The NOT So Skinny on Sugars and Sweetners

Many people, like myself, have a bit of a sweet tooth and there’s a lot of different kinds of sweeteners available today and whether they are healthy and safe to use. I’ve done some digging and arrived at a fantastic website and found us everything we’ve ever wanted to know about sugar, plus the lowdown on 25 different types of sweeteners on the market today. I will not be including all 25 however do to blog space. If you want more, in depth detail, visit the website http://www.smallfootprintfamily.com/the-many-different-kinds-of-sugar. It turns out that just 100 years ago, there was only cane sugar, sorghum, honey and maple syrup, and Americans each ate less than two pounds a year of them, total. But today, whether from soda, snacks, cereal, pasta, bread or other packaged foods, Americans each eat the equivalent of 22 teaspoons of sugar a day, adding up to about 160 pounds of sugar per person, per year. And in just 32 ounces of soda, you can easily consume at least a quarter pound of sugar a day! Yikes! So How Much is Too Much? For me the statistic above is enough for me to say, one soda is WAY too much, but let’s hear from the experts… The Heart Association report recommends that most women should be getting no more than 6 teaspoons a day, or 24 grams of added sugar—the sweeteners and syrups that are added to foods during processing, preparation or at the table. For most men, the recommended limit is 9 teaspoons, or 36 grams. This means that one 6-ounce cup of store-bought, flavored yogurt, with the equivalent of about 10 teaspoons of sugar, would put you over your sugar limit for the whole day! Looks like my sweet tooth just became ultimately unsweet. :( Worldwide consumption of sugar has tripled during the past 50 years, consequently, the incidence of obesity and chronic disease has become epidemic. The Standard American Diet contributes to more disease and death than alcohol and tobacco combined. No sweets, no alcohol, no tobacco = no death…check! So this summary of sweeteners comes with a warning: Added sugar in any form is not good for you, so please use it sparingly. And now the not so skinny of sugar. An Inside Look at complex Sugars (Sucrose and Lactose) There are various types of sugar, chemically speaking. Basically, if it ends in -ose, it’s a type of sugar. The Complex Sugars: Sucrose and Lactose break down during digestion into Two Simple Sugars: Glucose and Fructose. Glucose is transported by insulin to the cells for energy, which, unless burned, gets stored away as fat. Yep, you read that right: Sugar, unused, makes you fat. Glucose, ingested in small amounts, below 50 on the Glycemic Index, will help you control your blood sugar naturally. Fructose is the sugar found naturally in fruit and for this reason people tend to think of it as a “body friendly” sugar. But don’t be fooled into thinking that’s a good thing. Fructose travels to the liver where it gets converted to triglycerides. Triglycerides made from fructose are stored as fat, which increases the size of your fat cells, contributing to weight gain and obesity. White Sugars “Regular” or white table sugar is refined and highly processed. It's made up of 50% glucose and 50% fructose. It provides empty calories and zero nutritional value. “Fruit Sugar” or Crystalline Fructose Crystalline fructose is slightly finer than “regular” sugar and is used in dry mixes such as flavored gelatin and pudding desserts, and powdered drinks. Since it is made totally from fructose, it is definitely harmful to your health. Brown Sugars Brown sugars range in the amount of processing they receive, but they are brown because, unlike white sugar, they have not had all of the molasses chemically and physically removed. Common brown sugar is best replaced by one of these naturally brown sugars: Turbinado, Muscovado, Demerara and Rapadura Turbinado sugar is raw sugar which has been partially processed, where only the surface molasses has been washed off. Sugar in the Raw™ is the most commonly known brand of raw, turbinado sugar. Muscovado sugar is minimally processed whose crystals are slightly coarser and stickier in texture than “regular” brown sugar. Demerara sugar is a light brown raw sugar with large golden crystals, which are slightly sticky from the adhering molasses. Rapadura is made from dried sugarcane juice in the form of a brick. It is used in place of refined sugar as a more accessible, cheaper and healthier sweetener. Rapadura is the least processed