It’s common knowledge that too much sugar is bad for us. But given all the marketing hype behind different “natural” alternatives, it’s hard to know which sweeteners are actually the best. When you’re in need of a sweetener, make sure you know the difference between the good guys and the bad. And use them in moderation. Sweeteners should always be thought of as treats first!
Bad Guy #1: Aspartame
What is it?: A common chemical sweetener used in diet soda and other low cal foods.
Side effects: Some people report headaches or generally feeling unwell after ingesting anything containing the chemical.
Evidence: A University of Liverpool test tube study found that when missed with a common food color ingredient, aspartame actually became toxic to brain cells! Researchers are finding that drinking two diet sodas a day can lead to a 500 percent greater increase in waist size. Furthermore, animal studies suggest that aspartame actually increases blood glucose levels similarly to sugar, which could explain the association between diet sodas and diabetes.
Bad news: Researchers have found that one harmful breakdown product is formaldehyde, a known cancer-causer.
Bad Guy #2: Agave Nectar
What is it?: Sap from the agave plant. Probably one of the worst sweeteners on the market! It’s deceptive because it has been marketed as a healthy alternative! Many agave nectars consist of 70 to 90 percent fructose (more than what’s found in high-fructose corn syrup)!
Side Effects: Even though it doesn’t cause a big blood sugar spike the way regullar table sugar does, agave’s high fructose levels go directly to the liver, where the organ repackages it as blood fats, increasing heart disease risk.
Causes Problems: These high fructose levels can also contribute to insulin resistance (a risk factor for diabetes) as well as nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.
It’s not all or nothing: Using a teaspoon of agave nectar here or there in dessert recipes is reasonable, but you want to avoid drinks and foods sweetened with it.
Bad Guy #3: Sucralose
What is it?: Sucralose, better known by its brand name, Splenda, but sold under other generic labels as well, may originate with sugar, but the end product is anything but natural.
How it’s made: It’s processed using chlorine, and researchers are finding that the artificial sweetener is passing through our bodies and winding up in waste water treatment planst, where it can’t be broken down.
Bad News!: Tests in Norway and Sweden found sucralose in surface water released downstream from treatment discharge sites.
Side Effects: Scientists worry it could change organisms’ feeding habits and interfere with photosynthesis, putting the entire food chain at risk.
Bad Guy #4: Sugar
What is it?: Sugar is made up of 50 precent glucose and 50 percent fructose.
Side Effects: Glucose spikes blood sugar and Fructose is the stuff that goes straight for your liver!
Interesting Fact: It’s the sheer quantity we’re eating that’s driving obesity and other diseases. About 100 years ago, humans ate the equivalent of one tablespoon of sugar a day; now it’s up to 7 tablespoons daily because sugar is hidden in everything from juices and cereals to bread and condiments.
Fun Idea: If your main use for sugar is to sweeten your coffee, try experimenting with different coffee brands and roasts until you find one you like black. There are so many roasts and beans that have different intensities of flavor! However, if it’s absolutely necessary, a few drops of honey create a surprisingly nice cup of coffee!
But I need to use sugar…: On those rare occasions that you do use sugar, choose organic to avoid pesticide residues and to ensure the sugar was grown without the use of genetically engineered crops. And choose less processed sugars, like rapadura or turbinado. Although these aren’t “healthy,” sugars closer to their natural state are likely to be richer in minerals.
Bad Guy #5: High-Fructose Corn Syrup
Where did this come from? Waistlines have been growing ever since high-fructose corn syrup, or HFCS, sneaked onto the food scene around 30 years ago.
Unfortunately: With a slightly higher fructose level than sugar, HFCS does most of its damage because it’s added to an array of processed foods, including breads, yogurts, ketchup, and even salad dressing. Today, Americans ingest at least 200 calories of HFCS daily.
Fun Fact: It’s banned from use in organic foods. A 2009 study published in the journal Environmental Health also found that HFCS is sometimes laced with mercury, a heavy metal linked to autism and heart disease.
Side effects: HFCS is preferentially stored as fat in the liver and makes people resistant to leptin (a hormone), which actually increases appetite.
Good Guy #1: Stevia
Where does this come from? All types of stevia are extracted from the leaves of the stevia plant, but some forms taste better than others.
Good News: Stevia contains zero calories.
Bad News: Its one downfall is that it doesn’t work well for baking. Be wary of some stevia-related products on store shelves, though. Coke and Pepsi got the green light to use Truvia (a sweetener made in part from stevia extract, along with a sugar alcohol), but some of the ingredients could be derived from genetically engineered crops.
NIFTY!: People tend to overuse the powdered version, so start with the liquid form. You can even grow your own stevia plant. It’s technically an herb, and you can use the leaves as you would any other kitchen herb for sweetening drinks or cooking.
Good Guy #2: Sugar Alcohols
What is it? Popular sugar alcohol sweeteners include xylitol, sorbitol, and erythritol, natural sweeteners made through a fermentation process of corn or sugar cane.
Fun Fact: They contain fewer calories than sweeteners like pure sugar and honey, but more than stevia. They also leave a cooling sensation in the mouth, and have been found to prevent cavities.
Bad News: If you do use it, just don’t overdo it—too much can cause GI distress. (Note: Xylitol is extremely toxic to dogs. Even a little bit causes life-threatening changes in a pooch’s blood sugar.)
Good Guy #3: Raw Local Honey
Good News: While honey does boast higher fructose levels, it also contains a bounty of cancer-defending antioxidants, and local honey has been said to help alleviate allergy symptoms.
How to use it: Don’t limit your use of raw honey to tea. Use it to speed healing on burns, and as a natural antiseptic on cuts and scrapes. Honey also has a low glycemic index, so adding it to your tea or yogurt won’t lead to energy-busting blood sugar drops later in the day.
Good Guy #4: Blackstrap Molasses
What is it? Molasses is the syrupy by-product of the process that turns sugar cane into refined white table sugar. Sugar cane juice is boiled three times to extract the crystallized sugar, which first creates a light molasses, then a dark molasses, and finally, the super-concentrated, nutrient-rich blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap molasses is rich in iron, potassium, and calcium, making it a healthier choice than nutritionally defunct artificial sweeteners or even regular refined sugar.
Fun Fact: One tablespoon of blackstrap molasses provides more iron—but fewer calories and fat—than a three-ounce serving of red meat.
It’s still sugar: It’s not recommended for people with diabetes. We like the organic, Fair Trade Certified version of blackstrap molasses from Wholesome Sweeteners.
Good Guy #5: Real Maple Syrup
Winner: All types of sweeteners should be used in moderation, but turn to real maple syrup if you want a naturally sweet treat.
Good for you? It’s lower in calories and packed with more minerals than honey, and may even ward off cancer and heart disease. In 2011, a pharmacist from the University of Rhode Island discovered 54 previously unknown compounds in maple syrup from Canada, many of which were anti-inflammatory (which protects your heart) and exhibited cancer-fighting antioxidant properties. Ironically, two of the antioxidants they found were later discovered to fight enzymes that lead to type 2 diabetes.
NOTE: When you’re buying it, just make sure the label reads 100 percent maple syrup—not high-fructose corn syrup or “natural maple flavoring.”
