FROM SWEET TO SWEETEST
Natural sugars & sugar substitutes:
Sugar = Turbinado (Sugar in the Raw) = Xylitol
 Honey (1-1.5x)
 Agave Nectar (1.5x)
 Stevia (3-4½x)
FROM SWEET TO SWEETEST
Artificial sweeteners:
Equal (200x sugar)
 Sweet N’ Low (300x)
 Splenda (up to 1000x)
 Packets are combined with dextrose* and
maltodextrin & are 2x sweeter than sugar
LEAST TO MOST CALORIES PER TEASPOON
Sweet N’ Low, Stevia, Splenda, Equal
XyloSweet
Sugar, Turbinado Sugar
Agave Nectar
Honey
0 calories
10 calories
16 calories
20 calories
21 calories
FROM LESS TO MORE PROCESSED
Honey
 Agave nectar
 Sugar in the raw
 Table sugar
 Xylitol
 Stevia
 Splenda = Sweet ‘n Low =
Equal
Stevia plant
SOME DEFINITIONS
• What is a sugar substitute?
• What is artificial
sweetener?
• What is the Glycemic Index?
TYPES OF NATURAL* SWEETENERS
*Natural=made from plants or made by bees
Sucrose
-- white sugar
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Granulated White Sugar
Brown Sugar
Turbinado Sugar
Honey
Molasses
Maple Syrup
Agave Nectar
Xylitol
Stevia
-- Agave nectar
MORE ABOUT VARIOUS NATURAL SWEETENERS
In the following slides you will find out:
• What the sweetener is made from
• Calories
• Sweetness compared to sugar
• Interesting facts
• Health effects
GRANULATED WHITE TABLE SUGAR
BROWN & TURBINADO SUGAR
• Sugar, or sucrose, is made from sugar cane or sugar beets
• 16 calories per teaspoon
• Processing
• Table sugar goes back to 500 BC. Until 1700s, only the wealthy
could afford it
• Processed foods contain high levels of sucrose which is used to
preserve it
• Health effects: Obesity, cavities. Diabetics must limit sugar
Glycemic Index = 58
sugar cane
HONEY
• a natural sugar made by bees from flower nectar
• contains Fructose & Glucose & tiny amounts of
healthy antioxidants
• 21 calories per teaspoon
• 1-1.5x sweeter than sugar, so you can use less
• Processing: Minimal
• Health effects - Infants can contract botulism from
honey
AGAVE NECTAR
• Made from the agave plant
• Contains mostly Fructose, some Glucose
• 20 calories/teaspoon
• Processing
• Health effects – eating a lot fructose can lead to
insulin resistance (Type 2 Diabetes)
• Low glycemic index
XYLITOL
• Made from plant fiber, usually hardwood or
corncobs
• Sugar alcohol
• 10 calories per teaspoon. Same sweetness as
sugar
• Processing
• Health Effects:
Fights bacteria that cause cavities
Strengthens tooth enamel
Reduces ear infections in children
Toxic and life-threatening to dogs
Low glycemic index
STEVIA
• Made from the leaves of the stevia plant
• From South America
• Zero calories
• 300x sweeter than sugar. Mixed with dextrose in
packet
• Processing
• Health effects:
Safe for people with diabetes
Some research shows Stevia is anti-inflammatory,
anti-diarrheal & a diuretic
SOME MORE DEFINITIONS
• What is Maltodextrin?
• What is Dextrose?
• How can artificial sweeteners have zero
calories?
The Food & Drug Administration (FDA)
considers that a serving with less than 4
calories is dietetically zero calories
WHY WOULD YOU USE ARTIFICIAL SWEETENER?
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Control calories to lose weight
Dental Health
Regulate Diabetes
Limit sugar
Other reasons?
MORE ABOUT VARIOUS ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
In the following slides:
• What the sweetener is made from
• Calories
• Sweetness, compared to sugar
• Interesting facts
• Health effects
SACCHARIN (SWEET ‘N LOW)
A byproduct of coal processing
The oldest artificial sweetener
Zero calories. Suitable for diabetics
300x sweeter than sugar. Mixed with dextrose in
packet
• Bitter aftertaste. Is not digested but passes through
the body
• Health effects: In 1970s, suspected of causing
bladder cancer. In 2000 this finding was shown to be
wrong
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ASPARTAME (EQUAL, NUTRASWEET)
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Accidentally discovered in 1965 in a lab
Zero calories
200x sweeter than sugar. Packets are mixed with
dextrose & maltodextrin
Of the artificial sweeteners, the taste is closest to sugar
Used in many products
Short shelf life. Not heat-stable, so not good for baking
Health effects:
May trigger migraines
Toxic for people who have the rare condition PKU
SUCRALOSE (SPLENDA)
• Accidentally discovered in London in 1976 in a lab
• Made from sucrose+chlorine
• Zero calories. Suitable for diabetics
• From 320-1000x sweeter than sugar
• Approved by FDA in 1998
• Long shelf life. In baked goods, texture is more dry, less
dense than sugar
• Health Effects: Less than 25% is absorbed, does not cause
cavities
MORE FINDINGS ABOUT ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS
Research studies show:
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People who drink diet
soda tend to gain more
weight
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Using artificial
sweeteners may
contribute to obesity &
diabetes
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The types of gut bacteria
are different in people
who use artificial
sweeteners
Why? Some hypotheses:
• Sugar tastes sweet and satisfies hunger;
• Artificial sweetener only tastes sweet but
doesn’t satisfy hunger
• Knowing you’re drinking diet soda make
you think you can eat more calories
• The sweet taste of artificial sweeteners
increases sugar cravings and appetite
• Artificial sweeteners may trick the body
into releasing insulin so the body doesn’t
metabolize sugar as well
• Changing the gut bacteria may disrupt
the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar
What can be done?
• Limit how much artificial sweetener you eat
• Diet soda is a treat not something you drink every day
• Recommendations for how much artificial sweetener we can safely eat
• Video: Are Diet Sodas Dangerous to Your Health?
http://www.cnn.com/videos/health/2013/07/11/newday-intv-gupta-diet-soda-health.cnn
There is not one best choice of sweetener:
How do you decide what sweetener is best for you?
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Calories?
Taste?
Cost?
Natural or artificial?
Health concerns?
Safety?