Substitutes For Sugar

You've heard that sugar is one of the most important things to remove from your diet, and it's all true. Those seemingly pure as the driven snow granules are in fact typically refined at least six times, which means that any ensuing nutritive value that they might have had is nil. But our collective sweet tooth has only been growing and the health risks, increasing.

Americans currently consume an average of 60 pounds of sugar a year. That's about 20 teaspoons a day in added sweeteners, and most studies think this is a LOW number. When you add other sweeetners like corn syrup, the numbers jump to about 140 pounds a year, and 44 teaspoons a day. Want to eliminate an overweight population and most type 2 diabetes? Just eliminate refined sugar and corn syrup from your diet.

The scientific discussion today is whether or not it is better to use artifical sweetners like aspartame, or natural sweetners like agave. There are scientists on both sides of the debate, and my feeling is "everything in moderation." Below are some of the substitutes for refined sugar and corn syrup.

Agave nectar. This comes from a desert-dwelling succulent plant, is 33% sweeter than sugar, and averages about 60 calories per tablespoon. The current research indicates that it has a minimal effect on blood sugar and insulin levels which is good, but it is also high in fructose, which may raise your triglycerides.

Brown Rice Syrup. This is the syrup that results from combining sprouted rice or barley with cooked brown rice. It contains only 13 calories per teaspoon, but is less sweet than sugar. It breaks down relatively slowly, providing more of a time-release energy flow than sugar, and also contains magnesium, manganese and zinc. The negative is that is that it still contains glucose, which is a no no for diabetics.

Erythritol. At one time this sugar alcohol was solely an ingredient in packaged foods, but is now available in powdered form. It contains almost no calories. It is produced by breaking down, fermenting and filtering sugar cane or corn starch. It's great for those who are watching their weight or are diabetic, as it doesn't effect blood sugar. Too much will cause gas, bloating and diarrhea.

Stevia. This is a native South American plant, available in both liquid and powdered form. It has not yet been approved as a food by the FDA. It is about 300 times sweeter than sugar, and has no calories. Some evidence shows that it actually lowers blood sugar levels. The negative is that some find it has a bitter aftertaste.

These are by no means all the sugar substitutes. There is a long list of others I haven't talked about, like aspartame, sucralose, saccharin and acesulfame potassium. I have tried all of the ones I reviewed above, and I really like agave. It is very sweet, and is delicious with just a little sprinkled on plain Greek yogurt, with or without some fruit. Experiment a little and find what you like, and get rid of the processed sugar. It's killing us!