 |
 |
 |
|
Sweeteners!!! People avoid sugar for several reasons: * Avoiding tooth decay * Preventing blood sugar dysregulation and other metabolic issues like diabetes * Preventing hyperactivity and mood changes * Avoiding immune suppression * Preventing yeast infections * Weight loss There are many options for sugar substitutes. This is what I ask myself when choosing one: * Is it potentially toxic? * Are the calories less empty (are there health benefits to having it in the diet)? * Is it less glycemic? (Less caloric may also be considered if you plan to lose weight) * Do yeast and bacteria like it? Firstly, my preference is to, when possible, avoid substances that are created in a test tube and covered by patents. The kind of money at stake makes people do things like withhold condemning evidence, contribute gross sums to the FDA, etc. There is worrisome evidence about Aspartame, Saccharin, and Sucralose (potential toxicity). We should consider natural nutritive sweeteners including Honey, Fruits, and Syrups (Maple syrup, Beet syrup, Cane syrup, Barley malt syrup, Molasses (treacle), Brown rice syrup, Agave syrup) These sweeteners have traces to significant quantities of antioxidants, minerals, and vitamins. For example, molasses is a great vegitarian source of iron. Maple syrup has fructo-oligo-saccharides which promote healthy gut flora. Honey has soothing properties. Fruit based sweeteners have antioxidants, some complex carbohydrates and fiber. This group tends to be somewhat less glycemic, but the total carbohydrate load can be close to sugar. For this reason they are only a moderate improvement over sugar for blood sugar control or reduction of calories. And, unfortunately, bacteria and yeast still like it. These are great for people who use them in moderation as a part of a healthy meal (and who brush and floss regularly.) Lets talk about Sugar alcohols: As a group, other sugar alcohols are not as sweet as sugar (sucrose), and they have less calories. Their flavor is like sucrose, and they can be used to mask the aftertaste of some high intensity sweeteners like stevia. Sugar alcohols are not metabolized by oral bacteria, and so they do not contribute to tooth decay. They do not brown and caramelize when heated. Sugar alcohols are usually incompletely absorbed into the blood stream which makes them good for low-carbohydrate diets. As for many other incompletely digestible substances (such as dietary fiber), overconsumption of sugar alcohols can lead to looser stools. With continued use, most people develop tolerance to sugar alcohols and no longer experience these symptoms. Of this group, I prefer Xylitol. Xylitol is a sweetener found in many fruits and vegetables and is even produced by the human body during normal carbohydrate metabolism . Xylitol is typically manufactured from birch trees or other natural xylan-rich sources, but inexpensive xylitol from China is made from corn syrup. Xylitol has 100% the sweetness of sugar with only 13% of the Glycemic index. It inhibits oral bacteria, especially strep. It has 40% of the calories of sugar but it is metabolized independently from insulin and so is excellent for keeping blood sugar regulated. I also recommend Stevia and Lo Han Guo. These are non-caloric sweeteners. Bacteria have no use for them. There is no toxicity associated. Lo Han fruit has potential health benefits, including being Hypoglycemic, Antioxidant, Anticancer, and Antihistamine. Stevia can significantly lower blood pressure, which has been a problem for some of my patients with already low blood pressure. Stevia also can have a bitter aftertaste which bothers some. Combined with xylitol (or other nutritive sweeteners for that matter), this is minimized. I hope this helps inform your decision around sweeteners! |
