SUGAR AND SUGAR-REPLACERS - what to use?

Looking into the do's and dont's in sugars - is one of the biggest gifts you can give to yourself for your own health, since the commercial food-industrie is litteraly sugar-coating pretty much anything. If not with actual white table sugar, then at least with a chemical or so-called natural replacer. But how natural are these replacers really and are there any side effects?

  

I have been self-studying this topic for years and still expanding my awareness about it, and have learnt so far that:

1) the answers are not black and white as there are maaaany kinds of sugars that break down differently once inside our system and our body uses the different kinds for different things.

2) the big pharmaceutical institutes and healthcare websites and most commercially read web pages about this topic are remarkably careful in their statements - posting logical (to me) common sense information such as to be careful not to cut ALL kinds of sugar from your diet (like fruit sugars from fresh fruit and the ones that your body gets from breaking down proteins etc) but neither do I find the simple opposite statement anywhere on these websites; that refined white sugars are not causing direct harmful dis-eases (apart from obesity). This to me seems a quite typical and very political way of informing the masses by 'feeding' them only half (if not less) of the information out there.

3) some doctors and other perfectly medically trained people and researches that have seen in-depth what some kinds of sugars (can) do to our system - have taken the law into their own hands, and publish all reports and information that you DO want to know about sugars - using the free media, books, giving lectures and more and ignoring the mainstream 'protectiveness' that hangs around the old paradigm way of thinking being basically; that we can get away with eating anything and whatever we buy in the supermarkets is probably save since it is being sold on such a large scale. Right?


Plus, to measuring the amount of  'possible truth' in any commercial informative website what I do myself and what I would certainly recommend is to:

1) always compare with several other articles before you make up your mind (from different countries or in different languages if possible)  

2) see if you can find the author of the article that you are reading (if the page is sponsored by a big industry that sells candy you can imagine what they would want you to know about the possible effects of sugars ;)

3) see what time the webpage was last updated - the more recent the last update and the bigger the amount of studies and links to different studies underlining the conclusion of the article, the more credibility it may have (then again; realize that big industrials also use this same trick, so I sometimes even double-check who did the research they are referring to- it may be them themselves!!)

4) Up-date yourself, and check the new info out there once in a while. Global knowledge about healthy nutrition is currently evolving very fast, and with the internet you can inform yourself deeply if you want to  :)

* At the same hand the biggest truth has already been discovered and is right under our noses and always has been ;) Foods that are fresh (naturally grown, organic, home prepared and as little processed as possible) have been recommended since the beginning of humanity - and this whole 'returning home' to nature is what I think helps us stay healthy most of all - next to a healthy mindset and self-loving lifestyle - to keep it simple ;) 

Anyway :) In this blog I have mixed and matched information from 2 existing websites that I experienced as rather complete (at the moment- as new information is appearing daily on the web and being discovered). So I will just quote what I thought were the most interesting parts, as to compose a bit of an overview in the information out there about the most commonly used different kinds of sugars.
After every bit of information I have added the link of the source :)

GENERAL SUGAR INFORMATION

(and further below you will find an overview of the different kinds)

By Dr. Mercola (Dr Mercola is the author of the book: Sweet Deception, he has been trained in both traditional and natural medicine. And you can find more about his works and other books here.)

With all the dire health effects associated with refined sugar and high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), many wonder what, if anything, is actually safe to use to sweeten your foods and beverages.
It's certainly a good question. You do have to be cautious when choosing an alternative, as many sweeteners that are widely regarded as "healthy" are, in reality, anything but. A previous National Geographic article¹ set out to compare eight different sugar substitutes, which fall into four general categories:

• Artificial sweeteners
• Sugar alcohols
• Natural sweeteners
• Dietary supplements

Sadly lacking from their review are any notations about adverse health effects of many of the sugar substitutes tested.
Despite copious scientific evidence of harm, artificial sweeteners, for example, are promoted in the featured article, and by "experts" in general, as safe because they "pass through your body undigested." Needless to say, safety concerns will be front and center in this article.

