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The following article was published in our article directory on June 17, 2013.
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The Bitter Truth About Sweeteners

Article Category: Wellness, Fitness and Diet

Author Name: Maia Bar Am

Natural Sweeteners-- Really?
Erythritol, Xylitol, Maltitol, Sorbitol, Crystalline Fructose, Sucralose, Agave, Stevia, Sucanat ... what are all these sweeteners? Are they natural? Are they healthy? Can I use them in my baking to make some no sugar recipes? Is it ok if they show up the ingredient list of the low calorie yogurt I want to buy? With such a wide array of sweeteners on the market, a little background knowledge goes a long way in making an informed decision about what you may or may not want to put in your body.

What Sweeteners are Sugar Alcohols?
Let's start with a similar group of sweeteners called sugar alcohols. Erythritol, xylitol, basically anything ending in -tol are sugar alcohols. Erythritol is made by fermentation of glucose with a yeast. Xylitol is naturally occurring and can be extracted from birch trees or corn husks. Mannitol and sorbitol are isomers (same chemical composition in a different placement), and although originally isolated from flowering ash, today they produced in an industrial environment by the hydrogenation of fructose. Sugar alcohols do not have as many calories as sugar. This is because they are not completely absorbed into the body. On the down-side of this, they can cause laxative effects and intestinal distress. The best of these is erythritol, since it is absorbed into the bloodstream and small intestine, and mostly excreted in the urine. Only 10 % of it enters the large intestines, making it less likely than other sugar alcohols to cause intestinal distress, although it may still cause nausea in very large amounts. Both erythritol and xylitol have been shown to reduce cavities. Many people find that xylitol causes gas, bloating, and diarrhea; although the symptoms may be reduced by starting with very small amounts while the body gets used to it. Remember, these are reduced calorie, and have a low impact on blood sugar (important for diabetics) but they are not completely calorie free. They are also fairly expensive, only available in specialty stores or online, and may change the texture of baked goods when swapped for sugar in recipes. These are certainly more natural than something made by a chemical process to produce something not even found in nature (erythritol occurs naturally in small amounts in fermenting fruit, and xylitol is extracted from plant sources) these sweeteners are still processed, and made in more of a laboratory environment than a kitchen environment. These make good "transition" products. Processed foods add sugar to almost anything (salsa, salad dressing, you name it!) so that many Americans have trouble transitioning away from refined sugar or sweeteners made the lab. Erythritol or xylitol can help fulfill a sweet craving while you get used to eating a cleaner diet. Over time, you may find you don't need everything to be quite so sweet.

Natural Low or No Calorie Sweeteners

Lo Han
Stevia and Monk Fruit (also called Lo Han sweetener) are both actual plants. Stevia is just an herb that happens to be perceived as "sweet" by your taste buds, even though it doesn't contain any actual sugar. Monk Fruit, as the name implies, is a fruit extract. As a fruit it has fructose and glucose molecules (sugars), but due to its naturally unique structure, it is perceived as 300 times sweeter than sugar, meaning you can use less. That means fewer calories to achieve the same amount of sweetness than using regular sugar. The fruit itself, and thus its extract, also have many health benefits, including being high in antioxidants, and providing an anti-inflammatory effect. And, it is simply a concentrated form of the fruit, rather than a chemically extracted or refined product. Just be careful with what you actually buy!

Stevia, the plant, is all natural. The leaves are great for adding to tea, fresh or dried. And making a liquid extract (usually using alcohol, such as with vanilla extract) could easily be done at home. But, how is the white powder stevia made? Ask any of it's makers and all you'll come up with is "proprietary secret". Stevia the powder may be chemically extracted or refined. It's manufacturers advertise it as coming from the "best-tasting part of the stevia leaf". Technically, the powders aren't "powdered stevia plant" they are a particular compound found in stevia called rebaudioside A. Well, if you are powdering just one part, I can only imagine there is a chemical process involved. And, even with the all natural plant, some people don't enjoy it's slightly bitter aftertaste.

