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| Sugars and Alternative Sweeteners |
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| Written by Toma Grubb | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sunday, 08 October 2006 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Probably more than you ever wanted to know about sugar and sugar substitutes.Sugar and other sweeteners are a major part of many diets. Anything ending in “ose” is a sugar. Sugars are carbohydrates. To clarify, carbohydrates are molecules of carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen produced by plants through photosynthesis. The term saccharide is a synonym for carbohydrate; a monosaccharide (mono=1) is the fundamental unit of carbohydrates. Disaccharides (Di=2) are molecules containing 2 monosaccharide units. Di and monosaccharides are also known as sugars, simple sugars, or simple carbohydrates. Next are oligosaccharides, and polysaccharides. Oligosaccharides are made of 3-9 monosaccharide links. Polysaccharides consist of 10 to thousands of monosaccharide links. A complex carbohydrate refers to many monosaccharide units linked together. In addition, you will often hear the terms “long”, and “short” carbohydrate chains. Short carbohydrate chains are those under 10 sugar molecules. And long chains are those over 10 sugar molecules. Which fits in conjunction with the above terms, Oligosaccharides and Polysaccharides. No endorsement is intended for any particular product. All Items are listed alphabetically and there will be some overlap between entries. Acesulfame-K – Also know as “Ace-K,” (Sunette®), or acesulfame potassium, was discovered in 1967 in Germany. It was approved in 1988 by the FDA as a tabletop sweetener and for use in baked goods, frozen desserts, beverages, and candies. Consisting of carbon, nitrogen, oxygen, hydrogen, sulfur, and potassium atoms, acesulfame K is 200 times sweeter than table sugar. Acesulfame K is not digested, so it contributes no calories to the diet. Some animal studies suggest a possible cancer-promoting effect. Alitame Like aspartame, Alitame is made from amino acids. Alitame is 2,000 times sweeter than sugar. Pfizer, a pharmaceutical company and manufacturer of this sweetener, petitioned the FDA in 1986 for approval. As of 1992, the approval is still pending. Aspartame You might recognize aspartame as the product contained in the blue packet with “Nutra Sweet” printed on the front. Once saccharine began to lose its luster, aspartame gained popularity. While aspartame might be popular in diet soft drinks, coffee and tea, it’s not recommended for baking as it can lose its flavor after being exposed to heat for certain period of time. Adding it to foods once they stop cooking, however, is fine. There currently is concern with aspartame as it has been linked to cancer by studies in both the United States and Europe. Brown Rice Syrup is a natural sweetener with a mild, buttery flavor and a delicate sweetness that makes it ideal for use in baking and desserts. Unlike simple sugars, such as monosaccharides and disaccharides, Brown Rice Syrup is a polysaccharide, or a complex sugar. The unique structure of complex sugars allows them to be absorbed and broken down more slowly than simple sugars, avoiding rapid spikes in blood glucose. Slower absorption also allows the body to utilize complex sugars for energy instead of having to store them as fat for later use. Brown Rice Syrup is made by fermenting brown rice with special enzymes that break down the natural starch content of the rice. This process produces a translucent syrup that's an alternative to white and brown sugar. Cellulose is something we don’t normally think of as sugar but it ends in ose so is therefore a sugar. Cellulose is an excellent source of insoluble fiber derived from plant sources. Insoluble fibers may regulate bowel transit time and support the health of the GI tract. Unlike soluble fiber, insoluble fiber does not feed undesirable bacteria well and is not readily fermented into short chain fatty acids.* It has no effect on cholesterol levels and inactivates many intestinal toxins.* High intake of insoluble fiber is associated with a decreased risk of unfavorable conditions of the colon, potentially supporting balanced intestinal microbiology.