What Are... Sweeteners?

[Guest guest]

What Are... Sweeteners? JoAnn Guest Apr 14, 2005 17:48 PDT

 

Robert Roman

 

http://www.altnewtimes.com/e21what.html

 

There are many kinds of sweeteners. I will talk about thirty-five

different ones, broken into four major categories: from the sugar

cane plant; from other plants; made in nature; and laboratory

produced.

 

From the sugar cane plant comes two basic products: the dry stuff,

and the wet stuff known as molasses. The cane plant & shy; not bad in its

wholeness & shy; is crushed and squeezed to extract as much of the juice

as possible.

 

The leftover stem material, known as bagasse, is either

put back on the fields, or burned in the sugar cane factory as a

heat source. The juice then undergoes a variety of processes.

 

The healthiest of these is simply drying all the juice, with all the

minerals, vitamins, and iron still there.

Only one comes in this form, Rapadura, by Rapunzel Pure Organics.

 

All other forms of the sugar cane go through a centrifuging machine

to separate the lighter-weight juice & shy; mostly containing sucrose, the

white sugar & shy; and the heavier, thick substance which is partially

dried and which we know as molasses.

 

The molasses has all of the other nutrients of the pure cane juice. That

light juice is then treated in many ways.

 

It can now be dried (evaporated) or it can be washed, respun, and

separated from more of the darker juice, one or

more times.

 

So we have the many forms of sugar crystals that we find on the

shelves. After Rapadura, the best of these is from Wholesome Foods:

their blend of sugar and molasses, known as Sucanat. Note that this

is just one of their products & shy;all are not this good.

 

From the best to the worst of the products, we have those with more

molasses to those with less:

Demarara, Muscovado, Turbinado (which has many names: dried cane juice,

milled cane, natural milled cane, cane sugar, natural sugar, raw sugar,

Florida Crystals, evaporated cane juice) and then the pure white sugar.

 

The darker the sugar, the more molasses will be in it, and the better

the sugar from a nutritional standpoint. Taste can be acquired.

 

From here, we have molasses. The quality of molasses depends on the

maturity of the sugar cane, the amount of sugar extracted, and the

method of extraction.

 

There are three major types of molasses: unsulphured, sulphured and

blackstrap.

 

Unsulphured molasses is the finest quality. It is made from the

first separation of the molasses juice from sun-ripened cane. Of the

three types of molasses, this has the most sweetness, due to the

persistence of some of the sucrose.

 

Sulphured molasses is made from green sugar cane that has not

matured long enough so it is treated with sulphur fumes during the

sugar extracting process.

 

Blackstrap molasses comes from the unsulphured molasses beginning to

crystallize, getting spun down by centrifuge, and the remaining

liquid being siphoned off for blackstrap.

 

With another portion of the sugar gone, this product is a thick,

somewhat bitter-tart sweetener. It is used as a sweetener and coloring

agent in foods. It also has a commercial value in the manufacture of

cattle feed and other industrial uses.

 

Other plant sweeteners.

 

Agave Nectar is a wonderful sweetener, with a low glycemic level.

 

It has a delicate, light flavoring. The agave (uh-gah-vay) plant has

been cultivated in hilly, semi-arid soils of Mexico. Its fleshy

leaves contain a sweet sticky juice. When the Spaniards arrived,

they took the juice from the agave and fermented it, leading to the

drink we now call tequila.

 

Agave syrup (or nectar) is about 90% fructose and 10% glucose. Only

recently has it come in use as a sweetener. With its low glycemic level,

it is a delicious and safe alternative to table sugar.

 

Unlike the crystalline form of fructose, which is refined primarily from

corn, agave syrup is fructose in its natural form.

 

This nectar does not contain processing chemicals.

 

Even better & shy; because fructose is sweeter than table sugar & shy; less is

needed in your recipes. It can be useful for people who are

diabetic, or have insulin resistance, Syndrome X.

 

As a food exchange, a one-teaspoon serving of agave nectar equals a free

food. Two servings or two teaspoons equals carbohydrate exchange.

 

Barley Malt is a thick and sticky liquid made from sprouted barley.