As for the Monk Fruit, be sure to look for a pure Lo Han sweetener, as many commercially available sweeteners, such as Nectresse � (made by the same company as Splenda), add other sweeteners to the product they sell. Always read labels so you know what you are buying! If you can get a natural product, both of these can be good choices to add a little sweetness to your recipe of choice.

Artificial Sweeteners-- Just Say No!
Artificial sweeteners: I'll make this one easy. Don't use them. They may have zero calories, but they also have zero redeeming qualities. Most people recognize Saccharine (benzoic sulfilimine) and Aspartame (a methyl ester of the aspartic acid/phenylalanine dipeptide), but many people don't know that sucralose is the name of the substance known as Splenda. Many people were drawn in by the company's ad, praising it as tasting like sugar because it's "made from sugar". Yes, made chemically in a lab by adding chlorine to a sugar molecule. Why is it calorie free? Well, this molecule that does not occur in nature is not recognized by your body, so it is not digested. Here's the kicker ... turns out some people might just digest it anyway; meaning not only that it is no longer calorie free, but that you are now absorbing the chlorine molecule into your system. Not surprisingly, many people report side effects, such as stomach upset, headaches, dizziness, agitation, and muscle aches. And, even if calorie free, these artificial sweeteners have not been shown to promote weight loss. Folks who drink a lot of diet soda tend towards obesity. Furthermore, consuming calorie free, yet sweet tasting, chemicals throughs off your bodies natural ability to gauge how much you've eaten, and whether or not you still feel hungry, causing an increased likelihood of overeating. You don't need them. Don't buy artificail sweeteners! Don't consume them!

Natural Sweetener Wanna be's.
Some sweeteners sound so promising. Organic, all natural blue agave syrup. I can use this? What about Sugar "in the raw"? Or fructose-- that's the sugar from fruits-- and fruits are good! Unfortunately, the term "natural" is not regulated or clearly defined in the United States. Many companies label a product as natural as long as it originally derived from a natural source (plants, animals). Yet these so called natural products can be highly processed, and often treated with chemicals to create or refine the product being sold. As for the turbinado sugar, or "sugar in the raw", it's just refined sugar that has not been bleached, and has a slightly larger grain size. Many people believe agave syrup to simply be a concentrated form of the nectar of the agave plant, picturing it to be boiled down like maple syrup or evaporated in the sun. This is not the case. Agave syrup, in the form we see it in stores, was created in the 1990s. It is a processed starch product (made from the bulb-shaped root) much like corn syrup. The starch is converted to syrup by an enzymatic reaction (treating the starch with enzymes that have either been extracted from other sources or cultured from bacteria). This is exactly the same way that corn syrup is converted to high fructose corn syrup. Agave syrup has even more fructose than high fructose corn syrup-- and more fructose isn't good, folks! The true "meil de agave" that would be traditionally used in Mexico comes from the plant sap, but it is not commercially available in the United States. "But wait," you say, "I heard agave nectar doesn't raise blood glucose levels-- isn't it a good choice for diabetics?" Well, it all goes back to that fructose issue. Remeber how we mentioned that higher fructose isn't good? Fructose is digested in your liver, rather than being converted to blood glucose, as is the case with most other sugars. Thus, no raising of blood sugar. But, when digested in the liver it is converted into triglycerides (stored body fat). Additionally, fructose inhibits leptin levels-- the hormone that signals your brain when your stomach feels full-- so fructose can cause overeating. So, as you've hopefully figured out by now, fructose, the refined sugar is very different than the naturally occurring sugars in fruit. The fructose that occurs naturally in the fruit is sometimes called levulose, to separate it from the processed sugar. When in the fruit levulose is partnered with all of the naturally-occurring enzymes, vitamins, minerals, fiber, and fruit pectin. Refined fructose sweeteners do not contain amino acids, vitamins, minerals, pectin, and fiber; and due to the afore mentioned digestion method, many consider it a worse choice than plain old table sugar.

