[table caption=”Healthy Sweetener User Guide“]
Sweeteners to Use,Also Known As,Safety Concerns,Sweetness,What is it?
Stevia (I highly recommend this product as a replacement for sugar and artificial sweeteners),Sweet Leaf\, Honey\, Leaf Truvia, since Stevia is sold as a dietary supplement. The FDA does not regulate it ,200-300 times sweeter than sugar, Stevia extract is made from the Stevia plant\, which is native to South America; has been used in South America for centuries and in Japan for the past 30 years
Barley Malt, , , , Can be found in most health food stores. Do not eat if gluten intolerant. In the US\, in processed foods most is HFCS fraudulently labeled.
Brown Rice Syrup,,,50% sweetness of sugar,Asian sweetener made by fermenting brown rice with enzymes
Raw Organic Honey (preferably local),,,, Can provide numerous health benefits. If it crystallizes\, place in warm water (<117 degrees) until crystals disappear
Molasses,,High quality blackstrap molasses is an excellent natural mineral supplement. ,, A waste product of sugar refining. 25% water\, 50% sugar\, 10% mineral ash.
Maple Syrup,Grade A & B – determine color,90% sucrose- pretty much like eating maple flavored white sugar.,,Organic- use less toxic chemicals. Look for guarantee to be made without us of formaldehyde.
Lo Han Fruit Extract (I highly recommend this product as a replacement for sugar and artificial sweeteners.) , Ki-Sweet\, SlimSweet\, SugarNot ,Has a licorice taste after being heated and is therefore not often used as a sweetener by itself. It is less processed than stevia.,Up to 250 times sweeter than sugar,Chinese fruit of the gourd family. Contains no sugar or calories and has been used successfully for thousands of years in Chinese medicine for a variety of ailments.
Polyol (Sugar Alcohols) -Use only in small amounts (I recommend xylitol.) , sorbitol\, xylitol\, mannitol\, maltitol\, lactitol\, isomalt\, erythritol\, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates,may cause digestive upset or have laxative effect when consumed in large quantities,, sugar alcohols occur naturally in fruits but are usually derived from corn syrup\, raise blood sugar\, convert to fat. Xylitol has many health benefits. Erythritol does not raise blood sugar but has poor sweetening power.
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(Sweetener data in this chart was adapted from J. Mercola and K. D. Pearsall, Sweet Deception Why Splenda®, NutraSweet® and the FDA May Be Hazardous to Your Health (Nelson Books, 2008))