The Case Against Artificial Sweeteners

Sweetener lesson 101: Avoid artificial sweeteners like the plague. While the mechanisms of harm may differ, they're all harmful in one way or another. This includes aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal), sucralose (Splenda), saccharin (Sweet'N Low), acesulfame potassium, neotame, and others.
Twenty years ago I wasn't sure, but now there's little doubt in my mind  that artificial sweeteners can be far worse for you than sugar and fructose, and there is plenty of scientific evidence to back up that conclusion. In fact, there's enough evidence showing the dangers of consuming artificial sweeteners to fill an entire book -- which is exactly why I wrote Sweet Deception.
Aspartame is perhaps the most dangerous of the bunch. At least it's one of the most widely used and has the most reports of adverse effects. There are also hundreds of scientific studies demonstrating its harmful effects.
This is why it's so frustrating to see big companies like Coca-Cola Company purposely deceive you on this issue, which is exactly what they're currently doing with their "public service" announcement-type ads, in which they "affirm" aspartame's safety and benefits.
Center for Science in the Public Interest's (CSPI) Executive Director Michael F. Jacobson issued the following statement in response to Coca-Cola's new ad:²

"Aspartame has been found to cause cancer³—leukemia, lymphoma, and other tumors—in laboratory animals, and it shouldn't be in the food supply. We certainly want Coca-Cola to shift its product mix toward lower- and no-calorie drinks, but aspartame's reputation isn't worth rehabilitating with this propaganda campaign.

The company would be better off phasing out its use of aspartame and accelerating its research into safer, natural sweeteners such as those extracted from the stevia plant."

 

Be Critical of "All Natural" Sweetener Claims

With artificial sweeteners are out of the picture, let's look at some all-natural sweeteners. Natural sweeteners such as honey and agave may seem like a healthier choice, but not only are they loaded with fructose, many are also highly processed. In that regard, you're not gaining a thing. The health effects will be the same, since it's the fructose that causes the harm.
Agave syrup can even be considered worse than HFCS because it has a higher fructose content than any commercial sweetener, ranging from 70 to 97 percent depending on the brand. HFCS, in comparison, averages 55 percent fructose. What's worse, most agave "nectar" or agave "syrup" is nothing more than a laboratory-generated super-condensed fructose syrup, devoid of virtually all nutrient value.
Honey is also high in fructose, averaging around 53 percent, but contrary to agave it is completely natural in its raw form, and has many health benefits when used in moderation. Keep in mind you're not likely to find high quality raw honey in your local grocery store. Most of the commercial Grade A honey is highly processed and of poor quality.

All in all, it's important to realize that regardless of the source (be it HFCS, honey or agave), refined fructose:

• Tricks your body into gaining weight by fooling your metabolism, as it turns off your body's appetite-control system. Fructose does not appropriately stimulate insulin, which in turn does not suppress ghrelin (the "hunger hormone") and doesn't stimulate leptin (the "satiety hormone"), which together result in your eating more and developing insulin resistance.
• Activates a key enzyme that causes cells to store fat; this is the so-called "fat switch" revealed in Dr. Richard Johnson's book by the same name.
• Rapidly leads to weight gain and abdominal obesity ("beer belly"), decreased HDL, increased LDL, elevated triglycerides, elevated blood sugar, and high blood pressure—i.e., classic metabolic syndrome.
• Is broken down in your liver just like alcohol, and produces many of the side effects of chronic alcohol use, including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Interestingly enough, research has shown that soft drinks increase your risk of NAFLD independently of metabolic syndrome⁹.
• Over time leads to insulin resistance, which is not only an underlying factor of type 2 diabetes and heart disease, but also many cancers.

What About Sugar Alcohols?

Sugar alcohols can be identified by the commonality of "ol" at the end of their name, such as xylitol glucitol, sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, glycerol, and lactitol. They're not as sweet as sugar, and they do contain fewer calories, but they're not calorie-free. So don't get confused by the "sugar-free" label on foods containing these sweeteners. As with all foods, you need to carefully read the food labels for calorie and carbohydrate content, regardless of any claims that the food is sugar-free or low-sugar.

