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In Reply to: xylitol posted by Nadine on July 12, 2008 at 11:23 am:
I don't use sugar substitutes. I use sugar moderately. So, I'll give you here an essay i did on sugars, and some info on "susgar alcohols', like xylitol, from the yale Nutrition advisor, and an opinion on sugar from Jeff Novick from the "Is this healthy?" vegesource forum: "Eat any sugar alcohol lately? Yale Nutrition Advisor If you've looked lately at the “Nutrition Facts” panel on a pack of sugar-free gum or candy, you might be surprised to see that it contains “sugar alcohol.” Don't let the name fool you. These ingredients were given this consumer-friendly name because part of their structure resembles sugar and part is similar to alcohol. Not one in the same What is sugar alcohol? Identifying them Check carbohydrates If a manufacturer uses the term “sugar free” or “no added sugar,” they must list the grams of sugar alcohols. If more than one sugar alcohol is used in a product, the “Nutrition Facts” panel will list the amount of sugar alcohol it contains under the total carbohydrate. If just one sugar alcohol is used, the label will list its specific name, for example, “mannitol” or “hydrogenated starch hydrolysates.” Pros and cons of sugar alcohols Unfortunately, there are some negatives associated with sugar alcohols. The most common side effect is the possibility of bloating and diarrhea when sugar alcohols are eaten in excessive amounts. There is also some evidence that sugar alcohols, much like fructose (natural fruit sugar) in fruit and fruit juice can cause a “laxative effect.” Weight gain has been seen when these products are overeaten. The American Diabetes Association claims that sugar alcohols are acceptable in a moderate amount but should not be eaten in excess. Some people with diabetes, especially Type I diabetics, have found that their blood sugars rise if sugar alcohols are eaten in uncontrolled amounts. Sugar alcohols vs. artificial sweeteners Forms of sugar alcohol Sorbitol is found naturally in fruits and vegetables. It is manufactured from corn syrup. Sorbitol has only 50 percent of the relative sweetness of sugar which means twice as much must be used to deliver a similar amount of sweetness to a product. It has less of a tendency to cause diarrhea compared to mannitol. It is often an ingredient in sugar-free gums and candies. Xylitol is also called “wood sugar” and occurs naturally in straw, corncobs, fruit, vegetables, cereals, mushrooms and some cereals. Xylitol has the same relative sweetness as sugar. It is found in chewing gums. Lactitol has about 30-40 percent of sugar's sweetening power, but its taste and solubility profile resembles sugar so it is often found in sugar-free ice cream, chocolate, hard and soft candies, baked goods, sugar-reduced preserves and chewing gums. Isomalt is 45 - 65 percent as sweet as sugar and does not tend to lose its sweetness or break down during the heating process. Isomalt absorbs little water, so it is often used in hard candies, toffee, cough drops and lollipops. Maltitol is 75 percent as sweet as sugar. It is used in sugar-free hard candies, chewing gum, chocolate-flavored desserts, baked goods and ice cream because it gives a creamy texture to foods. Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates (HSH) are produced by the partial hydrolysis of corn. HSH are nutritive sweeteners that provide 40 - 90 percent of the sweetness of sugar. HSH do not crystallize and are used extensively in confections, baked goods and mouthwashes." From Jeff Novick: In the recent flurry of diet books based on low carb diets, sugar, along with carbohydrates, became the villan. Americans turned away from carbohydrates and sugar persuaded they were to blame for their weight problems. Many Americans who struggle to lose weight, avoid sugar at any cost. While sugar is clearly not a health food, is sugar, in and of itself, to blame for weight gain. The following study is eye-opening in regard to this issue. And, it really challenges the whole concept of sugar and weight gain. The study compared two diets both containing the same amount of calories (1100)), and the same percentages of fat (11%), protein (19%) and carb (71%). The only difference was where the carbs came from. In one group, 43% of the calories came from white sugar. In the other diet, only 4% came from white sugar. Thats 118 grams (around 30 tsps) vs 11 grams (around 3 tsps) Both groups experienced the same decreases in weight, blood pressure, percentage body fat,and the same changes in total cholesterol, LDL cholesterol, HDL cholesterol, and triglycerides. There was no difference in the effect of either diet on fasting blood sugar (which went down in both groups) Why? Total calories were restricted and both groups lost weight. Each group took in around 1100 calories and lost about 7 kgs (almost 15 bs) over the 6 weeks. The authors