 

It has a flavor much like molasses. The sprouted barley is dried,

mixed with water, and then slow cooked to make the syrup. The sugar

here is mostly maltose.

 

Brown Rice Syrup is a very mild sweetener, and high in complex

carbohydrates.

 

It is traditionally made by adding a small amount of sprouted barley to

cooked brown rice.

The enzymes from the barley break down the starches in the rice.

However, today, there are also products, such as Lundberg's, made

without any barley, just the enzymes.

 

This means that the products are gluten free, for those with celiac

disease.

Check the label.

 

Brown rice syrup is one of the most balanced and unrefined sweeteners

available.

It is extremely easy on the body's blood sugar levels because it is

absorbed at a slow, steady rate.

 

Corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), and crystalline

fructose (from corn) are all extremely processed forms of the corn

plant

 

HFCS is a highly refined sweetener that is a favorite among

food manufacturers because it's cheaper than sugar.

 

HFCS has been associated with elevated blood sugar, cholesterol and

triglycerides (fat) & shy; key risk factors for diabetes and heart disease.

 

Date sugar is another nice natural form of mostly fructose sugar,

 

with the essential minerals and vitamins still intact.

Usually found in a crystalline form.

 

There is another product, extracted from the Kiwi fruit.

 

I spoke to the inventor of this product, Dr. Ann de Wees Allen, Chief of

 

Biomedical Research at the Glycemic Research Institute.

 

She told me that, as a nutritionist, (including top NFL, Olympic, Mr.

Universe, Ms. Galaxy athletes) she was often asked what sweetener she

would recommend for sports nutrition, weight loss, and for diabetics.

She

said there wasn't one, so consulting with Harvard professors, she

researched the Kiwi, a fruit high in phyto-nutrients.

 

By removing the high glycemic sugars, sucrose and glucose, she was able

to come up with a product high in fructose, and in fruit glycosides,

both low glycemic.

 

This product is Trutina Dulcem, sold under the brand name Ki-Sweet. This

product does not stimulate the fat-storing enzymes Lipoprotein Lipase

and Neuropeptide Y.

 

For more information, log on to

www.trutinadulcem.com

or search for Ki-Sweet.

 

Maple Syrup is, of course, from the maple tree. Most of us know it

well.

Just note pure maple syrup as opposed to artificially flavored

corn syrup & shy; which unfortunately is allowed to still say maple syrup

on it.

Also, organic here means no pesticides amongst the trees,

only organic oils as defoaming agents when boiling, instead of

chemical solvents, and no dilution with other ingredients.

 

Stevia is one of my new favorites. This is an herb from South

America that is 300 times sweeter than white sugar, yet because of

its makeup, still has a low glycemic level.

 

Studies have found it to help lower high blood sugar, and have other

healthy attributes.

 

In stores, you can find it in its purest form, dried leaves. This has a

flavor that might remind you of licorice. It also comes as an

extract, white powder, where the sweetness is most intense.

 

This is an extract of the very sweet glycosides. The other way you will

find this is as a liquid concentrate, either dark and syrupy, or clear

and with a lighter taste.

 

Please note that the FDA does not currently allow this product to be

sold as food, but only as a dietary supplement.

It is a real threat to the likes of aspartame and saccharin, as well as

the normal sugar industry.

One of the most interesting articles I have found on stevia is Life With

Stevia: How Sweet It Is! Nutritional and Medicinal Uses by Daniel

Mowrey, Ph.D. Copyright 1992.

 

Yet another sweetener I have recently been asked about is Lo Han

Kuo, or Momordica Grosvenori Swingle.

 

Lo Han Kuo fruit contains a naturally occurring sweetener called

Mogroside, which is 300 times sweeter than cane sugar and is extremely

low in calories.

 

Mogroside has been used around the world for many years as a natural

sweetener, because it is low in calories. You can get more

information on this from

ChinaNaturalProduct.com

 

Other natural sweeteners.

 

Now we come to honey. You see this mostly in several forms. The

closest to unprocessed is raw, unfiltered and not strained. Here you

get honey that is straight from the hive, with all the pollen and so-

called impurities.

 

The pollen is considered good for you, especially local honey for anyone

with allergies. Straining takes out the impurities, mostly bee parts,

which are not really bad for you, but may offend vegetarians. Filtering

removes the pollen. And if the honey does not say raw, typically it is

heated to make it flow easier in the processing stage. This does harm

some of the more heat sensitive digestive enzymes and vitamins and

minerals.

 

Since beehives are movable, beekeepers will move them to wherever there

are flowers for the bees to work, varying with the time of year.

 

Thus we get the clover, buckwheat, orange blossom, wild (especially

good for allergies), and other types of honey, each with distinctive

flavors.

 

All of the honeys give a balance of sugars, and can help to ease the

highs and lows associated with white sugar, sucrose.

 

 

Laboratory produced sweeteners-.

 

The last, and possibly most important category of sweeteners, is the

artificial one.

 

I say this because so many of us are using products that could be

dangerous to our health, while they purport to help

reduce fattening sugar usage.

 

There are many resources for much more information than I can put in

this article, but suffice it to say here, these products may not be good

for you, may cause you problems, and you should do much more searching

to find the information and decide for yourself what you want to do.

 

Know this: Aspartame was not approved for human consumption for a

long time because of the experiments showing seizures and brain

tumors in lab animals.

 

The FDA commissioner and his Board of Inquiry said " Do Not Approve. "

Then when President Reagan, a personal friend of G.D. Searle, the

developer, took office, he fired the Commissioner and appointed Dr.

Arthur Hayes. Dr. Hayes overruled even his Board of Inquiry, and

approved aspartame. Dr. Hayes next job?

G. D. Searle's Public Relations firm! You do the math.

 

Most people do not know this, but Aspartame, Nutra-Sweet, Equal,

Splenda, and Sweet N' Low packets contain high-glycemic fattening

ingredients.

 

Their number one ingredients are dextrose and maltodextrins which are

known to stimulate fat-storage and elevate insulin.

 

Information from the www.holisticmed.com web page includes

real-life reports of acute and chronic toxicity due to long-term

ingestion.

 

Also included is extensive scientific and general information and

resources. Disorders reported and studied include:

 

seizures and convulsions, dizziness, tremors, migraines and severe

headaches, memory loss, slurring of speech, confusion, numbness or

tingling of extremities, chronic fatigue, depression, insomnia,

irritability, panic attacks, marked personality changes, phobias,

rapid heart beat, tachycardia, asthma, chest pains, hypertension

(high blood pressure), nausea or vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal pain,

swallowing pain, itching, hives, other allergic reactions, blood

sugar control problems (hypoglycemia or hyperglycemia), menstrual

cramps and other menstrual problems or changes, impotency and sexual

problems, food cravings, weight gain, hair loss/baldness or thinning

of hair, burning urination and other urination problems, excessive

thirst or excessive hunger, bloating, edema (fluid retention),

infection susceptibility, joint pain, and brain cancer.

 

Aspartame disease also mimics symptoms or worsens the following

diseases: Fibromyalgia, arthritis, multiple sclerosis (MS),

Parkinson's disease, lupus, multiple chemical sensitivities (MCS),

diabetes and diabetic complications, epilepsy, Alzheimer's disease,

birth defects, chronic fatigue syndrome, lymphoma, lyme disease,

attention deficit disorder (ADD and ADHD), panic disorder,

depression and other psychological disorders.

 

Sucralose is an artificial sweetener found in some popular " low

carb " bars.

Although it is " derived from sugar, " it is also a highly-

processed additive created from the manipulation of molecules.

 

It is a synthetic molecular structure not recognized by the body & shy; which

is

why it is not listed in the " nutrition facts " on product labels.

 

Please do some more research on these products. Sources include: the

above websites; the McAlvany Health Alert, June 2001;

search " aspartame, " for many more. Other good reading: Sugar Blues

by William Dufty, Mass Market Paperback.

 

[Note: If you are a diabetic, it is important to work closely with

your healthcare practitioner when you change your diet.]

 

Robert Roman is general manager of Nature's Food Patch in

Clearwater. (727) 443-6703 ext. 223. rro-

_________________

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Genes

 

 

 

 

AIM Barleygreen

" Wisdom of the Past, Food of the Future "

 

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Diets.html