* Corn Syrup (HFCS) is a sweetener made from corn and can be found in numerous foods and beverages on grocery store shelves in the United States. Contrary to its name, HFCS is not high in fructose. At the time HFCS was developed, the only sweetener in all other corn syrups was glucose; none contained fructose. So the name "high" fructose corn syrup, in comparative terms, makes sense and is entirely appropriate. But when compared to table sugar (sucrose), HFCS is not at all "high" in fructose. In fact, HFCS is nearly identical in composition to table sugar (sucrose), which is composed of 50 percent fructose and 50 percent glucose. HFCS is composed of either 42 percent or 55 percent fructose, with the remaining sugars being glucose and higher sugars. HFCS is used in foods and beverages because of the many benefits it offers. In addition to providing sweetness at a level equivalent to table sugar HFCS makes foods such as bread and breakfast cereal "brown" better when baked, and gives chewy cookies and snack bars their soft texture. Cyclamate This is the sugar substitute used by Weight Watchers. It’s used for cooking and baking. It’s sweeter than sugar, about ten times sweeter, so keep this in mind when opening a package of “Sugar Twin.” Cyclamate was synthesized in 1937 at the University of Illinois by a student who accidentally discovered its sweet taste. The patent for cyclamate was first purchased by DuPont and then later sold to Abbott Laboratories. In those days, Abbott’s reported interest was to use the product to mask the bitter taste of an antibiotic and a pentobarbital elixir. Cyclamate was initially marketed as tablets that were recommended for use as a tabletop sweetener for people with diabetes and others who had to restrict their intake of sugar. Although it is approved for use in many countries, cyclamate is banned in the United States due to concerns over potential carcinogenicity. Dextrose, occurs naturally in food, and is moderately sweet. It is a monosaccharide (basic unit of carbohydrates, C6H1206) and has a high glycemic index (digested carbohydrates ability to raise blood glucose levels, also called Gl) ranking at 100. Dextrose is labeled a simple carbohydrate Other Names: D-Glucose; Anhydrous dextrose; Cartose; Cerelose; Corn sugar; D-(+)-Glucose; Dextropur; Dextrosol; Glucolin; Grape sugar; Sugar, grape; α-d-glucose; component of Kadalex; D-Glucose, anhydrous; Dextrose, anhydrous; GLUCOSE (D); Syrup; Glucose, anhydrous; Glucose liquid. Also called corn sugar and grape sugar, dextrose is a naturally occurring form of glucose. Diabetisweet Diabetic Sugar Substitute for Baking and Cooking Looks, tastes, and bakes just like sugar. Maintains its taste at high temperatures, so it’s ideal for baking and cooking. DiabetiSweet® has the same granulated texture as sugar, DiabetiSweet® is sweetened with Acesulfame-K, a high intensity non-nutritive sweetener. It also contains Isomalt, a heat-stable bulking agent that adds volume to cakes, breads, and other recipes. DiabetiSweet® does not contain aspartame, saccharin, sucrose, fructose, sorbitol, maltodextrin, or dextrose. Equal® Equal is an artificial sweetener containing aspartame, dextrose, and maltodextrin. Major concern would be the aspartames recent link to cancer. Erythritol a ployol (sugar alcohol), is a sweetener which is suitable for a variety of reduced-calorie and sugar-free foods. It can be used as a sugar substitute in most sugar-free recipes. Erythritol has been part of the human diet for thousands of years due to its presence in foods such as pears, melons, grapes and mushrooms. Erythritol is derived from a corn source. Erythritol resembles sugar in consistency and taste but has a caloric value near zero. It is also a sugar alternative for diabetics. Eyrthritol, like Xylitol, may also inhibit cavities by denying plaque bacteria the fuel (sugar) it needs to erode tooth enamel. Low in calories: Erythritol has a very low caloric content; its value is 0.2 calories per gram for food labeling purposes in the United States and 0 (zero) calories per gram for food labeling purposes in Japan. Foods containing substantial amounts of erythritol are very unlikely to cause gaseous and laxation side effects. Clinical studies conducted in people with diabetes conclude that erythritol may be safely used to replace sucrose in foods formulated specifically for people with diabetes.
