- Barley malt
- syrup
|
is
processed from sprouted barley which is dried, mixed with water, and
cooked slowly until a syrup the consistency of molasses is formed. This mixture yields a
distinctive malty taste which is about half as sweet as sugar. Because this syrup is
primarily complex sugars, it is relatively slow to digest and does not result in rapid
blood sugar fluctuations when eaten. Barley malt is also the source of malt used to turn
milkshakes into malted milks. |
- Brown rice
- syrup
|
is
made by adding a small amount of sprouted rice or barley to cooked brown rice. The rice is
then strained and cooked, becoming a golden syrup with a butterscotch flavor. It is about
half as sweet as sugar, and, as with barley malt syrup, complex carbohydrates inhibit
dramatic shifts in blood sugar levels. |
- Corn syrup
|
is
produced by adding enzymes to refined corn starch, a process which converts the long
complex carbohydrate molecules of the starch into monosaccharides. This product is nearly
as sweet as sugar and just as quickly absorbed. It is the mother substance for high
fructose corn syrup. (See below). |
- Date sugar
|
is
simply dried, ground dates. Surprisingly, although date sugar is probably the least
processed, most natural sweetener available, even with all its constituent nutrients and
fiber intact, sucrose concentrations are so high that blood sugar levels rise rapidly |
- Dehydrated
- cane juice
|
is
dried or crystallized, unrefined juice from sugar cane. There are several types available
variably called demurara or yellow d-sugar, raw sugar, and turbinado. There are also
several trademarked brand names. Compared with refined sugars from cane and beets which
are 99.9 percent pure, these cane sugars are about 96 percent sucrose and four percent
minerals. In an amazing demonstration of the power of nutrition, studies with one
well-known brand have shown that, in comparison with white sugar, this scant four percent
difference actually does slow down blood sugar changes at a statistically significant
level. When I make sweets for special occasions, my sweetener of choice is
organically grown, dehydrated sugar cane granules. Also, I use only 1/2 to 2/3 the amount
of sugar called for in any but already modified-for-your-health recipes. |
- Fructooligosaccharides (FOS)
|
occur
naturally in some grains and vegetables. They have been discussed in these pages
previously for their value as a food that encourages the growth of beneficial intestinal
bacteria. (They don’t encourage C. albicans.) They have several additional
advantages. FOS are sucrose molecules to which 1-3 additional fructose molecules are
attached. Because of this, they taste sweet but are too large to be digested as a sugar.
Therefore, they have no caloric effect and no effect on blood sugar levels. Although
this substance is widely used as a sweetener in Japan (where it has been popular for
nearly a decade), it is currently too expensive in this country to be used as a common
sweetener. Hopefully, this will change in the near future |
- Fructose
|
is
the primary sugar in fruit; however, commercial fructose is not extracted from fruit but
manufactured from cornstarch. This sugar, also known as levulose, is 60 percent sweeter
than white sugar. Since it doesn’t require insulin for absorption, it has little
effect on blood sugar levels and is very low (20:100) on the Glycemic Index (a formal
categorization of foods based on a comparison between the elevation of glucose levels
caused by pure glucose and those caused by other carbohydrate foods.) Once touted as an
almost perfect sweetener (there are cooking difficulties), studies have revealed that
fructose causes an increase in total serum cholesterol levels, particularly low density
lipoprotein. (LDL, the main transport system for cholesterol in the body, lays down plaque
in the arteries when levels are too high. That is the reason it is often called
"bad" cholesterol.) In addition, fructose increases triglyceride levels. Both of
these undesirable changes are associated with heart disease. |
- Fruit juice
- concentrates
|
have
become very popular as sweeteners. White grape juice concentrate is the most widely used.