One reason that sugar alcohols provide fewer calories than sugar is because they're not completely absorbed into your body. Because of this, eating too many foods containing sugar alcohols can lead to abdominal gas and diarrhea. It's also worth noting that maltitol, a commonly used sugar alcohol, spikes blood sugar almost as much as a starchy new potato. Xylitol, in comparison, does not have a great effect on your blood sugar, so from that perspective may be a better choice.

So, in moderation, some sugar alcohols can be a better choice than highly refined sugar, fructose or artificial sweeteners. Of the various sugar alcohols, xylitol is one of the best. When it is pure, the potential side effects are minimal, and it actually comes with some benefits such as fighting tooth decay. All in all, I would say that xylitol is reasonably safe, and potentially even a mildly beneficial sweetener. (As a side note, xylitol is toxic to dogs and some other animals, so be sure to keep it out of reach of your family pets.)

Three of the Safest Sugar-Alternatives

Two of the best sugar substitutes are from the plant kingdom: Stevia and Lo Han Guo (also spelled Luo Han Kuo). Stevia, a highly sweet herb derived from the leaf of the South American stevia plant, is sold as a supplement. It's completely safe in its natural form and can be used to sweeten most dishes and drinks.

Keep in mind that the same cannot be said for the sugar substitute Truvia, which makes use of only certain active ingredients and not the entire plant. Rebaudioside A is the agent that provides most of the sweet taste of the plant. Usually it's the synergistic effect of all the agents in the plant that provide the overall health effect, which oftentimes includes "built-in protection" against potentially damaging effects, but what the FDA has approved as GRAS (generally recognized as safe) are just a couple of the active ingredients, including rebaudioside A used in Truvia.
In one toxicology review,¹⁰ the researchers point out that stevioside compounds and rebaudioside A are metabolized at different rates, making it impossible to assess the risk of rebaudioside A from toxicity assessments of stevioside (which has been used as food and medicine in Japan and South America for decades or longer). Additionally, in a human metabolism study, stevioside and rebaudioside A had different pharmacokinetic results. In layman's terms, that means that your body reacts differently to the two compounds; each compound is metabolized differently and remains in your body for different lengths of time.
Truvia may turn out to be a very good substitute to sugar, but I'd have to see more details before giving it an enthusiastic thumbs-up – for the same reason the FDA uses as the basis for their refusal to consider Stevia GRAS: there's just not enough evidence to prove its safety. Lo Han Kuo is another natural sweetener similar to Stevia, but it's a bit more expensive and harder to find. In China, the Lo Han fruit has been used as a sweetener for centuries, and it's about 200 times sweeter than sugar. It received FDA GRAS status in 2009.
A third alternative is to use pure glucose. You can buy pure glucose (dextrose) for about $5-7 per pound. It is only 70 percent as sweet as sucrose, so you'll end up using a bit more of it for the same amount of sweetness, making it slightly more expensive than regular sugar—but still well worth it for your health as it does not contain any fructose whatsoever. Contrary to fructose, glucose can be used directly by every cell in your body and as such is a far safer sugar alternative.

Consider Dampening Your Sweet-Tooth...

Keep in mind though that if you have insulin issues, high blood pressure, high cholesterol, diabetes, or if you're overweight, you'd be best to avoid all sweeteners, including Stevia, Lo Han and dextrose, since any sweetener can decrease your insulin sensitivity. (Most important of all, remember that this goes for artificial sweeteners too!) If you're having trouble weaning yourself off sweet foods and beverages, try Turbo Tapping. It's a clever use of the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), specifically designed to resolve many aspects of an addiction in a concentrated period of time (source).

Sugar Masquerading as Breakfast, Lunch, and Dinner...