Fructose, Also known as “fruit sugar”, fructose is roughly 50% sweeter than ordinary sugar, tastes wonderful, and does not raise blood sugar levels like table sugar. When taken in moderation, fructose can be taken by diabetics after first consulting with their physician. Fructose is derived from corn and is approximately 1.8 times sweeter than regular table sugar. Unfortunately we cannot supply an exact equivalency for substituting Fructose for table sugar. Experimentation will yield the best results, keeping in mind how much sweeter Fructose is. In general, if a recipe calls for 1 cup of sugar, a little over a 1/2 of a cup should be close. Sweeten to taste is the best advice! Fructose's chemical name is levulose. Fructose is also called the fruit sugar. Fructose is found in fruits, honey..
Galactose is a simple sugar derived from the breakdown of the milk sugar lactose. Because galactose is toxic to the lens of the eye, infants lacking the enzyme needed to metabolize it develop cataracts at a young age. Epidemiologist Paul F. Jacques has now compared levels of this enzyme, called galactokinase, with dairy food consumption in 106 persons aged 40 to 70 - 73 of them with cataracts. The just-completed study offers the first strong indication that galactose may play a role in adult cataracts Glucose, this sugar is the chief source of energy in the body. Glucose is chemically considered a simple sugar. It is the main sugar that the body manufactures. The body makes glucose from all three elements of food, protein, fat and carbohydrates, but in largest part from carbohydrates. Glucose serves as the major source of energy for living cells. It is carried to each cell through the bloodstream. The cells cannot, however, use the glucose without the help of insulin. Glucose is by far the most common carbohydrate and classified as a monosaccharide, an aldose, a hexose, and is a reducing sugar. It is also known as dextrose, because it is dextrorotatory (meaning that as an optical isomer is rotates plane-polarized light to the right and also an origin for the D designation. Glucose is also called blood sugar as it circulates in the blood. Glucose is initially synthesized by chlorophyll in plants using carbon dioxide from the air and sunlight as an energy source. Glucose is further converted to starch for storage. Honey is a source of simple carbohydrates. Its composition on average, is 17.1 percent water, 82.4 percent total carbohydrate and 0.5 percent proteins, amino acids, vitamins and minerals. The average carbohydrate content is mainly fructose (38.5 percent) and glucose (31percent). The remaining 12.9 percent of carbohydrates is made up of maltose, sucrose and other sugars. Honey supplies energy at 64 calories per tablespoon. Honey appears to be a carbohydrate source that is relatively mild on its effects upon blood sugar compared to other carbohydrate sources Honey contains small amounts of a wide array of vitamins, minerals, amino acids and antioxidants. The vitamins found in honey may include (depending on floral variety) niacin, riboflavin and pantothenic acid; minerals present include calcium, copper, iron, magnesium, manganese, phosphorus, potassium and zinc. Just as the color and flavor of honey varies by floral source, so does the vitamin, mineral, antioxidant and amino acid content. Honey has a phytochemical profile which includes polyphenols that can act as antioxidants. Antioxidants perform the role of eliminating free radicals, which are reactive compounds in the body. The use of honey as a wound dressing goes back to ancient times and has now been ‘rediscovered’ by modern medicine. The antibacterial properties of honey may help clear infection in wounds, and the anti-inflammatory action of honey may reduce pain and may improve circulation, which hastens the healing process. Honey stimulates the re-growth of tissue involved in healing, making healing faster and reducing scarring. Lactose is made from galactose and glucose units. Lactose or milk sugar occurs in the milk of mammals - 4-6% in cow's milk and 5-8% in human milk. It is also a by-product in the manufacture of cheese. An acetal oxygen bridge in the beta orientation joins the galactose and glucose units. To recognize galactose look for the upward projection of the -OH on carbon Lo Han Guo (Siraitia grosvenorii) has been used as a food, beverage, and traditional medicine. It is from the plant family, Cucurbitaceae. The cucumber, melon, squash, and gourd are also apart of this family. The most unique component of Lo Han Guo are the triterpene glycoside. These non-caloric sweeteners are known as mogrosides. Lo Han has traditionally been used as a analgesic, expectorant, antitussive, and to treat infiltration of the lungs. The Encyclopedia of Traditional Chinese Medicine recommends for lung complaints including dry coughs and as a laxative. The fruits are used in Chinese medicine for heat stroke with thirst, acute and chronic throat inflammation, aphonia, chronic cough, constipation in the aged, and as a sugar substitute for diabetics.
