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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
*Natural=made from plants or made by bees

 Granulated White Sugar

 Brown Sugar
 Turbinado Sugar
 Honey
 Molasses
 Maple Syrup
 Agave Nectar -- Agave nectar
Sucrose
-- white sugar  Xylitol
 Stevia
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

r be ets sugar cane cane

suga 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 320-1000x 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
 MORE FINDINGS ABOUT ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
Research studies show:
• People who drink diet
soda tend to gain more
weight
• Using artificial
sweeteners may
contribute to obesity &
diabetes
• The types of gut
bacteria are different in
people who use artificial
sweeteners
Why? Some hypotheses:
• Sugar tastes sweet and satisfies hunger;
• Artificial sweetener only tastes sweet but
doesn’t satisfy hunger
• Knowing you’re drinking diet soda make
you think you can eat more calories
• The sweet taste of artificial sweeteners
increases sugar cravings and appetite
• Artificial sweeteners may trick the body
into releasing insulin so the body doesn’t
metabolize sugar as well
• Changing the gut bacteria may disrupt
the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar

What can be done?

• Limit how much artificial sweetener you eat
• Diet soda is a treat not something you drink every day
• Recommendations for how much artificial sweetener we can safely eat
• Video: Are Diet Sodas Dangerous to Your Health?
http://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2013/07/11/newday-intv-gupta-diet-soda-health.cnn
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?
 Safety?