A major problem with processed food is that when you look at the label, you have no way of knowing how much of the sugar is natural to the food itself, versus the sugar that was added.
Even foods that are typically considered “healthy” can contain shocking amounts of added sugar or fructose, typically in the form of high fructose corn syrup (HFCS).
Clinical trials have shown that those who consume HFCS tend to develop higher risk factors for cardiovascular disease within as little as two weeks, so if I had to pick out the worst culprit among sugars, it would be fructose.
According to Dr. Lustig, it’s important to distinguish between natural food-based sugars versus added sugar.
For example, he notes that a small serving cup of plain yogurt has about seven grams of sugar in the form of lactose, a natural sugar found in dairy, which does not cause any major harm.
A fruit flavored yogurt on the other hand, contains about 19 grams of sugar, 12 grams of which is added sugar. This equates to eating a small cup of plain yoghurt with a bowl of Frosted Corn Flakes.
According to Dr. Lustig, we “abdicated rational nutrition when we went to processed foods.” The low-fat craze has been particularly harmful, because when the food industry removed the fat, they had to put lots of sugar in. Without either fat or sugar, the food is unpalatable and no one would buy it.
We now know that good nutrition includes healthy fat, and quite a bit of it, and that sugar is a primary driver of chronic inflammation and related health problems, including obesity, diabetes, and heart disease.
In short, by removing fat and adding sugar, the processed food industry has created a smorgasbord of made to order disease... Besides enormous amounts of sugar, processed foods are also loaded with ingredients that have been banned in other countries, such as trans fats, artificial sweeteners, genetically engineered ingredients, and glyphosate (source).

 LIST OF DIFFERENT KINDS OD SUGARS (and what they do for you - or not ;))