Maple syrup is a 100% natural food, processed by heat concentration of pure maple sap. This sap is a sterile, clear liquid, which provides the trees with water and nutrients prior to the buds and leaves opening in the spring. In the boiling, concentrating, and filtering processes, all the nutrients remain in the syrup. There are some quantitative differences in maple syrup's nutritive composition due to metabolic and environmental differences among maple trees. The main sugar in pure Maple syrup is sucrose. The darker grades, especially Grade B syrup, contain small and variable amounts of fructose and glucose. In pure filtered maple syrup the main minerals present are: calcium, potassium, manganese, magnesium, phosphorus, and iron. In pure maple syrup trace amounts of vitamins are present, mainly B2 (Riboflavin), B5 (Pantothenic Acid), B6 (Pyridoxine), PP (Niacin, B1), Biotin, and Folic Acid. Many amino acids are present in trace amounts. The total solids in pure maple syrup amount to 66.5%, with the remaining 33.5% consisting of water. The table below represents the main elements within the total solids. Maple syrup is 88-89% sucrose and about 11% glucose. There are also trace amounts of other sugars. Diabetics and others concerned with sugars should treat maple syrup the same as table sugar.
Maltodextrin is a sweat, easily digested carbohydrate made from cornstarch. The starch is cooked, and then acid and/or enzymes (a process similar to that used by the body to digest carbohydrates) are used to break the starch into smaller chains. These chains are composed of several dextrose molecules held together by very weak hydrogen bonds. Maltodextrin digestion starts right when it enters the mouth, beginning the reduction of maltodextrin into smaller linked glucose molecules. Maltose Barley malt is a common version of maltose and technically refers to malt sugar, which is a buff-colored crystalline powder. Evaporating the water out of barley malt syrup makes malt sugar. Malt sugar is becoming increasingly available in health food stores as a sugar replacement that is less sweet but adds a better texture and pleasing nutty flavor to baked goods. Liquid barley malt is available in barley extract and barley-corn malt. The extract is 100 percent barley malt and usually tastes as strong as blackstrap molasses. Barley malt is mostly carbohydrate although it contains small amounts of vitamins and minerals. Maltose is made from two glucose units. Maltose or malt sugar is the least common disaccharide in nature. It is present in germinating grain, in a small proportion in corn syrup, and forms on the partial hydrolysis of starch. It is a reducing sugar. Maltitol Sugar-free Sweetener is available in syrup, crystalline and powder form. It is used in place of common sugar (sucrose) in cooking and baking. Maltitol is a member of a family of bulk sweeteners known as polyols or sugar alcohols. It has a pleasant sweet taste--remarkably similar to sucrose. Maltitol is about 90% as sweet as sugar, it is claimed to be non-cariogenic, and significantly reduced in calories. Maltitol is made by the hydrogenation of maltose which is obtained from starch. Like other polyols, it does not brown or caramelize, as do sugars. Maltitol may also be used to replace fat as it gives a creamy texture to food. Maltitol is slowly absorbed. Therefore, when maltitol is used, the rise in blood glucose and the insulin response associated with the ingestion of glucose is significantly reduced. The reduced caloric value of maltitol (2.1 calories per gram versus 4.0 for sugar) is consistent with the objective of weight control. Mannitol is also used as a sweetener for people with diabetes. Mannitol also has a negative heat of solution. For this reason, mannitol is a sweetener in "breath-freshening" candies, the cooling effect adding to the fresh feel. In doses larger than 20g it acts as a laxative, and is sometimes sold as a laxative for children. It is sometimes used as a dilutant for heroin or other illicit drugs Molasses
Cane Molasses
There are three major types of molasses: unsulphured, sulphured and blackstrap. There are also three major grades of molasses: first molasses, second molasses, and blackstrap molasses.
