Is your sweet tooth feeling a little neglected these days? Do feelings of guilt keep you from indulging in the occasional late-night encounter with a pint of Ben and Jerry's? We could try and pin this avoidance on the endless media reports and the faddish low-carb diets maligning refined sugar. But the results are conclusive: excessive refined sugar consumption has been linked to Type 2 diabetes, Syndrome X, ADHD, heart disease and obesity, not to mention tooth decay. So where does this leave us when all we hear is "moderation is key"?

In today's information age it's becoming increasingly more difficult to declare that you couldn't give a toss when it comes to information regarding health and nutrition. This leaves us seeking that magical balanced diet-as if it's the Holy Grail. But at the end of the day when a Peppermint Patty seems harmless enough, we ask ourselves how much white sugar or (the recently demonized) high fructose corn syrup is really permissible? Rather than try to answer an impossible question, let's look at how alternative sweeteners can play a role in a healthy, balanced diet.

Sugar Alternatives: Low Glycemic Index, Low Cal or Slow Release?

Okay, so you're ready to incorporate new sweeteners in your diet, but which ones? There are many to choose from, and each has its own characteristics compared to the sugar you may be used to baking and sweetening beverages with. Some are heat sensitive, others have sharp aftertaste issues, while others don't blend well. The fact is enjoying sugar alternatives does require a little experimentation. Whether you are avoiding sugar for caloric or health reasons, there are many to choose from. Either way, it takes a little trial and error when adapting these sweeteners to recipes calling for white sugar.

The following list describes the best instances to use each sweetener and a guiltless recipe to get started. It's time to enjoy our sweet treats once again.

