SUGAR AND ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS WHAT CHOICES ARE BEST FOR YOU?

FROM SWEET TO SWEETEST Natural sugars & sugar substitutes: Sugar = Turbinado (Sugar in the Raw) = Xylitol  Honey (1-1.5x)  Agave Nectar (1.5x)  Stevia (3-4½x)

FROM SWEET TO SWEETEST Artificial sweeteners: Equal (200x sugar)  Sweet N’ Low (300x)  Splenda (up to 1000x)  Packets are combined with dextrose* and maltodextrin & are 2x sweeter than sugar

LEAST TO MOST CALORIES PER TEASPOON Sweet N’ Low, Stevia, Splenda, Equal 0 calories XyloSweet 10 calories Sugar, Turbinado Sugar 16 calories Agave Nectar 20 calories Honey 21 calories

FROM LESS TO MORE PROCESSED Honey  Agave nectar  Sugar in the raw  Table sugar  Xylitol  Stevia  Splenda = Sweet ‘n Low = Equal Stevia plant

SOME DEFINITIONS What is a sugar substitute? What is artificial sweetener? What is the Glycemic Index?

TYPES OF NATURAL* SWEETENERS  Granulated White Sugar  Brown Sugar  Turbinado Sugar  Honey  Molasses  Maple Syrup  Agave Nectar  Xylitol  Stevia Sucrose -- white sugar -- Agave nectar *Natural=made from plants or made by bees

MORE ABOUT VARIOUS NATURAL SWEETENERS In the following slides you will find out: What the sweetener is made from Calories Sweetness compared to sugar Interesting facts Health effects

GRANULATED WHITE TABLE SUGAR BROWN & TURBINADO SUGAR Sugar, or sucrose, is made from sugar cane or sugar beets 16 calories per teaspoon Processing Table sugar goes back to 500 BC. Until 1700s, only the wealthy could afford it Processed foods contain high levels of sucrose which is used to preserve it Health effects: Obesity, cavities. Diabetics must limit sugar Glycemic Index = 58 sugar cane sugar beets cane sugar

HONEY a natural sugar made by bees from flower nectar contains Fructose & Glucose & tiny amounts of healthy antioxidants 21 calories per teaspoon 1-1.5x sweeter than sugar, so you can use less Processing: Minimal Health effects - Infants can contract botulism from honey

AGAVE NECTAR Made from the agave plant Contains mostly Fructose, some Glucose 20 calories/teaspoon Processing Health effects – eating a lot fructose can lead to insulin resistance (Type 2 Diabetes) Low glycemic index

XYLITOL Made from plant fiber, usually hardwood or corncobs Sugar alcohol 10 calories per teaspoon. Same sweetness as sugar Processing Health Effects: Fights bacteria that cause cavities Strengthens tooth enamel Reduces ear infections in children Toxic and life-threatening to dogs Low glycemic index

STEVIA Made from the leaves of the stevia plant From South America Zero calories 300x sweeter than sugar. Mixed with dextrose in packet Processing Health effects: Safe for people with diabetes Some research shows Stevia is anti-inflammatory, anti-diarrheal & a diuretic

SOME MORE DEFINITIONS What is Maltodextrin? What is Dextrose? How can artificial sweeteners have zero calories? The Food & Drug Administration (FDA) considers that a serving with less than 4 calories is dietetically zero calories

WHY WOULD YOU USE ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER?  Control calories to lose weight  Dental Health  Regulate Diabetes  Limit sugar  Other reasons?

MORE ABOUT VARIOUS ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS In the following slides: What the sweetener is made from Calories Sweetness, compared to sugar Interesting facts Health effects

SACCHARIN (SWEET ‘N LOW) A byproduct of coal processing The oldest artificial sweetener Zero calories. Suitable for diabetics 300x sweeter than sugar. Mixed with dextrose in packet Bitter aftertaste. Is not digested but passes through the body Health effects: In 1970s, suspected of causing bladder cancer. In 2000 this finding was shown to be wrong

ASPARTAME (EQUAL, NUTRASWEET) Accidentally discovered in 1965 in a lab Zero calories 200x sweeter than sugar. Packets are mixed with dextrose & maltodextrin Of the artificial sweeteners, the taste is closest to sugar Used in many products Short shelf life. Not heat-stable, so not good for baking Health effects: May trigger migraines Toxic for people who have the rare condition PKU

SUCRALOSE (SPLENDA) Accidentally discovered in London in 1976 in a lab Made from sucrose+chlorine Zero calories. Suitable for diabetics From x sweeter than sugar Approved by FDA in 1998 Long shelf life. In baked goods, texture is more dry, less dense than sugar Health Effects: Less than 25% is absorbed, does not cause cavities

There is not one best choice of sweetener: How do you decide what sweetener is best for you?  Calories?  Taste?  Cost?  Natural or artificial?  Health concerns?  Another reason?