Molasses from the sugar beet is different from cane molasses. Only the syrup left from the final crystallization stage is called molasses; intermediate syrups are referred to as high green and low green. It is about 50% sugar by dry weight, predominantly sucrose but also containing significant amounts of glucose and fructose. The non-sugar content includes many salts such as calcium, potassium, oxalate and chloride. As such, it is unpalatable and is mainly used as an additive to animal feed or as a fermentation feedstock. It is possible to extract additional sugar from beet molasses through a process known as molasses desugarisation. This technique exploits industrial scale chromatography to separate sucrose from non-sugar components. The technique is only economically viable in areas where the price of sugar is supported above the world market e.g. in areas with trade barriers, and is prevalent in the US and is also seen within the European community.
The non-sucrose elements in the beet sugar production process are called molassegenic because they take equal amounts of sucrose with them to the molasses stage where it cannot normally be economically extracted Polydextrose Litesse®* is a water-soluble specialty carbohydrate which is manufactured from glucose. Developed and manufactured by Danisco Sweeteners, Litesse® is unique in being only partially metabolized by the body. The result is that Litesse® contributes only 25% of the calories of sugar, and only 11% of the calories of fats. It can also improve the mouth-feel and texture of calorie reduced foods. Litesse® has been labeled as fiber in a number of countries around the world for many years. Litesse® is used in confections, beverages, frozen deserts, cultured dairy products, baked goods, nutrition bars and fruit spreads and fillings. Saccharine The main ingredient in the popular pink-packets of “Sweet N Low,” saccharine is one of the more well-known sugar substitutes. Saccharine was popular years ago but fell out of favor when it was concluded laboratory rats developed cancer after using this artificial sweetener. It’s not recommended for pregnant or lactating women, however. Saccharine can be used to sweeten drinks of all temperatures and can be used in place of sugar in recipes. Raffinose is not a sugar that you will usually associate with sweetness or see used as a sweetener. It is found in legumes and is the cause of flatulence. Sorbitol, originally derived from the mountain sorberry, is a naturally occurring sweetener found primarily in fruits and berries. This product is manufactured from glucose, but is only 50-75% as sweet as regular sugar. Because it is absorbed and metabolized slowly, sorbitol has little effect on blood sugar levels. This product therefore may be useful in replacing regular sugar in recipes for diabetic diets. Use in making jams, canned fruits, and homemade candies, etc.
Sorghum syrup is a natural sweetener made by processing juice squeezed from the stalks of certain types of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor) called sweet sorghum or sorgo. Sweet sorghum is grown for syrup or forage, whereas most other sorghums, commonly referred to as milos or kafirs, are grown for grain. Specialized milling equipment is necessary to extract the juice, and evaporative pans with heating units are used to steam off excess water, leaving syrup. The correct label for sorghum syrup is "sorghum syrup" or "pure sorghum." Molasses, unsulphured molasses, cane molasses, and cane syrup are byproducts of sugarcane processing and sugar crystallization. "Sorghum molasses" is a blend of sorghum syrup and sugarcane molasses. Sorgum syrup has a unique taste all it's own and is very popular in parts of the southern United States. It should be treated as sugar for diabetic purposes.