TYPE	SOURCE	PROPERTIES	COMMON USES
Sucanat	Sugar Cane Juice	Short for sugar cane natural. Granular form, retains more minerals during processing than organic raw sugar. Great in coffee and best in baked goods that produce a darker, richer color such as chocolate chip, oatmeal and gingerbread cookies.	Anything that calls for sugar, good replacement for brown sugar
Rapadura	Sugar cane juice	Very sweet, has a slight molasses and caramel flavor. Crystal form. The only sugar where the sugar stream is not separated from the molasses. Instead of conventional confectioner's sugar, try Rapadura© confectioner's sugar as well.	Anything that calls for sugar
Organic unrefined raw sugar	Sugar cane Organic	The cane juice, rich in molasses, vitamins and minerals, is extracted, clarified, evaporated and crystallized. Organic sugar is about 50% less processed than conventional white sugar. Though organic sugar is better for your health and the planet than white table sugar and corn syrup, minimally processed sweeteners like Sucanat and Rapadura are healthier choices.
Maple Syrup	Sap of maple tree	This has a distinct strong flavor. Be sure to purchase Grade B Maple as it contains a higher nutrient profile than Grade A, which is more processed, but has a lighter taste. Maple syrup is also high in potassium and calcium. Use in coffee, baked goods, as a glaze for meat or tofu and in teriyaki sauce. When substituting maple syrup in recipes, reduce your liquid slightly. Also available in crystals.	Great for baking cakes but reduce other liquids about 1/4 cup
Stevia liquid or powder	Dried Stevia leaves, powder or liquid form	200 times sweeter than sugar. Great for diabetics since it does not affect blood sugar. This remarkable non-caloric herb, native to Paraguay, has been used as a sweetener and flavor enhancer for centuries. The difficulty in using stevia as a primary sweetener is that it cannot be easily substituted for white sugar. Because so little stevia is used, it does not have the "bulk" of white sugar, which is often as crucial to the recipe as the sweetness. And stevia does not have the same physical properties as sugar, so it cannot be used, for example, to make candy. But it's fine to use when all you need is sweetness, such as to sweeten whipped cream, for example, or a salad dressing.	Any food or drink that calls for sugar. An excellent replacement for artificial sweeteners. Suitable for diabetics and weight loss dieters. Contains no calories. Nutritious.
Xylitol	Derived from the cellulose of wood (ususally birch)	Xylitol has 1/3 less calories than sugar and can be used measure for measure in recipes, coffee and tea. The most remarkable aspect to this natural sweetener is its ability to fight cavities and gum disease. It's increasingly being used in chewing gum. Also, Xylitol does not require insulin to be metabolized, making it completely safe for diabetic diets. It has a cooling aftertaste and works well in most recipes. If the cool taste is too prominent, substituting One half cup organic sugar and one half cup Xylitol works well when baking. Better than stevia in baked goods, but still does not brown like sugar.
Agave Nectar	Comes from the Agave plant (the same origin as tequila but without the hangover)	Organic Agave Nectar is a natural sweetener that is similar to honey but easier to pour. It is harvested from live plants by the indigenous peoples of Mexico. Agave has a relatively low glycemic index due to its higher proportion of fructose and lower levels of glucose (thus slow release carb). To substitute use three fourthss cup agave nectar per 1 cup other sweetener. When substituting agave in recipes, reduce your liquid slightly, sometimes as much as 1/3 less. In comparison to some of the other natural sweeteners, it has a nice clean "sugar" sweetness and holds up well to heat.
Date Sugar	Extract of dehydrated dates	Date sugar bares a closer resemblance to food than it does to a sweetener. Nutritionally, it's loaded with vitamins and minerals, especially potassium, folic acid, magnesium, calcium, iron and phosphorus and significant amounts of fiber. It is, however, a little pricey.
Honey	Bees extract from flower nectars (not recommended for infants)	When replacing honey for sugar in baked goods, remember that honey adds liquid and is sweeter than sugar. Replace 1 cup of sugar with a generous 3/4 cup of honey and use 2-4 tablespoons less of other liquid in the recipe. Because honey is more acidic than sugar, add a pinch of baking soda to neutralize the added acid. Honey will make the baked good brown faster, reduce the cooking temperature by 25 degrees. Honey will make the baked good darker and denser than sugar with a moister texture. Purchase raw, local honey for adapting to pollen and hay fever and for the beneficial enzymes usually destroyed during pasteurization.	Good for healing and disinfecting wounds when applied topically. Good for sore throat relief when taken orally mixed with hot water and lemon. Reduce oven temperature in baking by 25 degrees F and increase baking time.
Brown Rice Syrup	Malted extract of sweet brown rice	A liquid sweetener with the consistency of honey and is only 20% as sweet as sugar. It has a unique caramel-like flavor that can be used to enhance a recipe, but it will disappear if used sparingly in a recipe. Brown rice syrup metabolizes slowly but does have calories and carbohydrates. Diabetics and low-carb dieters should use it with caution. Otherwise, it is fine for anyone who wants a whole-food natural sweetener. To substitute, use 1-1/4 cup rice syrup for one cup of sugar, using 1/4 cup less of another liquid needed in the recipe.
Barley Malt Extract	Made from sprouted barley	Barley malt is a slow-digesting sweetener with a malt-like flavor. Nutritionally similar to brown rice syrup. Barley malt metabolizes slowly in the body but does have calories and carbohydrates. Diabetics and low-carb dieters should use it with caution. Otherwise, it is fine for anyone who wants a whole-food natural sweetener. Barley malt is made by soaking and sprouting barley to make malt, then combining it with more barley and cooking this mixture until the starch is converted to sugar. The mash is then strained and cooked down to syrup or dried into powder. Barley malt syrup is considered to be one of the healthiest sweeteners in the natural food industry, since it is produced from a whole food source and is made up of the simple sugars.	Mainly used in breads

If you are interested in learning more about the health effects of sugar and the history of sugar, check out the following titles to become sugar savvy.

The Sugar Blues by William Dufty

Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford

The Chromium Connection by Betty Kamen

I'd love to hear from you with any questions or comments you have about Food Life and any of the information shared in this newsletter.

Cheers!
Melissa

About Melissa
Melissa has extensive experience in both the natural food industry as well as qualitative research. She has worked as a certified chef, specializing in whole foods cuisine and in the natural products retail sector. Melissa's research experience includes the European soy foods industry and the natural products consumer in the UK. Melissa's research interests are focused on dietary trends, functional foods and sports nutrition.
_EDUCATION:
MS National University of Ireland, Cork
BS Communications, Emerson College, Boston