This juice contains high amounts of glucose and is absorbed into the bloodstream very
quickly. However, there is a trademarked brand which combines grape juice concentrate with
brown rice syrup. Studies show that the latter ingredient, with its complex carbohydrates,
successfully slows the absorption of the sugars, having less effect on blood glucose
levels than white sugar. |
- Glucose
|
is
the most common sugar in nature and is the sugar the brain and nervous system require to
function. As blood sugar, it provides about 20 percent of the body’s energy needs
(fat is the principal source) and is the major energy source for the brain. Reserve
supplies are stored by the liver and muscles as glycogen. A monosaccharide, it appears on
food labels as dextrose. Excess sugar causes the pancreas to flood the body with
insulin which acts as a kind of antidote to overly high blood sugar levels. In turn, this
can cause hypoglycemia, a temporary state of low blood sugar. |
- High fructose
- corn syrup
|
has
been called "honey from corn." It is corn syrup which has been processed to
contain very high levels of sugar. Not the same as fructose crystals, it is absorbed
faster than sucrose, and has very rapid and dramatic effects on blood sugar levels. HFCS
is a kind of hyper-sugar. A boon to manufacturers of sweetened products, it is less
expensive to produce than cane sugar and is twice as sweet, making food sweeter for less
money. In addition, HFCS has a number of properties which enhance tastiness and increase
shelf life, further endearing it to confectioners and soda makers. During the 80s, we were
eating an annual average of 39.6 pounds per person. By 1994, that had more than doubled to
83.2 pounds. Besides having all the detrimental effects of any sweeteners
(exponentially), it is particularly unsafe for people with irritable bowel syndrome or
ulcerative colitis. These folks experience the drastic effects of fructose toxicity from
eating any kind of concentrated fructose. Although labels are supposed to differentiate
sugars, they frequently do not, and these folks can be taken ill. |
- Honey
|
the
nectar of the gods, well at least, the nectar of the bees, is one of Mother Nature’s
miracles. Actually, the real miracle is that we get to eat it. It is estimated that the
bees travel about 40,000 miles and visit two million blossoms to produce one pound of
honey. Further, it contains all the nutrients needed to utilize sweets. Unfortunately, it
doesn’t contain nearly enough of them. Just like all sweeteners, it must be eaten
moderately. It is sweeter, higher in calories, and raises blood sugar levels even faster
than white sugar. |
- Lactose
|
also
known as milk sugar, is composed of glucose and galactose. Lactose intolerance has become
a familiar disorder. People with this problem don’t produce lactase, the enzyme
necessary to digest lactose. Eating dairy products, except yogurt, causes them digestive
distress. Lactose is not a commonly used sweetener. However, it does provide a neutral
base and, therefore, is traditionally used as a carrier for homeopathic remedies. |
- Maltodextrin
|
is a
minimally refined product, high in complex carbohydrates. |
- Maltose
|
also
called malt sugar or barley malt, is actually dehydrated barley malt syrup. This is the
product used to make malteds. |
- Maple syrup
|
is
made from the sap of the sugar maple and black maple trees. This gives it its distinctive,
delicious flavor. It takes about five gallons of sap to make a pint bottle of syrup. The
syrup is 65 percent sucrose, 35 percent water, and contains minute amounts of minerals
(like honey, better than none). When purchasing maple syrup, be sure the label reads
"Pure Maple Syrup." Otherwise, you could be buying corn syrup with as little as
three percent maple syrup. Maple butter and maple sugar are both stages of greater
condensation of the syrup. |
- Molasses
|
is
the remainder of cane and beet sugar processing after the sugar crystals have been
strained out. The first straining results in the light sweet syrup popular for cookies and
New Orleans-style coffee. This type is sometimes called Barbados molasses. Blackstrap
molasses is the result of as many as three boilings. It is the least sweet and the most
nutritionally dense. Although blackstrap is still 65 percent sucrose, it contains
measurable amounts of iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium, making it more nutritious
than most sweeteners. |
- Muscovado
- sugar
|
is
crystallized molasses. There are both dark and light types. |
- Sorghum
- molasses
|
is a
molasses made from a type of sorghum that grows into a tall, leafy cane like sugarcane.
Sorghum is a genus of grass. Grown around the world, it is less nutritious than corn
(maize) but requires very little water and is adaptable to less fertile situations. There
are four main types of sorghum: grass, grain and seed, broomcorn (used for carpet and
whisk brooms), and sugarcane. |
- Stevia
|
is an
intensely sweet herb. The leaf, sometimes called "honey leaf," has been used by
indigenous peoples in South America for hundreds of years as a sweetener and healing
agent. Banned by the FDA as an unsafe food additive for use as a sweetener, it is sold
separately as a food supplement in both ground leaf and powder (steviocide) forms. Read
more about the herb and the FDA’s ambiguous position in the sidebar "The Stevia
Conundrum." |
- Sucrose
|
is a
disaccharide composed of equal amounts of fructose and glucose. Just as sodium chloride is
the scientific name for table salt, sucrose is ordinary, white table sugar. White sugar is
not inherently evil. Like any other sweetener from natural sources, it is best eaten as a
condiment or festival food. |
- Acesulfame
- K
|
is a
non-caloric sweetener discovered in Germany in 1967. It is 200 times sweeter than sucrose.
It is not metabolized by the body at all, and is excreted unchanged by the kidneys. It was
approved in the US in 1988, and is used in a number of foods. The developer currently has
a petition pending with the FDA to use this product in soft drinks. It is widely available
in this country and has been approved for use in more than 60 countries, including Canada,
the United Kingdom, Switzerland, France, Italy, and Belgium. After studying safety issues,
CSPI (the Center for Science in the Public Interest, those diligent nutrition watchdogs)
made a policy statement to the effect that this sweetener probably causes cancer. We were
unable to ascertain how much acesulfame this might take. |
- Aspartame
|
was
discovered in 1965 and approved for tabletop packets in 1981. It is a calorie-bearing
sweetener made from two amino acids: L-phenylalanine and L-aspartic acid. Since it is 180
times sweeter than sugar, the calories involved in its use are minimal. It is digested as
protein. Its use has become so ubiquitous that it is nearly impossible to buy any low
calorie food sweetened with anything other than aspartame. Although aspartame has been
extensively tested in humans and animals for more than two decades, its use remains
controversial, especially among the nutritionally conscious. (That’s us.) Opinions
range from heroic to horrific, from assurances of safety from the FDA to ravings of a mass
poisoning conspiracy theory on the Internet. At one end, one reads that it "actually
represents one of the better things we have done in our attempt to improve on nature....In
low doses [brand name] is not a hazard and is a great sugar substitute" (The
Healing Nutrients Within, Eric R. Braverman, MD, 1997, Keats, $19.95). At the opposite
end, the Balches (Prescription for Nutritional Healing) bring our attention to the
fact that this chemical sweetener contains methanol, "a human specific and highly
toxic poison" that is converted to formaldehyde and formic acid. Since these
substances have a toxic effect on the thymus gland (an immune-important gland that has to
be coddled to remain active in adults anyway), it would seem prudent to use it in only
moderate amounts, if at all. Certainly, growing children and pregnant women need to
abstain from it altogether. Incidentally, Ann Louise Gittleman reports that more than 75
percent of all nondrug complaints to the FDA concern aspartame (Get the Sugar Out).
