It's an unnatural insertion of an unnatural form of anunnatural sugar

Tag : Sugar & Sweeteners
Natural Sweeteners or Natural Fatteners?
Of course, it's not that simple because each person respondsdifferently to natural sweeteners. Those factors include age,health status, and even genetics.
And those sweeteners vary, too, ranging from standard table sugarto honey to corn syrup. Because that product is sweeter and cheaperthan old fashioned sugar, it's become the nation's number one wayto sweeten.
Woodson says that number-one status and its possible connection tothe nation's health crisis should make us question corn syrup.
After all, we consume about 150 calories a day from cornsweeteners, a fact that worries Woodson.
"Those persons who are overdoing it may get almost double thatamount. So that's 300 and some calories -- certainly enoughcalories to cause weight gain -- every month until they just startgaining more and more weight," she said.
Nutritionist Janet Starr Hull, who works in the Dallas area, goesfurther -- saying just eat fresh corn and skip the corn syrup.
"It's an unnatural insertion of an unnatural form of anunnatural sugar. High fructose corn syrup was a mistake from thebeginning," she warned.
While food scientist Woodrow Monte, retired from Arizona StateUniversity, is no big fan of corn syrup, he doesn't believe it andregular sugar are causing the obesity. He finds the problemelsewhere.
"I think the truth of the matter is it's the artificialsweetener aspartame that's caused the majority of our problemsrelative to health," he said.
Sugar vs. Fiber
Yet even eating excess fruit can be a problem -- too many caloriescrowding out the protein, fats, and vitamins gained from choosing avariety of foods.
Whatever the sweetener, experts say look at the nutrition facts.Specifically, that's the way to assess sugar content. If you grabpotato salad from the grocery shelf, it may have five grams ofsugar. But it also may have several grams of dietary fiber thathelps balance that out.
Fiber helps keep blood sugar in check and thus reduces the urge toovereat. That's one of the advantages of fruits and vegetables --and especially peas, lentils, and beans. They may have as much asseven grams of fiber per serving, a significant amount.
Woodson, who has worked with thousands of diabetics, recommendsbeans and their culinary cousins.
"We would suggest maybe having that as your starch a coupletimes a week -- maybe especially in the evening meal so you can goto bed with a better blood sugar," Woodson said.
That means you could wake up with a better blood sugar level andstart the day better off.
Alternative Natural Sweeteners
Then there are more natural sweeteners. For instance, did you everhear of agave syrup from the Southwest? Using it as a sweetener ismuch better than what it's known for, that is - turning it intotequila!
Susan Daniel, general manager of Good Foods Grocery stores inRichmond, Va., likes agave.
"It's light in its flavor profile, so don't feel like theyneed to make a lot of changes in their recipes to incorporatethat," she said.
Daniel says there's also a growing demand for specialty honeys.
"When you're eating honey that's local like that, it can helpboost your immune system toward those things that can also beallergens," she said.
That is, local honey may help reduce local allergies. Honey isfairly high in fructose, but it's thickness and flavor discourageoveruse.
Plus, there's unrefined cane sugar like Sucanat, old-fashionedmaple syrup, super-sweet stevia leaf originally from South America,and low calorie sugar alcohols like xylitol. Sugar alcohols are nowpopping up in supermarkets -- like pies made with maltitol.
Moderation is Key
Certainly, alternatives can help with the sugar problem, but theobesity epidemic is bigger than sweetness alone. Woodson said abouthalf of her patients are not really into sweets.
"But they will admit they eat too much fruit, they drink toomuch milk, they eat too much starch, they're into foodexcesses," she said.
In other words, many people overeat a number of food items. Thatcan add up to a big hit of sugar and calories.
After all, Woodson encourages patients to remember that the goal isbeyond sugar intake.
"The three things we would tell a young person over time:number one, don't gain weight; number two, don't gain weight; andnumber three, don't gain weight," she said.
In keeping weight normal, many experts suggest a moderate amount ofany natural sweetener is fine.
Monte agrees, but with one caution.
"Any time you consume something sweet, it is going toencourage your appetite, you're going to want to eat more ofsomething," he said.
Realistically, you can't get rid of all sugars, nor would you wantto because it is fuel. But you can regulate the quantity andquality of your sweeteners for better health.