By Teresa Carr
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The Sweet Life
By
Teresa Carr The following chart is a list of sugars in their natural
and artifical forms that are being sold on the market. This page is to help
those trying to decide what sugars and sweeteners are best for their health
and well being. Sugar addiction has been a major problem in creating acidic
conditions in the body that contribute to chronic health problems such as
fatigue, allergies, heartburn, digestive problems, inflammatory conditions,
susceptibility to colds and flus, and even bone loss. The combination of too much
sugar with too much refined carbohydrates such as white bread, chips,
pastries, pasta, and white rice contribute to obesity and diabetes. The
author does not recommend or advice directly as to what type of products to
use. The consumers assume responsibility for his or her decision. With any
diet or regime ask you physician if you have questions. Natural Sugars and Herbal Sweeteners The
more natural the sugar is in its raw, organic state the better it is for you. Agave Nectar comes from the Agave cactus
plant also called the Century plant or Maguey. The people of Mexico use the
sap of certain agaves to make beverages, such as pulque and mescal.
Beet Sugar comes from the sugar beet,
which is related to the red garden beet. The plant is a biennial because it
takes two years to grow. It is white and has a high sugar content. Sugar is
taken from the beetroot by washing and cutting the beets. The slices are put
in hot water, which soaks the sugar from the beets. The syrup is purified
mechanically, filtered, and boiled to sugar. The sugar is dried for market
and packaged and sold under the name beet sugar. Brown Rice Syrup comes
from brown rice. Erythritol is a sweet alternative in powder
form derived from the sugar alcohol in pears, grapes, and melons. It’s very
low calorie about 0.2 calories per gram. You can use an equal amount to
replace sugar in any recipe. Look for it as Zsweet. Maple Sugar and Syrup are
obtained by collecting the sap of the sugar maple tree and refining it. The
sap is boiled in an evaporator. Molasses is a by-product of cane sugar
and beet sugar. Blackstrap molasses is a good source of magnesium and vitamin
B-12. Pouring molasses into oak barrels and aging the molasses until it turns
the inside of the barrel black gets its name blackstrap. The molasses at the
bottom of the barrel I the richest and has the most nutrients. Organic Evaporated Sugar Cane Juice is
made from the raw sugar cane and extracts the purest substance possible. It
is also found under the name Sucanat. Raw Honey,
the best source of natural sugar. Mediterranean diets use this as a basic
sweetener. In some ancient Middle East countries like Palestine (present
Israel) sugar was never heard of. The only food that sweetened was honey and
figs. This food is mentioned in the Bible and should be included in a healthy
diet (Exodus 3:8, 17; 16:31). Honey contains amino acids, enzymes, minerals
needed by the body. By-products of honey include propolis and royal jelly and have great medicinal
value. Most pure honeys granulate with an exception to Tupelo honey, which
contains more levulose than dextrose, seldom granulates. Honey ranges in
color from white to dark amber. Light color honey has a mild flavor. The most
common honey plants are alfalfa, alsike clover, sweet clover, and white
clover. Many regional plants produce excellent honey. Clovers are common in
the north. In the east, buckwheat flowers are used. In the south, tupelo,
mesquite, sourwood, and gallberry supply nectar for honey. Among the white
honeys, California white sage ranks first followed by orange blossom honey.
Fall flowers such as goldenrod and asters give a dark honey. Stevia is a
calorie free sweetener that is safe for diabetics and hypoglycemics. Stevia
is a natural herb (Stevia rebaudiana bertoni) native to Paraguay that
is 30 times sweeter than sugar. It has been used for centuries in South
America to enhance medicinal remedies. Recent research shows that Stevia can
reduce blood pressure and improve insulin sensitivity. Stevia comes in
tablets, liquid extract, and powder. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar. One
small tablet is equal to a teaspoon of sugar. One teaspoon of pure Stevia
powder is as sweet as 1 cup of sugar. It’s calorie free and is heat stable.
Stevia can have a bitter aftertaste. Stevia extract contains 90% Steviosides
and 60% Rebaudioside A. It’s great for baking; try it in brownies and fudge.
This can also available in packets and liquid form from Betterherbs (888-300-6242). While
stevia can be sold by itself as a dietary supplement in the U.S., the FDA has
banned it from being used as a food additive. Isn’t it rather ironic that the
FDA allows sucralose and aspartame to be added to foods, and bans stevia that
has a long history of safe use by millions of people? I have yet another
factual story to tell of the FDA’s political propaganda and financial
motivation under pressure by the manufacturers of their dangerous sweeteners,
like aspartame, Splenda and saccahrin. Turbinado sugar
or raw cane sugar, if you’re going to use sugar in cooking or sweetening
drinks go for the organic raw brand. This sugar has not undergone the
processing and bleaching method. Xylitol is a
natural sweetener that comes from fruits especially berries (strawberries and
raspberries), plums, certain vegetables, mushrooms, jute, and birch trees.
Xylitol is used in dental care products like toothpaste, mouthwash, and gum
that help prevent tooth decay by inhibiting bacteria and slows plaque
formation. It is also used in nasal washes. Unlike sucrose (table sugar) and
fructose (fruit sugar), xylitol doesn’t create an acid environment in your
mouth. When the mouth pH becomes acidic from sugary foods, the enamel on
teeth erodes, leading to tooth decay. Eating foods sweetened with xylitol, or
just taking it, has been shown to remineralize tooth enamel and reduce
cavities, dental plaque, and the plaque acids that erode teeth. European
research studies suggest that xylitol can help maintain and even increase
bone density (Bone Miner 94;26:81-88, Gerontology 01;47:300-305).
