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Alternative Sweeteners and Sugar Sugar. Just the mention of the word conjures up childhood memories of pink cotton candy, rainbow swirled lollipops and bubble gum ice cream. Sugar seemed so sweet and innocent back then. Now, we know a little more about these seemingly innocuous white crystals and they show up in more places, and under more names than one might think. common sugar-filled foods Ketchup, relish, bread, jam, fruit juice, chips, fries, white bread, rice, most prepared breakfast cereals and some deli meats. sugar by any other name… Corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, fruit juice concentrate, honey, maple syrup, molasses, sucrose, evaporated cane juice, glucose, dextrose, lactose and fructose. Too much of a good thing? Many of us crave sugar in our coffee, on our cereal and in baked goods, which can cause distress and guilt when our cravings meet warnings from health professionals and nutrition researchers. In 1980, The World Health Organization found that the average person consumed over 123 pounds of sugar per year, which grew to over 158 pounds by 1999. More studies show a link between sugar consumption, obesity and diabetes. Currently over 17 million Americans have Type 2 diabetes and the number of people developing is growing at an alarming rate. Where does sugar come from? Traditionally, sugar is sourced from sugar cane which is a tropical grass grown in over 120 countries, including the United States, Puerto Rico, Australia and Brazil. Today sugar is derived from sugar cane, sugar beets and corn, which is processed into high fructose corn syrup. Sugar cane is a woody tall grass rich in sugary juice or sap, similar to maple syrup from a maple tree. To extract the juice, sugarcane is harvested by machines that cut the cane and strip off the leaves. The cane is then crushed to release the clear juice. The juice is processed in a centrifuge to remove liquid. It is then dried, resulting in raw cane sugar. Traditional white sugar is refined from raw cane sugar where the molasses is removed and the crystals are bleached white. When refined is not so desirable… The refining process used to make sugar look and taste like white table sugar strips the sugar crystals of its vitamins, minerals, fiber, amino acids and trace elements. While there is disagreement between science and nutrition as to how the body reacts to different types of sugars, it sands to reason that foods left in their natural whole state offer a healthier option. Whether there is a big health difference or not, one thing that everyone will notice and agree upon is the rich, purely natural flavor found all alternative sweeteners. Click here for deliciously natural ways to satisfy your sweet tooth with alternative sweeteners. |
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