concluded... "We therefore conclude that the use of sucrose in a weight-loss regimen is unlikely to cause problems for the average patient, as long as total energy intake is restricted." I would not recommend a diet that has 43% of its calories coming from white sugar, but this clearly lets everyone know that small amounts of sugar are not the problem when it comes to weight. Total calories are. Am J Clin Nutr. 1997 Apr;65(4):908-15.Metabolic and behavioral effects of a high-sucrose diet during weight loss.PMID: 9094871" I know that many in the vegetarian and health food movements will disagree with me, but I think that depending upon so-called "natural" sugars is a mistake. Many consumers think they can eat large quantities of dessert foods made with fruit and grain syrups, but researchers have found that ingesting ANY type of sugar, even that in orange juice, leads to a significant drop in the white blood cell index of the body, reducing the effectiveness of the immune system. All sugars, indeed all refined carbohydrates, can affect insulin levels. In fact, the worst case of low blood sugar I ever experienced, shaky legs included, was after eating maple butter, which is just cooked-down natural maple syrup. Actually, maple syrup isn't necessarily a better choice than sugar, although I love it. Every time I have pancakes with maple syrup for breakfast, I get low blood sugar later (though not as dramatic as that decribed). You may prefer it because it can be locally produced. There are many reasons for our choices. But, if it is a health choice, please read on: I have been reading up alot on sugars because my husband has a high triglyceride level, which is complicated, but suffice it to say that he has "blood sugar challenges" as registered dietician Brenda Davis puts it, similar to someone worried about diabetes. In her book, "Defeating Diabetes" (an excellent book!), she explains sugars. Sugar (sucrose) is about 50% fructose and 50% glucose (commercial fructose is extracted from sugar). Fructose registers low on the Glycemic Index and sucrose higher. Table sugar is about middle on the Index, lower than white flour! Commercial fructose is nasty-tasting in my opinion and highly refined. Also, fructose can adversely affect blood lipid levels, so it shouldn't be used by those worried about cholesterol levels! (Talk about complicated!) (see articles about fructose below this one.) Anyway, maple syrup is 90-100% sucrose! It only contains trace amounts of minerals and vitamins and registers about the same as sucrose on the GI. Blackstrap molasses is the only sugar with any significant nutritional value, but is obviously limited in the ways it can be used. It provides lots of calcium and iron, though. "Natural" sweeteners with a glycemic response similar to sucrose: "raw", turbinado or unbleached sugar: Sucanat (which I was surprised to hear is made by mixing refined cane juice and molasses!) Barley malt (very small amounts of nutrients and only 40% as sweet as sugar) Brown rice syrup (ditto for the nutrients, only half as sweet as sugar) Well, date sugar is very expensive and doesn't dissolve, and dates are pretty high on the GI too. Rapadura is what Sucanat USED to be-- dehydrated cane juice. It can be used cup for cup with sugar, is the most nutrient dense of cane sugars (still not high in nutrition like molasses, but some nutrients) and "may provide a slightly lower glycemic response compared with sucrose" (Brenda Davis). Tastes more like light brown sugar. For people concerned about blood sugar response, the answer might be agave syrup. It has some vitamins and minerals and is 90% fructose, so it has a very low GI. 1/2 a cup replaces 1 c. sugar (reduce liquid by 1/4 c.). It is not cheap and can be hard to find in some areas, but it is delicious and my husband uses it on toast in place of honey (keep it in the fridge for spreading consistency. There is a laight and a dark variety, and it has a pleasant taste with citrusy tones. CAUTION: because it is mainly fructose, it could adversely affect blood lipids (fats) if used alot! So, you see, there is no ideal. Even excess natural fruit juice as a sweetener could adversely effect someone with cholesterol problems because of the fructose! My take on the whole thing remains this-- use sugar of any kind moderately and save desserts for a once a week and celebration treat. I use whatever kind of (vegan) sugar fits the bill. We eat desserts probably less than that, and we have a little sugar in our tea and on our oatmeal, and use low-sugar jam. That's the compromise I have made. It stands to reason that such a concentrated, refined carbohydrate as sugar, stripped of its natural ingredients, may not be particularly good for us, but I don't believe that you are contributing to good health by eating desserts made with "natural" sugars every day. Boiled-down fruit juice, maple sap, or grain syrup are all very concentrated