Sugar Substitutes

From EverydayHealth.com, here is an overview of sugar substitutes.  I personally if I can just avoid sugar and it’s substitutes if I have a choice.  Black coffee rather than double-double…but if I was a pop, maybe once a week, I’ll opt for diet.  Try fruit to naturally sweeten some things like desserts or oatmeal.

•  Saccharin. This is the granddaddy of artificial sweeteners, first developed in 1879. It’s sold under the brand name Sweet’N Low and is 200 to 700 times sweeter than sugar. Many diet colas and other diet foods contain saccharin. It also is sold in packets for sweetening individual meals and in bulk for use in cooking.  Its safety: A 1970 study associated saccharin with bladder tumor growth in rats, so an eat-at-your-own-risk warning was added to its packaging. But the National Cancer Institute and the FDA have since concluded that saccharin does not pose a risk for bladder cancer in humans, so it is considered a safe sugar substitute for type 1 and type 2 diabetes diets. However, experts still recommend that pregnant women avoid saccharin.
• Aspartame. This sweetener is sold under the brand names Equal and NutraSweet and is 180 to 200 times sweeter than sugar. It is sold in packet and bulk form, but is not considered as useful in cooking because high heat reduces its sweetness.
  Its safety: While many anecdotal reports have linked aspartame to health conditions ranging from depression and headache to cancer, researchers have not found that the sweetener poses any health risk to people. The American Medical Association, American Diabetes Association, and the FDA have all come down in support of aspartame’s safety, and it can be used by people with any of the three types of diabetes. However, people with a disorder called phenylketonuria (PKU) should avoid it.
• Sucralose. Sold under the brand name Splenda, this artificial sweetener is 600 times sweeter than sugar and is very useful in baking because granulated Splenda can be directly substituted for sugar in recipes.
  It safety: Because sucralose is newer, there are fewer long-range studies available regarding its safety. That said, it has FDA approval and is accepted by the American Diabetes Association for use by all three types of diabetics.
• Acesulfame K (Sunett, Sweet One). This sweetener, which can be used for baking, can be found in many packaged goods and is 200 times sweeter than sugar.
  It safety: More than 90 studies showed acesulfame to be safe.
• Neotame: This recently approved sweetener is about 8,000 times sweeter than sugar. It’s closely related to aspartame, but not yet widely used in the United States.
  Its safety: Although derived from aspartame, a chemical change makes this sweetener safe for those with PKU.

• Stevia (Truvia, PureVia, SweetLeaf, Stevia in the Raw): The stevia plant is the basis of this sweetener, which is 250 to 300 times sweeter than sugar.
  Its safety: Until recently, the FDA had banned stevia because of concern that it might cause reproductive problems in lab animals. But late in 2008, the FDA approved the purified part of the stevia leaf, known as rebaudioside A, for use as an additive in American food products. This form of stevia also is reported to have less of an aftertaste.
• Agave nectar: This sweetener, produced from the agave plant, has just as many calories as sugar. But it is sweeter than sugar, so you use less, and it has much less direct impact on your blood sugar levels than either sugar or honey.  Its safety: Agave nectar is as safe as sugar.

November 29, 2010. Tags: blog, breakfast, build muscle, burn fat, calories, cardio, clean eating, cravings, Diet, eat clean, eat clean diet, everydayhealth.com, Exercise, fat, fat burning, fat loss, fatloss, fitness, fitness plan, food, food diary, health, high protein, hunger, interval training, lose 10 pounds, lose 10lbs, lose fat, lose weight, low carb, metabolism, motivation, muscle, muscle building, nutrition, overeat, overeating, protein, recipe, Recipes, routine, running, skinny, sleep, snacks, study, sugar, sugar substitute, sugar substitutes, tips, tone up, Tosca Reno, weight, weight gain, Weight Loss Tips, weight routine, weight training, weight-loss, weightloss, weights, whole foods, work out. Diet, Recipes, Weight Loss Tips. Leave a comment.