Sweetener Summary

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Those with fungal illness must pay particular attention to the sugar issue. Sugar propogates yeast in the body. It's interesting to note that sugar cane is grown in tropical climates. The same conditions where fungus thrives.

What are the best options for sweeteners? What's the difference between cane juice and molasses? How about stevia and NutraSweet? Read on.

The Bad Guys

Refined Sugar

Comes from sugar cane and sugar beets. The sucrose (50/50 mixture of fructose and glucose) is extracted from the plant, leaving virtually no minerals, vitamins, proteins, or fibers. This means there are no alkaline minerals, which further increases acidity in the body. Refined sugar is best avoided at all costs.

High Fructose Corn Syrup

HFCS starts as corn syrup, a liquid sweetener extracted from corn, which is then altered by enzymatic processes to yield a product high in fructose (sometimes as high as 90%). Fructose is more readily metabolized into fat by the liver than glucose.

The use of this syrup has increased by more than 10,000% since 1970, largely because it's more economical. Corn has added GMO and aflatoxin burdens, making HFCS potentially even more toxic to the system.

The Weston A. Price Foundation for Wise Traditions has an excellent article on the dangers of high fructose corn syrup.

Artificial Sweeteners
Aspartame: The phenylalanine in aspartame has been proven to increase dopamine levels in the brain. This can lead to depression, migraines, brain tumors, and more. This proved to be true for our son in the early stages of his migrainous vertigo. I remember an immediate attack from one stick of artificially sweetened chewing gum.

The aspartic acid in aspartame is an excitotoxin. These toxins cause specified brain cells to become excessively excited to the point that they die. In addition, the ester bond in aspartame is broken down to formaldehyde and methanol, both of which have their own toxicities. Because of the clouded perception surrounding this sweetener, it is soon to be marketed as Amino Sweet. For more on this latest initiative, see this article.

Splenda: Splenda is the trade name for sucralose, a synthetic compound discovered in 1976 by scientists in Britain seeking a new pesticide formulation. The Splenda molecule is comprised of sucrose (sugar)--however, three of the hydroxyl groups in the molecule have been replaced by three chlorine atoms. See this article for more information.

The Better Guys

Unrefined Sugar

Is made by evaporating the water from whole sugar cane juice. Not to be confused with brown sugar, which is white sugar with some molasses added, unrefined sugar has nutritional content such as phosphorus, chromium, and calcium. Several food producers are aware of the public's concern with sugar and now use "dried cane juice" or "cane juice," which can be just as refined. Be sure to choose unrefined dried cane juice.

Just Like Sugar

This is derived from chicory root. The texture is much like table sugar and therefore can be good in recipes.

Lo Han

Lo Han Kuo is the fruit of Momordica grosvenorii, a plant cultivated in the mountains of southern China. The fruit contains a series of terpene glycosides called "mogrosides." These are up to 300 times as sweet as sucrose. Mogrosides have a licorice-like off-taste. As with stevia, it's important to check ingredients added. It's hard to find in its pure form.

Agave

This is a sweetener derived from the Mexican plant aguamiel. It goes through a heavy refining process yielding as much as 90% fructose. For an in-depth look at agave, see this article.

Rice Syrup

Is made by culturing cooked rice with enzymes (usually from dried barley sprouts) to break down the starches, then straining off the liquid and reducing it by cooking until the desired consistency is reached. The final product is 45% maltose, 3% glucose, and 52% maltotriose. This can be a good option when making granola.

Blackstrap Molasses

There are several types of molasses: unsulphured, sulphured, and blackstrap. The distinctions are based, in part, on how many times it has been boiled during the manufacturing process.

Unsulphured molasses is the least refined. Sulphured molasses is made from green sugar cane that has not matured long enough and treated with sulphur fumes during the sugar extracting process. Blackstrap is made from the third boil. One tablespoon of blackstrap is approximately 46% sucrose. The mineral content includes manganese, copper, iron, potassium, calcium, magnesium, selenium, and vitamin B6. The healthiest version is unsulphered organic blackstrap molasses.

Yacon Syrup

Is derived from the yacon plant in South America. The sugar in this syrup is known as FOS (fructooligosaccharide), a special type of fructose, which according to some researchers has unique benefits in the digestive tract. (Yacon syrup is pictured above in the unmarked jar.)

Maple Syrup

Is 65% sucrose and is produced by tapping maple trees to release their sap. A tree’s sap is the fluid that, much like blood in animals, carries water and food to different parts of the tree to keep it nourished. As with all concentrated sweeteners, the less refined, the better.

Honey

Honey bees convert nectar into honey by a process of regurgitation and store it as a food source in wax honeycombs inside the beehive. Honey is extremely sweet (86% glucose/fructose combination), but offers some health benefits in its raw form.

Stevia

Is perhaps the best option for those with fungal issues. It is a whole herbal food known for its sweet leaves and flower buds. The powdered leaf can be made into an extract by mixing one teaspoon in one cup of water and allowing it to soak overnight. It is a "free" sweetener for diabetics without the risks associated with artificial sweeteners. The clear extracts and white powders are highly refined and less optimal. As with Lo Han, read the label carefully to see that nothing is added. Truvia, for instance, contains erythritol, which is made by fermenting the natural sugar found in corn.

The Good Guys

Fruit in its raw form


This is perhaps the best way to incorporate a sweetener into the diet. The fiber in the fruit slows down the absorption of sugar into the bloodstream, allowing the full benefit of the enzymes and minerals. There are a variety of dried fruits that offer nutrition and sweetness.

