Who doesn’t like an occasional dessert or a sweet snack? Parents especially struggle to provide their children with foods that are healthy for them, while children would rather eat candy and drink soda. Sugar has become a concern in its role in obesity in the last few decades. High fructose corn syrup and processed, granulated cane sugar are commonly found in soft drinks and juices, as well as items such as salad dressing and bread (Balch & Balch, 1998). The consumption of sugar has increased 30% since 1962 (Popkin, 2005). Cane sugar and high fructose corn syrup cause a fast rise and fall in insulin, and chemically derived sweeteners overtax the liver.
However, not all sugars are created equal. According to Balch and Balch (1998), there are sweeteners one can use that are not chemically derived and are not devoid of nutrients. These sweeteners actually contribute minerals and energy to the body, and will not overtax the body’s elimination system, immune system, and pancreas. Some are even beneficial for diabetics and hypoglycemia, such as barley malt and brown rice syrup.
Balch and Balch (1998) suggest reading labels carefully, and learning the names of sweeteners commonly used in packaged foods. Below are some common sugars and sweeteners with their commercial names in parentheses:
Sugars to Avoid
As Balch and Balch (1998) stated, the sweeteners listed below will cause a drastic rise and fall in insulin levels and blood sugar, putting stress on the pancreas. Even though these sugars are derived from natural sources, they are processed and packaged, which means that they are not consumed in their natural state. This creates an imbalance in the blood as it processes the sugars without the minerals that are available in the natural foods, which in turn interferes with the body’s enzymes. Unless otherwise noted, the below information is summarized from Balch and Balch (1998), and the names of the sugars and sweeteners are listed from Balch and Balch (pp 176-177):
- fructose derived sweeteners – honey, corn fructose, high fructose corn syrup, fruit fructose, fruit sugar, beet sugar, brown sugar, turbinado sugar, raw sugar, and honey. These can cause increased levels of triglycerides.
- glucose derived sweeteners – grape sugar, dextrose, corn syrup, and glucose syrup. These can cause a rapid increase and fall in blood sugar when isolated from naturally occurring complex carbohydrates.
- maltose, which is in malted syrup, malodextrin, dextrins, and dextrose.
- sorghum – sorghum molasses. This is a form of sugar.
- sucrose – cane sugar, sucrose, beet sugar, unrefined raw sugar, turbinado sugar, confectioner’s sugar, powdered sugar, and brown sugar.
Artificial Sweeteners
Artificial sweeteners are created out of materials such as petroleum, acids, and phenylalanine. Some artificial sweeteners have been shown to create tumors in lab rats, such as saccharin, while others are said to create a myriad of health problems, including headaches, dizziness, and even yeast infections.
- acesulfame K - Sunette and Sweet One.
- aspartame – NutraSweet and Equal.
- saccharin – Sweet n’Low, Sprinkle Sweet, Twin, and Sweet 10.
- sucralose – Splenda.
The Sucralose Debate
While sucralose was not included in Balch and Balch’s (1998), it warrants mentioning here. According to the Calorie Control Council (2010), the most recent in a line of artificial sweeteners, Sucralose has not been associated with any adverse health effects in small and moderate quantities. In extremely high doses and well beyond what a person could ingest at once (thousands of packets of the sweetener a day), an effect was noted in lab rats. The FDA and many other health organizations considers the sweetener safe, and there are many studies showing the benefits of using Splenda as a sugar substitute for weight loss and a healthy lifestyle.
However, sucralose is not a naturally occurring substance. It is processed from the chlorination of sugar, and it has been shown to trigger migraines (Patel, Sarma, & Grimsley, 2006).
Sugar Alcohols
Sugar alcohols include xylitol, sorbitol, and mannitol. This class of sweeteners are naturally occurring sweeteners. Xylitol has been shown to reduce tooth decay (Xylitol.org, 2010). However, sugar alcohols can cause diarrhea if over-ingested.
Recommended Sweeteners
Barley malt, rice syrup, brown rice syrup, sucanat evaporated cane juice, barley syrup, stevia leaf, whole sugar cane, and blackstrap molasses are recommended because they undergo minimal processing that maintains their natural nutritional integrity or are offered as they naturally occur. They contain all the naturally occurring minerals and nutrients, can actually help conditions such as diabetes, such as the case with barely malt and brown rice syrup, and are gentle on the body.
Raw honey contains many antioxidants and enzymes that are beneficial for the body. It is by far much better for the body than glucose and sucrose. However, it is still a fructose, so one should still be prudent in the amount one consumes, although it will not affect the body in the same way as fructose isolated from fruit or corn.
It is important to remember, however, that all sweeteners except for stevia leaf also contain calories, and it is still recommended that one watch their calorie intake of any form of sweeteners to maintain a healthy body weight (Robertson, Flinders, & Ruppenthal, 1986).
References:
Balch, P. A. & Balch, J. F. (1998). Prescription for dietary wellness. Garden City Park, NY: Avery Publishing Group.
Patel, R. M., Sarma, R, & Grimsley, E. (2006). "Popular Sweetner Sucralose as a Migraine Trigger". Journal of Head and Face Pain 46 (8): 1303.
Popkin, B. M. (2005). Global trends in obesity. In Food, diet, and obesity (D. Mela, ed.), pp. 1-13. Abington Hall, Cambridge, Canada: Woodhead Publishing, Ltd.
Robertson, L., Flinders, C., & Ruppenthal, B. (1986). The new Laurel’s kitchen. Berkeley, CA: Ten Speed Press.
Sucralose.org. "All about Sucralose". (Accessed February 15, 2010.
Xylitol.org (2010). "Xylitol.org". (Accessed February 15, 2010).
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