Xylitol has 40 percent fewer calories than sugar and the same sweetness.
Don’t consume more than 30 grams per day it may cause stomachaches. Use an
equal amount of xylitol, as you would sugar. Look for it as Xylosweet.
Xylitol is available at most health food stores or you can call Doctor Lark’s
Daily Balance at (800) 260-1620. Artifical Sweeteners Aspartame (NutraSweet) is
made by combining two amino acids, aspartic acid and phenylalanine and
processed chemically from 10 percent methanol an alcohol that breaks down
into formaldehyde in the body. Current reports claim that aspartame is
contributed to Alzheimer’s disease and other central nervous system
disorders. For this reason aspartic acid and phenylalanine affects the brain
neurotransmitters and brain chemistry and can cause a long list of health
problems in those who are sensitive to these substances. Aspartame is known
to clog the arteries going to and around the brain by calcifying in the
vessels preventing proper oxygen flow to the brain. It’s been known to cause
headaches, dizziness, anxiety, depression, PMS symptoms, chronic fatigue,
fibromyalgia, environmental sensitivities, and seizures. It’s strongly
recommended that children avoid this product. Dextrose is a white, grainy sugar. It
is found in fruits such as grapes and in the bodies of human beings and
animals. Dextrose, sometimes called grape sugar, or glucose.
It’s not as sweet as ordinary sugar. It is a simple sugar and dissolves
easily in water than sugar, and is easily absorbed into the intestines. It
doesn’t need to be digested and makes a good source of quick energy and
emergency food. Dextrose dissolved in liquid is given to patients after
surgery. If too much is taken into the body it becomes fat or waste. A
patient with diabetes, dextrose passes into the blood because the body
tissues do not burn it up. Dextrose is made from cornstarch for commercial
use. It’s usually made in the form of corn syrup. The starch is treated with
steam, under pressure, in the presence of hydrochloric acid. Dextrose is used
in candy-making, soda mixtures, fruit preservation, making soaps and tanning
fluids. Fructose, a fruit sugar that’s most
commonly found in many food products as fructose corn syrup. Glucose, chemical formula C6H12O6,
is a white, crystalline sugar, about half as sweet as cane sugar. It’s also
called dextrose and grape sugar. Glucose forms in the juice of grapes and
several other sweet fruits. Seeds, leaves, roots, flowers, honey, and the
bodies of men and animals also contain glucose. Maltitol – sugar alcohol derived from
starch, special high maltose corn syrup. Maltodextrin – see Splenda; This sugar alcohol is found in
Splenda and sucralose. Maltose –the chemical term for malt
sugar. Th formation of maltose in the body is the first step in the digestion
of starchy foods. The enzyme ptyalin in saliva changes starch into
maltose. Other enzymes in the body split the maltose into glucose.
Commercially, the enzyme diastase in malt changes starch into maltose.
Fermentation changes maltose into alcohol. This is recovered by distillation.
Some maltose is used for sweetening various kinds of foods. Mannitol – sugar alcohol derived from
Manna plant or from seaweed. Refined White Sugar – this comes from sugar cane that has gone through a bleaching process. In the processing all nutrients are depleted and leave chemical residue. Saccharin, chemical formula, C6H4-SO2NHCO,
is a white crystal powder used as a sweetener. It is a compound made from
toluene, which is made from coal tar and from petroleum. Many reports claim
that it can cause cancer in laboratory animals. It was discovered in 1879 by
a German chemist, Constantin Fahlberg, and an American chemist, Ira Remsen at
John Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. Research done in the 1980s
showed in very high doses saccharin caused bladder cancer in male rats. The
FDA has allowed saccharin to stay on the market, as long as it has a warning
label stating that it might be a carcinogen. Saccharin also has a bitter
aftertaste. Sorbitol – sugar alcohol that is
synthesized from glucose, alcohol form of sucrose, manufactured from white
table sugar. Splenda – manufacturers claims to be
derived from sugar. Contents Dextrose, Maltodextrin and Sucralose. Recent
research shows that Splenda is just as harmful as aspartame. It’s been linked
to nerve and liver damage. It’s advised that patients with Parkinson’s
disease should not consume this type of sweetener. Sucralose – also known as Splenda,
sucralose is made by replacing two of the molecules from table sugar with
chlorine. It’s 600 times sweeter than sugar and contains no calories and
doesn’t raise blood sugar. There is a problem because the of the chlorine
molecule. In research sucralose causes shrinkage of the thymus gland and
enlargement of the liver and kidneys. Without the thymus functioning properly
it will cause problems with your immune system. People who are sensitive to
sucralose have been known to complain about stomach cramps, moodiness and
generalized pain. The FDA has approved sucralose without any long-term human
studies or formal follow-up. It’s recommended to avoid this product. Sucrose is the chemical name for the
common table sugar. It has the chemical formula C12H22O11.
It is extracted from sugar beets and sugar cane and is the cheapest pure
chemical produced on a large scale. Chemically, sucrose has certain
properties of an alcohol, ad it will form esters with organic acids. ©2007. Teresa Carr. Skyhouse Communications & Mega
Grafx® Studio. |
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