Tags: sugar | substitutes | stevia | artificial | sugar | agave

Sugar Substitutes: Are They Dangerous?

Sunday, 13 January 2013 11:55 AM EST

Americans are the fattest people in the developed world. And the single biggest source of our calories is sugar.
The average American consumes 22 to 30 teaspoons of sugar every day. “That adds up to around 400 empty calories a day,” says Bonnie Liebman, director of nutrition at the Center for Science in the Public Interest.
Where’s the Sugar?
Finding the sugar in your diet can require detective work. Everybody knows that regular soda contains a huge amount of sugar. But did you know that a 12-ounce bottle of cranberry juice cocktail contains 12 teaspoons of sugar, more than the same serving of cola? A cup of frozen yogurt has 8 1/2 teaspoons of sugar.
The bottom line: Too much sugar causes myriad health problems, including obesity, heart disease, and Type 2 diabetes. That’s why artificial sweeteners have boomed in popularity. Today there are lots of alternatives to sugar, both artificial and natural.
Natural vs. Artificial
“If I have a choice to have natural or artificial, it’s intuitive to me to take the natural option,” says Vera Tweed, a Los Angeles-based author and nutrition writer.
Tweed especially likes a relatively new sweetener called stevia, an herbal extract. “It’s a natural sweetener that doesn’t appear to have any downside and may even have some health benefits,” she says. “Studies suggest that stevia doesn’t raise blood sugar the way normal sugar does.” Unlike most natural sweeteners, stevia has zero calories.
Xylitol is a naturally occurring sweetener that is only partially absorbed by the body. It is often used in sugar-free gum and has been found to prevent tooth decay. But in larger amounts it can cause stomachaches, gas, and diarrhea.
Artificial sweeteners — aspartame, saccharin, and sucralose, among others — are more difficult to sort out. Some troubling reports suggest that certain artificial sweeteners carry an increased risk of cancer and other health issues. However, the Food and Drug Administration, the American Dietetic Association, and the National Cancer Institute all say there is no evidence to support those concerns (while warning that most of the processed foods and drinks that contain them offer little nutritional value).
One sweetener in particular, aspartame (including brand names NutraSweet and Equal), has been controversial for years.
World-renowned neurologist Russell Blaylock, M.D., has long warned against the health effects of artificial sweeteners and says there is clear evidence that aspartame can cause cancer.
“Absolutely no one should be eating artificial sweeteners,” says Dr. Blaylock, author of the popular newsletter The Blaylock Wellness Report.
However, it is widely agreed that it’s best to get your sugar through natural foods — fresh fruit, vegetables, and dairy.
When you do shop for sweeteners and add them to drinks or food, choose wisely. In other words, shop, cook, and eat like your life depends on it — because it does.
Sweet News About Stevia
Until recently, the search for a more healthful alternative to sugar has yielded only imperfect choices. Artificial sweeteners — saccharine, sucralose, or aspartame — have no calories, but have been blamed for causing everything from cancer to miscarriages. Natural alternatives — honey, xylitol, or agave nectar — don’t seem to have damaging health effects, but they do contain significant calories, and the taste can be quite different from sugar.
Stevia, a newcomer to the sweetener wars, seems to combine the best qualities of artificial and natural alternatives to sugar. It is a natural extract of a plant that is native to South America, and some studies have shown that it actually may have a beneficial effect on blood sugar and blood pressure. What’s more, it has zero calories.
Stevia is available in a variety of forms and is increasingly being used as an ingredient by food manufacturers. The pure extract is often combined with a bulking agent because unadulterated stevia extract is 200 to 300 times as sweet as sugar, and it would be difficult to use in sufficiently tiny amounts. It is now being carried in most supermarkets alongside sugar or in the natural foods section. Common brands are Pure Via, Truvia, and SweetLeaf. Cheaper store brands have recently become available.
SPECIAL: Your Sugar Level May Be Killing You. Control Naturally.
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Sorting Through Sweeteners
Below are some of the most common natural and artificial sweeteners. All artificial sweeteners and the natural sweetener stevia taste much sweeter than sugar, so less is needed. Keep this in mind when baking with sugar substitutes.
Natural Sweeteners:
• Refined sugar (also called cane sugar; brown sugar is refined sugar with added molasses)
Calories per teaspoon: 15
Source: sugar cane, beets
What you should know: While sugar is the most popular sweetener worldwide and preferred by many bakers, it is being largely blamed for obesity trend.
• Honey
Calories per teaspoon: 22
Source: nectar and pollen of flowers
What you should know: Infants should not eat honey because it can cause botulism poisoning in small babies. Ask your doctor when your baby is old enough for honey.
• Agave Nectar
Calories per teaspoon: 16
Source: the agave plant
What you should know: Some species contain natural steroids, which may have negative effects on pregnant women.
• Xylitol
Calories per teaspoon: 9
Source: sugar alcohol from beets, berries, and corn
What you should know: It is only partially absorbed by the body and does not cause blood sugar to rise. However, it can cause stomachaches and gas if eaten in large amounts.
• Stevia
Calories per teaspoon: 0
Source: a South American herb
What you should know: Brand names are Pure Via and Truvia
• Artificial Sweeteners:
1. NutraSweet (aspartame)
Calories per teaspoon: negligible
Source: Combination of phenylalanine, aspartic acid, and methanol
What you should know: Also sold under the brand name Equal. While aspartame is found in thousands of products, many people question its health effects.
2. Sweet'N Low (saccharin)
Calories per teaspoon: negligible
Source: saccharin, dextrose, and cream of tartar
What you should know: Like aspartame, many people question its health effects.
3. Splenda (Sucralose):
Calories per teaspoon: negligible
Source: chemically modified sugar
What you should know: Health effects have been questioned. Of the artificial sweeteners, Splenda is preferred for baking.
This article first appeared in Newsmax magazine. To read more, click here.
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© HealthDay


Headline
Artificial sweeteners are linked to many health problems, but now there’s a new natural alternative called stevia that appears to be a calorie-free, worry-free way to satisfy a sweet tooth.
sugar,substitutes,stevia,artificial,sugar,agave
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2013-55-13
Sunday, 13 January 2013 11:55 AM
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