Sweeteners	Index/Load	Information
Artificial Sweeteners	N/A	Never a Healthy Sugar Alternative All artificial chemical sweeteners are toxic and can indirectly lead to weight gain, the very reason many people consume them. They should be avoided. In fact, given a choice between high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, we recommend high fructose corn syrup by far (though it’s essentially asking if you should consume poison or worse poison).
Stevia	0/0	Best Healthy Sugar Alternative Though it is 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar, stevia is not a sugar. Unlike other popular sweeteners, it has a glycemic index rating of less than 1 and therefore does not feed candida (yeast) or cause any of the numerous other problems associated with sugar consumption. Note that REAL PURE Stevia is a GREEN Powder- not a white one. The white powders sold as stevia are bleached and processed and have added stuff to them that is not pure at all.  Read more about stevia here on OLM. Please note that Stevia and Truvia are not the same thing. Truvia is an artificial sweetener.
Date Sugar and Dried Dates	103/40	Many health advocates use dates as there sweetener but others point to the very high glycemic index and load at reason to stay away from dates.
Xylitol	7/9	Xylitol is a natural sugar alcohol sweetener found in the fibers of fruits and vegetables which can cause bloating, diarrhea, and flatulence with initial consumption. It’s said to be safe for pregnant women, and is said to possibly treat ear infections, osteoporosis, respiratory infections, candida, and is it even helps fight cavities. In fact, in Finland, virtually all chewing gum is sweetened with xylitol.
Agave Nectar	10-30/ 1-10	A sweet syrup made from the Blue Agave plant, Agave Nectar is obtained by the extraction and purification of “sap” from the agave plant, which is broken down by natural enzymes into the monosaccharides (simple sugars): mainly fructose (70-75%) and dextrose (20-26%). Read more about agave nectar at OLM.
Fructose	10-19/ 0	Though fructose has a low glycemic index rating, fructose consumption should be limited. Fructose is linked to heart disease as it raises triglycerides and cholesterol. It is devoid of nutrition.
Brown Rice Syrup	25 -65?/ ?	It is not recommended for diabetics, since its sweetness comes from maltose which is known to cause spikes in blood sugar. The range on the glycemic index for this sweetener is not due to a range found within different brands or sources. There is considerable debate as to what the glycemic index is on this sweetener, and a GI rating of 25 while most often reported by manufactures of the syrup seems far fetched and unlikely. Little research has been done and a wide range of GIs have been reported. We could not find the glycemic load anywhere.
Raw Honey	25-50/ 15-30	A Healthy Sugar Alternative in moderation, but… With antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, carbohydrates, and phytonutrients, raw, unprocessed honey is considered a superfood by many alternative health care practitioners and a remedy for many health ailments. Choose your honey wisely. Different honeys have different glycemic indexes. There is nothing beneficial about processed honey. Honey does not retain its healthy properties when cooked, this includes being used in hot coffee or tea. Read more about honey
Coconut Palm Sugar	35/1	Originally made from the sugary sap of the Palmyra palm , the date palm or sugar date palm (Phoenix sylvestris). It’s also made from the sap of coconut palms. With a relatively low glycemic index, Coconut palm sugar is the new rage among health nuts. It’s often called “coconut nectar sugar” or “coconut sugar”. Note that some coconut palm sugar is mixed with cane sugar, and the brands that do this should be avoided.
Apple Juice	40/10	Fresh has its health benefits but it still a concentrated and refined sugar. We recommend eating fresh raw whole apples and if you want to juice apples we recommend granny smiths. Concentrated apple juice (sometimes used as a sweetener) is a very concentrated refined sugar like white table sugar and should be avoided.
Barley Malt Syrup	42/?	Barley malt syrup is considered to be one of the healthiest sweeteners in the natural food industry. Barley malt is made by soaking and sprouting barley to make malt, then combining it with more barley and cooking this mixture until the starch is converted to sugar. The mash is then strained and cooked down to syrup or dried into powder.
Amazake	43/?	This is an ancient, Oriental whole grain sweetener made from cultured brown rice. It has a thick, pudding-like consistency. It’s not easy to find in the U.S., but it is a great alternative to refined table sugar.
Sugar Cane Juice	43/?	Healthy Sugar Alternative in moderation Sugar cane juice has many nutrients and other beneficial properties and is said by some health practitioners to be almost as medicinal as raw honey.
Organic Sugar	60-65/?	Organic sugar comes from sugar cane grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides. It is usually darker than traditional white sugar because it contains some molasses. (It has usually been processed to the degree, or close to it, as regular white sugar is processed).
Maple Syrup	54/?	Maple syrup is made by boiling sap collected from natural growth maple trees during March & April. It is refined sap and is therefore processed.  It has a high glycemic index, and though it is much more nutritious then refined table sugar and high fructose corn syrup, there are better choices.
Evaporated Cane Juice	55/?	Evaporated cane juice is often considered unrefined sugar, but juicing is a refining process, and evaporating refines further. Though better than turbinado, cane juice (unevaporated) is a better choice as a sweetener.
Black Strap Molasses	55/?	White refined table sugar is sugar cane with all the nutrition taken out. Black strap molasses is all of that nutrition that was taken away. A quality organic (must be organic!) molasses provides iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, and is alkalizing to the body.
Turbinado	65/?	Turbinado sugar is partially processed sugar, also called raw sugar. Raw Sugar
Raw sugar	65/?	Raw sugar is not actually raw sugar. It is processed, though not as refined as common white table sugar. Therefore, given a choice between raw and white, choose raw. There are many different variations of raw sugar with many different names depending on how refined it is.
Cola (and most other sodas)	70/?	Though cola has a lower GI ranking then some might expect, there are many other reasons to avoid cola, or any type of soda. There is nothing beneficial to the human body inside a can of soda (not to mention we should avoid drinking out of aluminum cans!).
Corn Syrup	75/?	Corn syrup has very little nutrition and should be avoided.
Refined, Pasteurized Honey	40-75/ 10-22	The nutrition is gone, and there is often high fructose corn syrup added to processed honey. Refined pasteurized honey is no better than white table sugar.
Refined Table Sugar	65/7	Conventionally grown, chemically processed, and striped of all beneficial properties, many health advocates believe that refined sugar is one of the two leading causes (high fructose corn syrup is the other) of nearly every health ailment known to man (or woman or child). Not only does it have a high GI ranking, but it also is extremely acidic to the body causing calcium and other mineral depletion from bones and organs (sugar is alkaline but has a very acidic effect on the body).
High Fructose Corn Syrup	60-87/?	Many health advocates believe that high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar are the two biggest contributors to health ailments in our society. High fructose corn syrup is a combination of sucrose and fructose.
Glucose (AKA Dextrose)	100/?	White bread was the benchmark, but for consistency glucose now holds the rating at 100.
Maltodextrin	150/?	Foods that have maltodextrin often say “Low Sugar” or “Complex Carbohydrate”, but this sweetener should be avoided!

