I want to share some info about sugars. Sugars of all kinds are in everything out there on the shelves. If you become a label reader you will find this out. It is truly shocking. Sugar is addictive and it is no wonder that we have the health & obeisity issues that we have nowadays with the sugar intake most people consume. It is important to recognize that just because you find a sugar in the health food store that doesn't mean it is good for you nor are most of the sugar substitutes on the market. Cane sugars have protein,fiber & other substances but when it is refined all of that is lost. Turbinado sugar & brown sugar are basically like white refined sugar. Turbinado is a raw sugar that is stripped of the molasses. Molassses has the vitamins and minerals that were in the cane sugar at one point. Blackstrap molasses is the result of sugar refining. It has calcium,iron & potassium but it can throw off blood gluclose levels. Brown sugar is made by blending white sugar with molasses. Corn syrup is made from cornstarch with added sucrose and is very high glycemic and refined. Fructose is found in fruits and it is slowly absorbed with a low glycemic index score. Fruit juice concentrate is usually made from grape juice and because its' sugars are from fructose it has a decent glycemic index rating. Glucose or dextrose mostly is an extract from corn syrup and is rapidly absorbed into the bloodstream allowing for fast and dangerous spikes in blood glucose levels. Rice syrup comes from culturing rice with digestive enzymes to break starch down into glucose. It is high glycemic. Maple syrup comes from the sap of the sugar maple tree. It needs to be "pure" or else it is usually diluted with corn syrup. Not a great rating on the glycemic index. Sucanat is a trade name that stands for sugar cane natural and comes from organically grown sugar cane that has been ground up. It is a whole food containing a small percentage of fiber, vitamins, minerals & amino acids but it does not have a great score on the glycemic index. Sucrose is basic table sugar. Sorbitol comes from corn and is slowly absorbed requiring little insulin but can cause diarrhea, Xylitol comes from birchwood chips and can reduce cavities by neutralizing mouth acids. It is found in some gums like Spry at the health food stores. Stevia comes from s sweetening herb and has been around as a natural sweetener for 1500 years. The herb can be beneficial for those with poorly regulated blood glucose but concentrated forms lose this ability. Sucralose or splenda comes from sugar. It has a chlorine atom added to it. It does not raise blood sugar. Aspartame (Equal &Nutrasweet) is 180 times sweeter than table sugar and is in well over 1000 products in the US. It breaks down after longterm storage,heating or in the body into wood alcohol or methyl alcohol and another dangerous componant of amino acid called phenylalanine. It has been linked to brain tumors (cancers),severe headaches,etc. Saccharin is a chemical derivative of petroleum & toluene. It has also been linked to cancer. High Fructose Corn Syrup we have been told in classes we have taken is one of the most toxic substances we can consume. Evaporated Cane Juice comes from sugar cane and is a nono for those whose health reqires them to steer clear of sugars. I have learned this info by reading & taking classes which is something everyone can do. There is so much more just on this topic but I will stop here. I encourage you for your health to
become a label reader. It is overwhelming at first but you will be rewarded for your efforts with better health and a general wellbeing feeling and more energy. I promise this because we live it. We cut refined & fake sugars out of our diet in Dec. 2007 and have done just fine without them. We use organic Agave Nectar to sweeten. I will use local organic honey. Sugars are necessary to us but they need to be the right kind of sugars. If it isn't natural don't eat it is my philosophy.
It is important to be educated about what is manufactered and sold as food to us. We the consumers need to demand that big business and profits not decide what we are sold but we do. I am sure we would all agree that we want healthy whole foods. An apple is not created in a lab and a scientist is not a farmer. So why do we eat things created this way? We have a choice.
Remember that...We have a choice!