Gogi berries, for instance, contain 18 amino acids, 21 trace minerals, linoleic acid, more beta carotene than carrots, vitamins B1, B2, B6, and E, selenium and germanium. Mulberries are an excellent source of vitamin B, vitamin C, vitamin K and iron. They are also a good source of dietary fiber, riboflavin, phosphorus, magnesium and potassium.

Dates and figs have health benefits as well. Higher in fructose (more than 10%), these can be soaked and made into a paste to add to recipes. Like other concentrated sweeteners, these are best if used sparingly.

The Best Guys

Are not sweet guys.

The foods rich in chlorophyll are the fungus fighter's best friends. Reducing the intake of sugars will help these foods taste better and richer.

11 comments :

  1. Great article Andrea! I love to hear that the companies are starting to listen to us. Did you watch Jamie Olivers Food Revolution on Sunday? It airs Friday night, talks about school lunches, which are awful! Take care!
    Wendy White

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  2. andrea,
    one of our dr's recommended Xylitol.
    it comes from organic hardwoods, has low glcemic index, & is supposed to help fight candida (a fungus)& fight plaque by neutralizing their acids...
    have you heard of this one?

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  3. I did look into this and concluded that since research is suggesting that it's toxic to dogs it's probably not a good idea for us. Xylitol is a sweetener that occurs naturally in some fruits as well as birch trees.It doesn't require insulin to be metabolized.The problem is that it's expensive and is more often derived from commercial glucose and sucrose. (Pitchford p. 192t) Corncobs for instance.
    I'm thinking the dogs are responding to the commercial version. So, while I think it looks intriguing especially for my son with diabetes,I need to see the birch tree for myself before I buy it. I'm sooo glad you brought it up. Thanks as always Anika.

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  4. Again, great post Andrea. It helps in sorting through all the options and not so good options out there. As a side note, Stevia reacts in me like artificial sugar... headache and diarrhea. It might have been the refined version but I don't think so. Anyways, thanks for the info! kt

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  5. I looked at the healthcare bill not a word about changing the standards of mold or fungus treatment. Quite a disappointment...back to the drawing board boys.

    Great post, Andrea! Nice journalism.

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  6. :) Andrea, you are right about it being expensive.. I am suprised about it having any association with corn, as our container said it had none, (not derived from) but than again, perhaps that is why the brand I purchas made that statement at all... (I thought it a curious statement to make at all) Perhaps they are trying to distinguish themselves from other Xylitol brands out there..


    but the dog thing concerns me...

    We read a lot a while back about certain barks being used in treatment of candida, and molds... so when the doctor (not a lame md either I might add, but rather a smart and thoughtful gal) mentioned this product, it seemed to really make sense...

    Is it at all possible that there have been strides in it's processing? As I mentioned, our brand was made from Organic hardwoods...

    sorry to ramble on and on..
    My favorite is Stevia :)
    Then...
    raw honey
    maple syrup
    and agave
    in THAT order.. :)

    I so enjoyed this post by the way! :) It is most helpful, especially in light of those GRAND commericals telling the world how FANTASTIC High Fructose Corn Syrup is :)
    have you seen them?

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  7. Good to know about organic hardwood brand, Anika! I like that it's not dervied from corn.
    Helpful to hear the sweeteners you use. Thanks for listing those in order.

    Wendy,
    I have heard of the show! Chris and I met in Huntington!
    Tell everyone I said hi, Wendy.

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  8. Thank you for your post, Andrea! You often seem to read my mind, sometimes, and answer a question i am asking that day. thank you so much!!! Maribeth

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  9. Thanks for the post on sweeteners, Andrea! When nutrasweet first came out, I learned that it makes me sick (as in nausea and vomiting). I'm not a fan of fizzy drinks personally, so soda/pop isn't an issue for me. However, I do like sweetener in my coffee and tea. I use Splenda, which wasn't mentioned in your article. The Center for Science in the public interest is pretty picky about what they say is safe. They say nutrasweet is NOT safe, and Splenda IS. Recently I drank a bottle of Vitamin Water after reading the label to make sure there was no Nutrasweet in it. I got slightly wheezy, then went and looked at the label again and saw that it has Truvia in it - I guess I have to cross stevia off my list!!

    God bless you and your family, Andrea! I pray for you guys every day when I'm listening to Chris's show. I HATE having to miss his show, and am thankful for being able to listen to the old shows online!

    Susan in Elk Grove Vlg, IL
    moot96 AT aol DOT com

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  10. Susan,
    Thanks for your encouragement. And thanks for sharing your experience.

    I left out Splenda from the post and now I think I will go back to it. I will also add in a thought on Truvia. I'm so glad you brought them up! Some additional thoughts for now:

    Truvia is not just stevia. Erythritol is added which is made by fermenting the natural sugar found in corn (at least this is according to the research I have done.)

    Splenda is a synthetic version of sucralose. According to an excellent article on splenda,
    "While some industry experts claim the molecule is similar to table salt or sugar, other independent researchers say it has more in common with pesticides. That’s because the bonds holding the carbon and chlorine atoms together are more characteristic of a chlorocarbon than a salt — and most pesticides are chlorocarbons. This article (which balances the information with the fact that the verdict is still out on Splenda) can be viewed at this website.

    http://www.womentowomen.com/healthyweight/splenda.aspx

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  11. We have used bananas for sweetening things. We also use maple syrup, agave and honey. However, the most sensitive in our family can not use the honey, agave or maple syrup.

    I find the unrefined sugars incredibly sweet, and don't use much. When we bake for others however, they say that the food just doesn't taste sweet enough. Refined sugar is a drug, and it deadens your sense of taste.

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