of the cane sugars, and is rich in dietary iron. Liquid Sugars Corn Syrup High fructose corn syrup contains 55% fructose and 45% glucose, which makes it virtually as sweet as sucrose or natural honey. Today, high fructose corn syrup has replaced pure sugar as the main sweetener in most carbonated beverages, and hides in products like salad dressing, spaghetti sauce, and whole wheat bread, and it is often one of the first ingredients in cake mixes, cookies, sauces, breakfast cereals and commercial baked goods. There is an obvious association between processed foods containing high fructose corn syrup, diabetes, heart disease, and obesity. In my opinion, high fructose corn syrup is nasty, and should be avoided at all costs. Agave Syrup Agave syrup is very high in fructose. This makes it worse for you than either table sugar or corn syrup. Avoid at all costs! Molasses Molasses is a thick, brown to deep black, honey-like substance made as a byproduct of processing cane or beet sugar. Molasses has somewhat more nutritional value than white or brown sugar. The process by which it is extracted and treated with sulfur results in fortification of iron, calcium and magnesium. Calories in molasses are approximately the same as sugar, however it only contains about half the sucrose as sugar. It is also made up of both glucose and fructose. Though it is high in iron, it is also high in calcium, which tends to prevent iron from being absorbed by the body, thus its benefits as a mineral supplement may be a bit overrated. Maple Syrup Maple syrup is one of the many wonders of the world. This viscous amber liquid with its characteristic earthy sweet taste is made from the sap of the sugar, black or red maple tree. Maple syrup contains fewer calories and a higher concentration of minerals than honey, and is an excellent source of manganese, and a good source of zinc. Honey Raw honey is a mixture of sugars and other compounds, mainly fructose and glucose. Honey contains trace amounts of several vitamins and minerals and also contains tiny amounts of several compounds thought to function as an antioxidant and an anti-microbial. Sorghum Sorghum is a highly-nutritious, gluten-free, ancient cereal grain that is minimally processed into syrup, and still contains a lot of antioxidant vitamins and trace minerals. Hmmm...This one just might be okay! :) Sugar Alcohols (Michelle, you might find this interesting):) Xylitol, Erythritol, Mannitol and Sorbitol Sugar alcohols (which end in -itol) occur naturally in plants. Some of them are chemically or biologically extracted from plants (sorbitol from corn syrup and mannitol from seaweed), but they are mostly manufactured in a highly-intensive industrial process from sugars and starches. Sugar alcohols are like sugar in some ways, but they are not completely absorbed by the body. Because of this, they affect blood sugar levels less, and they provide fewer calories per gram. Though sugar alcohols have fewer calories than sugar, most of them aren’t as sweet, so more must be used to get the same sweetening effect. Warning! Warning! Because they are not completely absorbed, sugar alcohols like sorbitol and xylitol can ferment in the intestines and cause bloating, gas, or diarrhea, and they are not recommended for people with IBS or other digestive issues. And, Sugar alcohols like xylitol are highly toxic to dogs. Swerve® Swerve is the latest “natural sweetener” to hit the market. Swerve is a highly-refined sweetening agent made from a sugar alcohol and has been known to cause stomach pains, headaches, and even diarrhea in some individuals. Sugar-Free Sweeteners Stevia The leaves of the small, green Stevia rebaudiana plant have a delicious and refreshing taste that can be 30 times sweeter than sugar, but it has no calories, and consuming it does not raise blood glucose levels at all. Saccharin, Aspartame & Sucralose All three are completely artificial, chemical sweeteners made by highly-industrialized processes. None of them have any calories or glycemic index, and each of them has been linked to cancer, digestive distress, and chronic illnesses in numerous studies. None of them are Real Food and each should be avoided at all costs. So, it looks like no sugar or sweetener is without its health risks. But like all things, in moderation, minimally processed sugars can be a delicious addition to a healthy, real food diet. My sweet tooth is doing back handsprings! I hope you all found this as informative as I did. Have a glorious day! Melissa