Stevia is a naturally sweet plant native to Paraguay that is 30 times sweeter than sugar in its unprocessed form. With more than 1,000 studies and patents on Stevia, it is known to be all-natural, contain zero calories and have a zero glycemic index. Through a patented process the pure glycosides can be extracted from the Stevia leaves and turned into an intensely sweet powder that is 300 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia is claimed to be safe for diabetics and hypoglycemics. 2 drops = 1 tsp. of sugar. Sucralose is what is contained in a yellow packet of “Splenda.” Splenda is gaining in popularity not only because it’s made of sugar, thereby tasting almost like sugar, but because it measures the same as sugar, which makes it more convenient for baking than other sugar substitutes. Sucralose is six hundred times sweeter than sugar, however, so if one is not using the Splenda brand, one will have to do some math to figure out how much to add to your baking. Concerns have been raised about sucralose because of the chlorine in it. The manufacturer claims it is totally safe.
SweetOne is a brand of sugar substitute sweetened with acesulfame potassium, an intense sweetener that is 200 times sweeter than sugar. Sweet One offers an alternative for people who are limiting their intake of sugar. Sweet One tastes like sugar and it doesn't break down in heat, so you can cook with it. It has zero calories! Each packet of Sweet One contains the sweetness of two teaspoons of sugar; this sweetness does not increase proportionately when using Sweet One in cooking and baking. In recipes for sweetened sauces and beverages, all the sugar can be replaced with Sweet One. However, recipes for most baked goods require sugar for proper volume and texture. Trehalose is a multi-functional sweetener found naturally, for example in honey, mushrooms, lobster, shrimp and foods produced using baker's and brewer's yeast. The commercial product is made from starch by an enzymatic process. Trehalose is almost half as sweet as sucrose or table sugar. The metabolism of trehalose is similar to that of other disaccharides. Ingested trehalose is hydrolyzed to glucose and absorbed in the small intestine. The makers of Trehalose say it has been shown to elicit a very low insulin response and provide sustained energy. Trehalose protects and preserves cell structure in foods and may aid in the freezing and thawing process of many food products by assisting in the maintenance of the desired texture of the food. It is also heat stable. Because trehalose is only half a sweet as sucrose it is more likely to be used for cell preservation than for sweetness. Whey Low™ is a patent-pending blend of all-natural sugars. The manufacturers claim that Whey Low offers the same sweetness, taste, and food properties of sugar with 70 to 80% lower glycemic index and 75% fewer calories and impact carbohydrates than sugar. Whey Low™ contains fructose, which is obtained from corn syrup (glucose), and lactose, which is obtained from whey or milk. Both the fructose and lactose that go into Whey Low™ are extremely pure crystalline sugars and contain no allergens or any proteins that could possibly be allergens. These two simple sugars are not known to cause any allergies.
erythritol. Another food additive, polydextrose, a compound synthesized from dextrose (glucose), is also permitted. Because it has a low digestible energy value, it is used to provide bulk in foods, thereby reducing the caloric content. Unlike polyols, polydextrose is not sweet but has a slightly tart taste and thus can add texture to food without adding sweetness. It is often used as a replacement for sugar, starch, and fat in foods such as cakes, candies, pudding, and desserts. It is known that eating too much of these substances can cause gastro-intestinal discomfort and laxative effects. This is a result of sugar alcohols and polydextrose being poorly taken up from the gastrointestinal tract. The likelihood of such effects occurring is related to the amount consumed and, therefore, increases with the consumption of more than one product containing sugar alcohols and/or polydextrose. There is a wide variation, however, in sensitivity between individuals to these effects. Also, it is possible with frequent consumption of products containing sugar alcohols and/or polydextrose to develop a tolerance, and be able to increase consumption without experiencing adverse effects.
Overall, the benefits of permitting the use of sugar alcohols and polydextrose as food additives in certain foods are greater than the potential for laxative effects that could result from excessive consumption of these substances. It is important for consumers to be made aware that sugar alcohols and/or polydextrose are added to certain foods, to recognize the names of these compounds and to be aware that excessive consumption of such foods could lead to gastro-intestinal discomfort and laxative effects. |
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| Last Updated ( Saturday, 20 January 2007 ) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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