So What Sweeteners Can I Use ?!
Though not low calorie sweeteners, it is possible to get truly natural, unprocessed sugar products; which can be swapped for sugar in a wider variety of recipes than stevia or Monk Fruit. Just remember, while these may have some accompanying nutritional value, they are still sugars. You can't just swap out honey for sugar and keep on drinking your sweet tea and expect to lose weight. These are best used as special treats, so you can have an occasional sweet and still steer clear of processed sugars. The most nutritionally complete is date sugar, which is just finely ground dried dates. It therefore has all the vitamins, minerals, and fiber of dates. It's taste profile is similar to that of a dark brown sugar, but it doesn't dissolve in liquid or melt like traditional sugar. For a direct swap in a wide variety of recipes, sucanat or coconut palm sugars behave the most like regular sugar, with a brown sugar taste. Sucanat is a brand name for a truly natural, unprocessed cane sugar. The sweet juices are mechanically extracted from the plant, heated, and then cooled. It has a higher vitamin and mineral content than refined sugar. Coconut palm sugar is made in a similar way from the sap of the cut flower buds of the coconut palm. It is a traditional sweetener in South and South-East Asia, and recently has become more widely available in the United States.

Honey is another popular choice for a natural sweetener. Raw honey preserves the greatest amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidents. Local honey, from a farmers' market or local health food store is often the best source for raw honey. Maple syrup is a good source of antioxidants and anti-inflamatory compounds. And it provides magnesium, potassium, zinc, and calcium. Dark, particularly black strap, molasses is also one of the nutrient-rich sweeteners. Molasses is made from the sugar cane, when the sap is boiled down, and the sugar is extracted (for making table sugar). The remaining liquid is molasses. The darker the molasses, the more sugar has been extracted (black strap molasses has been through three sugar extractions). It contains significant amounts of calcium, magnesium, potassium, and iron. A similar natural sweetener is sorghum syrup, which can be substituted for corn syrup in recipes. But just remember, all of these, though better for you in terms of not being chemically processed or refined, are still sugar. They are not complex carbohydrates or "health foods". Use either a very small amount (a teaspoon of honey in plain yogurt) or on special occasions. And remember to keep your portions reasonable with these sweeteners.

Nature's Real Sweeteners.
While it's nice to be able to make a healthier version of chocolate cake, or some brown rice pudding for a little treat, don't forget the healthy and nutritious sweets that are so readily available anytime you need a snack or a little something to round out your meal-- fruit! When you stop eating refined sugars, you really appreciate the natural sweetness of fruit. I personally don't add any sweetener to my plain yogurt besides some berries, or taking it for a whirl in the blender with a banana. Mashed banana makes a great addition to baked goods-- cakes, cookies, pancakes, you name it! (Even baked sweet potatoes can be added to recipes for a subtle, earthy sweetness.) And since it's the whole fruit, you get its complete nutritional content. Aside from sweetness, don't forget you can add great flavor to your foods with cinnamon, vanilla, and unsweetened cocoa or cacao powder. There are a number of real natural sweeteners to choose from.

Sweetener choices made easy.
There's a lot of information to digest on the wide array of sweeteners. My general rule is fruit for every day, natural, unprocessed (made in a kitchen, not a lab) for special treats. Here's a chart to review what's what:.

Natural? Unprocessed? Reduced Calorie? Nutritional Content?

Sugar Alcohols: Yes No Yes No

. Stevia (plant): Yes Yes Yes Yes.

Stevia(powder): Yes No Yes No

. Lo Han Extract: Yes Yes Yes Yes.

Artificial Sweeteners: No No Yes No

. Sucanat: Yes Yes No Yes.

Coconut Palm Sugar: Yes Yes No Yes.

Molasses/Sorghum: Yes Yes No Yes.

Raw Honey/Maple Syrup: Yes Yes No Yes.

I would like to hear your comments and questions about sweeteners. Feel free to leave your comments below.

Maia.

Maia Bar Am-- Team Bar Am.
http://teambaram.com.

Keywords: Sweeteners, Artificial Sweeteners, sugar, Nutrition, Maia Bar Am, Team Bar Am

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