There are lots of different sugars.

Can you pick out which ones are good?

At Real Food for Life we are always looking for real foods: foods that are whole, live and are balancing to the body. Last post (Are you Dying to be Thin?) we talked about the chemical sweeteners and their problems.  Now we deal with the more natural ones.

The problem with consuming any simple carbohydrate is that it creates an insulin rush that overworks the pancreas. Over time, the body’s ability to handle all sugars, simple and complex, begins to weaken.

Most sugars are strongly acid forming in the body.

Not all sugars are completely equal though but they do all have calories! Which ones on this list would you consider real food and why?

Common Sugars and Sweeteners

• White sugar (aka sucrose) is a pure chemical extract of sugar cane or sugar beet with no vitamins or minerals; these are stripped during the extraction process. Refined white sugar is a simple carbohydrate with lots of calories, no dietary fibres and is an isolate and isolates never occur in whole foods. Vegetarians may note that it may be processed with bone char. Causes a `sugar high`.
• Brown sugar is white sugar coated in molasses which will add a few trace minerals but no healthier than white sugar and creates the same `sugar high` as white sugar.
• Fructose is not from fruit; it is a commercial, refined sugar and it is no more nutritious than sucrose. It raises cholesterol, makes blood cells more prone to clotting, and it may also accelerate the aging process.
• Sugar alcohols (Erythritol, Isomalt, Lactitol, Maltitol, Mannitol, Sorbitol, Xylito Hydrogenated Starch, Hydrolysatesl) are neither sugars nor alcohols. They do have calories; Xylitol has more then half the calories of white sugar. The only problems I could find about them would that when they are eaten in excessive amounts they can cause gastrointestinal side effects (bloating and diarrhea), weight gain and increased blood sugars. Still they are not whole foods so caution must be used; the recommendation is to not use them on a regular basis.
• Fruit juice concentrate is pasteurized and filtered then evaporated under vacuum and heat. Concentrated orange juice is by weight approximately 65% sugar thus highly refined, with a high sugar content and has been stripped of nutritional value. It is rapidly assimilated in the bloodstream so not highly recommended.
• Demerara sugar also known as Turbinado sugar is made is that the juice from sugar cane by extracting and heating; then turned into crystals. It does not preserve much of its original molasses content but does have lots of potassium and some minerals and vitamins.
• Evaporated sugar cane juice is evaporated cane juice; it goes through less processing than refined sugar and more nutrients found in sugar cane. It contains tiny amounts of vitamins and minerals.
• Sugar cane juice is made from the same sugar cane stalks that are grown to make white sugar. Hand-powered presses or machine presses crush the sugarcane stalks and release the raw sugar cane juice. It is y healthier than table sugar as it contains tiny amounts of vitamins and minerals and is raw if not processed as high temperatures.
• Sucanat also known as organic Whole Cane sugar is made from sugar cane, usually organically grown, and minimally processed to obtain juice to make syrup (the molasses is not removed). The syrup is dehydrated and milled into a powder. It is in potassium, vitamin A, calcium, iron, magnesium and small amounts of other vitamins and minerals.
• Coconut sugar is made from the sap of coconut flowers by boiling it down to dry sugar blocks or a soft paste or a granulated form. Coconut sugar contains higher amount of nutrients compared to brown sugar as it has some amounts of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, chlorine, magnesium, sulfur, and micro nutrients.
• Palm sugar is extracted from the sap of date palm trees and palmyra palms which is said to be the best. It also can be extracted from sago and coconut palms. It is commonly used in Southeast Asia called Jaggery and gur. It high in amino acids, Potassium, Magnesium, Zinc, and Iron and has some vitamins B1, B2, B3, and B6. It also has an absorption rate is slower than that of white sugar.
• Honey is similar to table sugar. Pure raw Honey (not heated above 100 degrees) contains small amounts of vitamins, minerals, enzymes, flavonoids and antioxidants. Some research to suggest honey helps in the treatment of gastrointestinal disorders. Honey is as rapidly assimilated in the bloodstream as refined sugar is so not highly recommended.
• Date sugar is not really a sugar as it is made from ground, dehydrated dates containing all the vitamins, minerals and fiber found in the fruit. Date sugar is rich in nutrients and is metabolized more slowly than sugar.
• Maple syrup is made from the sap of sugar maple trees. Less refined than white sugar, but at roughly 65% sucrose, is basically a sugar equivalent. It has a tiny amount of minerals and a very tiny amount of vitamins.
• Barley Malt syrup is made from barley that is sprouted using only the grain’s own enzymes, kiln roasted, and slowly cooked till a thick, dark brown syrup is formed. The sugars in barley malt syrup are complex, thus they are slowly broken down in the body. It has trace amounts of vitamins, minerals and protein. Barley malt syrup like the rice syrup will not create a sugar high like the simple sugars do as it releases slowly.
• Brown Rice syrup is made from cooked brown rice which is fermented by adding enzymes to turn the starches in the rice into sugars. Brown Rice Syrup is absorbed easily into our system, leaving less for fat accumulation in contrast with regular sugar. It is a complex sugar thus takes longer to digest and not creating the sugar high that the simple sugars do.
• Molasses is a by-product of sugar cane or beet sugar refining. High in B vitamins, vitamin E, iron, calcium, magnesium, potassium, chromium, manganese and zinc. The blackstrap variety is less refined and higher in nutrients. Buy unsulphured molasses, as sulphur can be toxic in high doses.
• Agave nectar is juice extracted from agave which is the same plant they make tequila from. It is 42 percent sweeter than white sugar but has the same caloric value and a low glycemic index, a measurement of the relative ability of a carbohydrate to raise blood glucose levels. It also has an absorption rate is slower than that of white sugar.
• Stevia is a natural sugar alternative that actually nourishes the pancreas that has been shown to regulate blood sugar. Studies have shown stevia to lower blood pressure. Stevia is a complex sugar extract from the plant Stevia Rebaudiana grown in South America. It is a food herb native to the Paraguayan Indians who used it before the colonization by the Spaniards in the 16th century. The Brazilian Journal of Medicine showed that Stevia Rebaudiana actually ‘increased glucose tolerance.’ Because stevia is very sweet, you only need to use a small amount and the best thing is that it virtually has no calories. Just think about it……a plant sweetening your food with virtually no calories…….how good is that!!!

Note:

• The problem with consuming any simple carbohydrate is that it creates an insulin response that can overwork the pancreas. Over time, the body’s ability to handle all sugars, simple and complex, begins to weaken.
• Since all sugars will cause an elevation in blood sugar, diabetics and people with dietary issues should consult their doctor about alternatives to sugar that will be healthy for them.
• Most sugars are strongly acid forming in the body. They all also have calories.

My Choice:

• Never use the first four in my cooking.
• Mostly use the last four.
• Use all the others carefully. For most of us a little of the healthier sugars is fine and can even be good for us.

Recipes:

Sugar Free Apple Sauce Contains absolutely NO added sugars.

Berry Crumble Sweetened with minimal healthy sugars and stevia.

If you would like more information on Stevia; send your request to diana@realfoodforlife.com

Which ones do you use and why?    Post your comments below!

P.S. THE COURSE IS COMING,  THE COURSE IS COMING - only days till we release copies of our latest teleseminar:  Radiant Energy and Healthy Slimness. You can review the course and share with your friends!

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