Sweeteners: The lowdown on sweetners

It's not always easy to 'keep it sweet' while also keeping it healthy these days.

For instance, in a recent e-alert I told you about the significant health problems that have been associated with aspartame. An HSI member named Gina found this alarming and wrote: 'As a regular user of this product, I am now worried. Can you recommend another sweetener (without an after-taste) which I can use instead of aspartame?'

Sure can, Gina. Today we'll take a look at some alternate sweeteners, along with helpful information from other HSI members.

Bees' work 
We'll start with three sweeteners taken from natural sources. Last year an HSI member named Miriam asked, 'What do you think of the barley malt sweetener?  Also maple syrup and honey?' 

I ran Miriam's question by US HSI Panellist Dr Allan Spreen, who noted that each of these three is a concentrated sweetener with lots of calories (not that calories alone are necessarily a bad thing). 'The problem is, these agents are unnaturally concentrated. Unlike standard refined sugar, however, the concentrating of the sugars in maple syrup or malt sweetener still usually retain the minerals and vitamins needed for their metabolism. Other than for diabetics or those with weight problems, these sweeteners may not be too bad (or at least they don't carry any of the chemical risks of truly artificial sweeteners).

'Honey is a unique agent. Bees are basically Mother Nature's little refiners, and efficient sugar concentrators they are. So, if sugar is a metabolic problem (hypoglycaemia, diabetes) then honey would not be the answer, as natural as it is. However, in the raw state (and the word 'raw' is vital here... 'uncooked' does not qualify) honey contains enzymes and nutrients that can be very useful to the body. Unfortunately, heat destroys many of them, and commercial honey is heated to keep it from crystallising.'

Dr. Spreen also points out that different honeys have different ratios of different types of sugars (glucose, fructose, etc.). Apparently tupelo honey has the least concentrations of the sugars that have the greatest effect on blood sugar. But no honey is low enough in glucose to make it a safe choice for diabetics. 

Sweet from the wood
Another natural alternative to highly processed sweeteners is xylitol, a birch wood extract that has 40 percent fewer calories than sugar, and does not cause a spike in blood sugar levels.

In one study, reported in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, the glucose and insulin responses of 80 healthy, non-obese men were measured after ingesting xylitol. Results showed that both glucose and insulin were less affected by xylitol intake than by glucose intake, and researchers concluded that xylitol is suitable for diabetics.

Xylitol also comes with the remarkable claim that it actually prevents caries (the dental profession's term for cavities). Last year, US HSI Panellist Prof. Richard Cohan, explained the dental health angle: 'The short answer to why xylitol does not produce either a sugar spike or an uptick in caries is that it is a five-carbon rather than a six-carbon sugar. Our metabolic processes seem to depend on the latter, or multiples of six carbons. Even bacteria seem not to be able to metabolise five-carbon sugar.'

Products that contain xylitol include: Boots dental gum and dental mints, a range of Orbit chewing gums, Tesco mouthwashes, Totalcare Fresh Breath Spray from Superdrug, and a wide range of toothpastes.

Lying in wait
Returning to Gina's concern about aspartame, there's a hidden reason to take the extra trouble to look for safe sweeteners: Aspartame is everywhere.

According to the research of an HSI member (who asked not to use her name): 'Many will be shocked at some of the products which contain aspartame. For example, many know that it's in sugarless gum and 'diet' fizzy drinks and sweets, but it's also contained in sugar-filled chewing gum, breath mints, lots of medications such as cough syrups and aspirins, toothpastes, yoghurts, vitamins, instant breakfasts, and more. Please tell people that it's imperative to read labels.'

Excellent advice. If you don't pay close attention, you may end up getting quite a bit more aspartame than you bargained for.