For more information, send SASE and $1.00 to Aspartame Consumer Safety Network, PO Box
780634, Dallas, TX 75378. |
- Saccharin
|
is a
non-caloric petroleum-derived sweetener discovered in 1879. It has been used commercially
for nearly a century. It is 300 times stronger than sugar, is excreted unchanged by the
kidneys, and is hampered by a bitter aftertaste. The FDA proposed a ban on saccharin in
1977 because of several incidences of bladder cancer in male lab rats. However, the doses
given these animals were equivalent to a person drinking hundreds of cans of diet soda
daily from birth. Public outcry against the ban was such that Congress declared a
moratorium on it. In 1991, the FDA formally withdrew its 1977 proposal. Based on current
research, both the Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives of the World Health
Organization and the United Kingdom have increased the ADI (acceptable daily intake) for
this sweetener. However, neither Germany nor France have lifted their century-long ban
against its use. |
- Sweeteners currently petitioning
the FDA for approval
|
are
alitame (another amino acid based sweetener, 2000 — two thousand — times sweeter
than sucrose and already approved for use in Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and China);
cyclamate (30 times sweeter than sugar and banned in the US in 1970 — the National
Academy of Sciences and the FDA’s Cancer Assessment Committee concluded that
cyclamate was not carcinogenic in mid-1980); sucralose (600 times sweeter and derived from
sucrose, does not break down in the body, a virtual replacement for sugar in all instances
— endorsed by WHO and approved in Canada in 1991 for use in a variety of foods and
beverages); and stevia (see below) |
- Xylitol
|
is
the best known of these sweeteners, and has been available in health food stores for
years. This monosaccharide polyol is derived from fruits and vegetables. It made its
original market entry as a sweetener that promoted dental health. Studies have shown that
regularly chewing xylitol sweetened gum reduces the incidence of dental caries. One reason
for this is that xylitol inhibits Streptococcus mutans, the major bacteria involved in
cavity formation. Recently, the British Medical Journal reported that xylitol
gum may also help prevent acute ear infections. The two month study was conducted in
Finland and involved over 300 preschool children. Although only 19 of the 157 children in
the xylitol group experienced ear infections, 31 of the 149 children participating in the
control group (who chewed sugared gum) contracted at least one infection. (The results of
a study in which a third group did not chew any gum would be interesting.) |
- The Stevia Conundrum
|
According
to the FDA, what’s safe when labeled as a supplement but not safe if it is used as a
sweetener? The answer is Stevia rebaudiana. Called stevia, it is an herb with
leaves 30 times sweeter than sugar. In addition, processing yields stevioside, a sweetener
250-300 times sweeter than sugar. It is non-caloric and has no effect on blood sugar
levels. Grown primarily in South America, the powder of the leaf has been used there as a
sweetener and healing herb for over 600 years. In 1991, the FDA banned the
importation of stevia. Following the passage of the Dietary Supplement Health and
Education Act (DSHEA), the FDA was petitioned to lift the ban. Under DSHEA, the FDA
carried the burden of proving stevia to be unsafe. Unable to do so, the agency repealed
the ban in September, 1995. Since then, the agency has been petitioned at least three
times to classify stevia leaves, stevioside, and foods containing stevia as Generally
Regarded As Safe (GRAS) ingredients. Each time the FDA has refused, asking for more safety
information. (Remember, the agency itself was unable to prove that stevia was unsafe.) The
import revision states, "If stevia is to be used in a dietary supplement for a
technical effect, such as use as a sweetener or flavoring agent, and is labeled as such,
it is considered an unsafe food additive." Hm-m-m....As it now stands, we can
purchase stevia leaves or stevioside powder and make our own sweetener. One teaspoon of
powder is equal to 3-4 cups of sugar. Dissolve one teaspoon in three tablespoons of water.
Put it in a dropper bottle, and add a drop or two to foods and drinks. If you would
like to know more about stevia, I recommend Stevia Rebaudiana, Nature’s Sweet
Secret by David Richard. This book tells the history, botany, pharmacology, and
current uses of the herb around the world. In addition, it answers the most commonly asked
questions about stevia, explains how to use it, and includes 14 pages of recipes. The book
retails for $5.95 and is available through health food stores, or from Vital Health
Publishing at 1-800-469-5552. |