sugars, and the origins of them are no more natural than sugar cane (and usually not organic, either). Furthermore, so-called “natural” sweeteners are not powerhouses of nutrition—one should not depend on ANY sweetener (except perhaps blackstrap molasses, a good source of both iron and calcium, but so strong-tasting that it cannot be used in many desserts) for nutrition. The nutrition in your desserts will come primarily from fruits and whole grains, as well as perhaps nuts and seeds. Just to illustrate this, let’s compare 1/4 c. serving of various sweeteners and their calorie, iron and calcium contents (information from Secrets of Fat-Free Baking, by Sandra Woodruff, RD [Avery Pub., Garden City, NY, 1994]): SWEETENER (1/4 C.) CALORIES CALCIUM IRON Brown rice syrup 256 3 mg 0.1 mg (There’s not a lot of difference in the nutrient content between brown rice syrup and white sugar!) Sugar is the easiest and most affordable sweetener to work with and is now available in a variety of forms unbleached. This is a concern for vegetarians because most cane sugar is bleached by filtering through bone ash, and brown sugars like demerrara may be simply bleached sugar with molasses added. Consequently, I, as a vegetarian, use only cane sugar products that state on the package that they are unbleached, or for which I have the assurance of the particular company that they are unbleached, no matter what the color. Or, you can use beet sugar, which I can sometimes get (for a higher price) at my health food store (I live in the West, where cane sugar is the norm.) The most common unbleached sugars are turbinado and granulated sugar cane juice (Rapadura is one brand, and it is similar to brown sugar—some varieties are organic and some are not), but there are other products with different names that specify they are unbleached. A light unbleached sugar that is commonly available in bulk is called turbinado, but the lightest-colored unbleached sugars that I have seen are Florida Crystals and various brands of organic unbleached granulated sugar (I have seen Richdale, Rogers and President’s Choice, all Canadian brands, very light and very finely granulated). Taikoo is a brand of unrefined sugar from Hong Kong which makes light, medium and dark unbleached sugars, and also unbleached sugar cubes. Here in British Columbia, where I live, Rogers Best Brown Sugar is unbleached and available everywhere. They also have unbleached sugar cubes, as does Taikoo. If you can get beet sugar (we have to pay a higher price for it here in the west, but it's common east of the Rockies), that type is NOT bleached with bone ash, so should be vegan. You can contact the manufacturer to find out what type of sugar it is if it's not on the package. "Raw" sugar is a misnomer. No truly raw sugar is allowed in North America for health reasons and it usually refers to a light golden sugar, which may or may not be bleached, so you have to do your homework. Re: the confectioner's sugar question. If it's made from beet sugar, it's vegan. If it's made from cane sugar it's not. If you live west of the Rockies, your sugar (of all types) is probably cane sugar; if you live east of the Rockies, it's probably beet, but maybe phone the manufacturer to make sure if it doesn't say on the package. You can make powdered sugar (not as fine, but it works pretty well) out of turbinado sugar or unbleached light-colored granulated sugar. Grind it in a DRY blender (preferably a good one with nice sharp blades-- and keep the lid on) with a little starch of some kind (I use cornstarch, but you could try others)-- about 1 T. starch to 1 c. sugar. Grind it as fine as you can. (One poster wrote in that she uses a small electric coffee grinder and that this works even better.) Wholesome Foods or Florida Crystals are two brands of unbleached powdered sugar found at most health food stores in the U.S.. Hain also makes organic powdered sugar and organic brown sugar, available at veganessentials.com and differentdaisy.com. Trader Joe’s now has vegan powdered sugar! Food grade molasses is not bleached through bone char. Grade A light maple syrup is used in some recipes where even light unbleached sugar leaves a faint molasses taste where a liquid sugar is preferable. It is expensive, but easily available and still cheaper and sweeter than brown rice syrup. Grade B maple syrup is darker and less expensive, and the best choice when you want a nice, mapley flavor. You can use brown rice syrup in place of corn syrup, which many people prefer not to use now because of it may originate from genetically-modified corn. Brown rice syrup is expensive and not as sweet as many sweeteners, but it has a pleasant caramelly taste—I like to use it in my version of the Latin American sweet, “dulce de leche” (also known as “manjar blanco”), the cooked down sugar and milk product used frequently in Latin America. |
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