss, food cravings, and weight gain. So many people have been negatively affected by this product that there are actually aspartame support groups. Aspartame is a one billion dollar industry.
Saccharin
Is the oldest, calorie-free, artificial sweetener. It is not a sugar. Saccharin is a coal tar compound that is totally devoid of food value. The most common brand found in the United States is Sweet '- Low. There are countries which do not allow the use of saccharin in food products. Our government's investigation into this sweetener began in 1907 and their stance on saccharin has wavered since. In 1972 the USDA even tried to completely ban the substance. Saccharin goes directly through your body, undigested, and is thus used in many applications for diabetics. Its popularity amongst diabetics is the reason it was never banned in the United States, instead Congress required all saccharin containing foods to display a warning label indicating that saccharin may be carcinogenic. The law requiring such labeling was repealed in 2000.
Sucralose
Most commonly know as the brand name Splenda (now SucraPlus), sucralose is made by chlorinating sugar. Though it is derived from sugar it is a highly processed, chemical compound. It is marketed as being safe for diabetics and containing no calories. Despite claims that the product passes through the body unmetabolized, studies have found that sucralose is absorbed into the body and often collects in the liver, kidneys, and gastrointestinal tract. Since its introduction in 1999, sucralose has become the king of artificial sweeteners, holding over 60 percent market share. Some compare eating foods containing sucralose to ingesting small amounts of chlorinated pesticides, due to the chlorine content of the sweetener. The FDA calls sucralose 98 percent pure. The other two percent contains trace amounts of heavy metals, methanol, and arsenic. Still, sucralose is considered safe and has been approved by the FDA.
Aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose are three of the five non-nutritive sweeteners approved by the FDA and labeled as food additives. The other two, which you should also be wary of, are neotame and Acesulfame-K. Though many use these sweeteners because of their low calorie content, the last thing most people need are empty calories. Instead, focus on eating nutrient dense foods and when faced with a craving for sweets, grab some fruit and if that fails, reach for these alternatives to those refined and processed beasts.
Agave (Nectar or Syrup). In its pure, unprocessed form, agave contains vitamins and minerals. Unlike processed sugars, agave contains no processing chemicals. The fact that it absorbs slowly into your bloodstream means it won't greatly affect blood sugar levels either. Just pure, sweet goodness from the heart of the Blue Agave plant.
Stevia
Stevia is a sweetener derived from a plant native to Paraguay. The Japanese have been using it for decades and the South Americans for centuries. It also contains no calories and has no glycemic index which means it is safe for diabetics. Still, it is the least recognized sweetener in the United States and the FDA continues to deny its use as a food additive, though it permits the use of stevia as a dietary supplement.
Evaporated Cane Juice. This ingredient is often seen on the nutrition labels of health food varieties of cereal, cookies and such. It is also known as dried can juice, crystallized cane juice, milled cane sugar, direct consumption sugar and unrefined sugar. Made available in a variety of forms that vary in texture and flavor, including "Milled Cane," "Demerara," and "Muscovado." The demerara and muscovado have a deeper molasses flavor than the milled cane which is similar to brown sugar.
Sucanat
Sucanat is short for Sugar Cane Natural and is made by simply boiling down freshly pressed cane juice. The resulting syrup is then cooled and dried to form granules called Sucanat. All the molasses is preserved so you get a rich flavor and caramel color. This product is a great substitute for brown sugar and has the highest nutritional value of all the sugars derived from sugar cane. From my understanding, Rapadura sugar is essentially the same product as Sucanat. Rapadura sugar is also known as raspadura sugar or panela. Both Sucanat and rapadura sugar undergo simpler processing than evaporated cane juice.
Raw Sugar
Turbinado sugar is another name for raw sugar, taken from the initial pressing of sugar cane. Often confused with Sucanat, turbinado or raw sugar is different in that it only contains a trace amount of its original molasses content. Raw sugar is similar to white table sugar except for its golden color and hint of molasses flavor. Many believe that sugar is sugar. The only thing that really separates products like evaporated cane juice and raw sugar from table sugar is the number of times it is processed.
Other fantastic alternatives include fruit juice concentrate, honey, pure maple syrup, molasses, date sugar, beet sugar (from non-GMO beets, of course), brown rice syrup, and barley malt syrup. Remember to reach for organic. Natural sugars like these actually offer health benefits such as, enzymes, calcium, iron, fiber and B vitamins. This doesn't mean that you should include these ingredients in your breakfast, lunch and dinner, though. Just because these options are more natural does not mean that overdosing won't lead to the same sugar related health problems. Sweets, no matter what kind of sugary flavoring is used, should be consumed in moderation.
red wrote on Dec 2, 2008 8:10 PM: