Healthier Alternatives to Sugar

And Why Splenda, Sweet'N Low, and Equal Might Not Make Good Choices

Feb 19, 2009

It's hard to avoid sugar, and even harder to avoid sugar substitutes. Here's a new product on the market that is a lot better for you.

As any diabetic or dieting person knows, sugar is a temptation. If it's not a sugary treat being advertised on tall shiny billboards or funny little jingles that get stuck in the head, constantly gnawing at one's resistance, then it's the co-worker sitting nearby, chomping away at the sweet confection. For some, it's a choice not to consume sugar, and for others, it's a health concern. Whatever the reason, it can be hard to deny a sugar filled or high fructose corn syrup laden item on the menu at times. So, the natural thought process is to then turn to sugar substitutes, such as Splenda, or Sweet'N Low. The surprising thing to know is that these artificial sweeteners, among others, have more of a downfall than might be initially thought.

Downfalls of Artificial Sweeteners

Products such as Equal or Splenda are mostly sugar additives and compounds such as saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose. They all have their advantages - especially to those that can't have much sugar - but they also have a lot of health risks involved; risks that may or may not be worth the few bites of pleasure the sweeteners offer. Saccharin, for insistence, is considered carcinogenic by the Center for Science in Public Interest, and aspartame has had a long controversy surrounding its ingestion. Cases of fibromyalgia, multiple sclerosis, and depression have been linked to aspartame. Additionally, some aspartame is manufactured from genetically modified strands of E.Coli.

As for sucralose, the problem occurs for those trying to lose weight. Ingredients in products such as Splenda are not actually calorie free. It contains maltodextrin and dextrose, both of which contain calories. It also has controversy surrounding its inception - it was discovered while trying to create a new insecticide.

Some Healthier Alternatives

Two new products that have shown up on the market in recent years are Wholesome Sweeteners Organic Zero and Sun Crystals. Organic Zero contains only one ingredient and that is a sugar alcohol called Erythritol (Sun Crystals also contains raw sugar). Erythritol is a healthier alternative to sugar because it occurs naturally in fruit and unlike other sugar alcohols, like those found in gum (xylitol, malitol), won't cause stomach trouble because it is absorbed into the bloodstream before reaching the large intestine. Both products are targeted towards - and suitable for - diabetics and are only seventy percent as sweet as regular sugar, so one packet would not be as strong as it would be in a packet of regular sugar.

Sources:

The copyright of the article Healthier Alternatives to Sugar in Diet Food Trends is owned by Mary Faler. Permission to republish Healthier Alternatives to Sugar in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.