Please note that the glycemic index numbers here are estimates. There are many variables that help determine how quickly a sugar is absorbed. These numbers represent an average of many different respected studies. In addition, it is very important to note that the glycemic index and the glycemic load do not define what is a healthy sugar and what is an unhealthy sugar. There are many other variables.

(source)

MY MOST RECENT DISCOVERY

The most interesting discovery I have made recently in sugar-replacers-land is the one of Lo Han Guo :)

The Chinese call luohanguo the "longevity fruit" because the steep mountain fields in Guangxi Province where it is grown have an unusual number of residents that live to be 100 years old or more!

Although the locals that reach this ripe old age proclaim a tranquil lifestyle, regular exercise and simple diet to be their secret, many promising studies are underway, which are confirming the nutritional and healing properties of luohanguo.

Luohanguo is a cousin of the cucumber, and a member of the gourd family of fruits. It's a round and smooth, dusty green-brown fruit that is covered with fine soft hairs, and a hard but thin shell.

The fruit is used only after it is dried, and can be processed into a powder that contains natural substances called mongrosides in it.

These natural compounds make luohanguo a whopping 300 times sweeter than sugar, and are also responsible for some of the health benefits associated with this fruit:

The Chinese call luohanguo the "longevity fruit" because the steep mountain fields in Guangxi Province where it is grown have an unusual number of residents that live to be 100 years old or more!
Although the locals that reach this ripe old age proclaim a tranquil lifestyle, regular exercise and simple diet to be their secret, many promising studies are underway, which are confirming the nutritional and healing properties of luohanguo.
Luohanguo is a cousin of the cucumber, and a member of the gourd family of fruits. It's a round and smooth, dusty green-brown fruit that is covered with fine soft hairs, and a hard but thin shell.
The fruit is used only after it is dried, and can be processed into a powder that contains natural substances calledmongrosides in it.
These natural compounds make luohanguo a whopping 300 times sweeter than sugar, and are also responsible for some of the health benefits associated with this fruit:
- See more at: http://bodyecology.com/articles/luo_han_guo_healing_fruit.php#.VKcSunuqkpU

The mongrosides in luohanguo:

• Are under investigation as potential tumor inhibitors.
• Have antioxidant properties.
• May help manage diabetes because of their inhibitory effects on blood sugar levels.
• May defend against heart disease.

In addition, teas made from luohanguo are known to:

• Relieve throat inflammation or cough.
• Cool heat stroke.
• Help elimination in the elderly.
• Relieve digestive distress.

 

 (source)

The mongrosides in luohanguo:

• Are under investigation as potential tumor inhibitors.
• Have antioxidant properties.
• May help manage diabetes because of their inhibitory effects on blood sugar levels.
• May defend against heart disease.

In addition, teas made from luohanguo are known to:

• Relieve throat inflammation or cough.
• Cool heat stroke.
• Help elimination in the elderly.
• Relieve digestive distress.

- See more at: http://bodyecology.com/articles/luo_han_guo_healing_fruit.php#.VKcSunuqkpUhis plant is being used (amongst others) in a super-replacer called lakanto , tastes almost identical to a mild raw cane-sugar and and the benefits connected to this kind of sugar are:

Now I have been able to try a bit of the so called "lakanto" sugar that was made of this plant and I though it was quite good (it has a mild raw cane-sugar-ish kinda flavour) - more amazing was that is also has the structure and heat-stability of a real sugar which makes it very fit for baking and use in hot drinks.
Now it wasn't all that affordable but I do like I got the chance to try it (a sample came with something else from a raw-food store I ordered online) - and looking at its features it seems like a very promising - even healthy - sugar replacer for the future- so I am keeping my eyes on the developments of this one :)

--

This blog can probably expand to an even further length as there is SO much out there to share and to learn about sugars ;) BUT I am leaving it at this for now, hoping this information contained some valuable things for you that you feel you can use in making your own preferred diet decisions :)

Maybe you have even heard about / or even tried some kind of sugar that is not mentioned here yet - if you want let me know about this in the comments below so I may learn from your personal experiences as well :)

Whishing you a blissful rest of your day 

so much health

so much balance

and 

so-much-love 

~ ꒰ღ˘‿˘ற꒱ ~

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