Artificial Sweeteners and Natural Sweeteners Have Side Effects
It's easy to see that too much sugar is causing our world a fair amount of grief. With the wide variety of sugar substitutes many are choosing to reduce their sugar intake or eliminate it completely. The hard part is finding a sugar substitute that will work for you. There are natural sweeteners and synthetic sweeteners. Some cause side effects such as tooth decay, headaches or digestion problems. In this article you'll find a few quick things to keep in mind while trying to find the right fit.
There is a very important decision you should make at the very beginning of your search for a sugar substitute. You'll be faced with the choice of whether you are going to go with a man made artificial or an all natural sweetener. We human beings have been able to engineer some pretty miraculous things and it is no surprise we can make a chemical that will sweeten our food and avoid some side effect for which it was invented to avoid. Mother nature has also provided several options for us to choose from. My suggestion is to stick with mother nature on this one but remember there are side effects to both.
Artificial sweeteners are products you may have heard of such as sucralose or aspartame. These are sweeteners designed to have zero calories and beneficial for weight loss. They seem on the surface to be a great product, but there are many reports of pretty serious side effects. The reports are still contradictory from one to the other, but the majority are reporting side effects such as migraines, headaches, stomach upset and even seizures in some people. In addition to the effect on our bodies there are some physical properties to consider. Aspartame cannot withstand heat and breaks down making it not suitable for cooking. Sucralose itself is suitable for cooking but it has to be mixed with filler that will leave your baked goods sweet like it should, but dry and quite different than you might expect. Artificial sweeteners are big money makers for many companies so be careful not to be tricked by clever marketing. Study both sides carefully and consider the long term affects before choosing to go with something artificial.
Natural sweeteners you may have heard of are Xylitol, Stevia, Mannitol, Sorbitol and Erythritol. Just as with anything we put in our body there is going to be a result. After looking over the specifics not sited in this article there are only three that stand out as a real decent substitute for sugar; Stevia, Xylitol and Erythritol. One nice benefit to Xylitol and Erythritol is they do not promote tooth decay. Unfortunately, Xylitol doesn't digest too well and Stevia seems to get mixed results with different people, Erythritol will leave your stomach feeling no pain. These are all lower than sugar in carbohydrates and calories, but Erythritol stands alone as calorie free.
Erythritol is found in many fruits and vegetables and is about 70% sweet as sugar. As mentioned earlier it has zero calories and digests in the small intestine leaving your body through your urine not causing gas pains like many other natural products. Erythritol is also a great choice for diabetics because it will not cause a rise in your blood sugar levels. You can find Erythritol online or in a store and use it alone as a sweetener with great benefit. There are also a few companies now that are finding super sweet natural ingredients and blending that with Erythritol to bring the sweetness up to that of sugar. Because if its physical properties it is also great for cooking and can in fact be measured cup for cup like sugar.
The above paragraphs are very basic and only a glimpse into the world of sugar alternatives. There are a lot of factors to consider and huge number of opinions to filter through. Hopefully the thought process shared in this article will help you get a little closer to finding the right fit for you. - 17268
There is a very important decision you should make at the very beginning of your search for a sugar substitute. You'll be faced with the choice of whether you are going to go with a man made artificial or an all natural sweetener. We human beings have been able to engineer some pretty miraculous things and it is no surprise we can make a chemical that will sweeten our food and avoid some side effect for which it was invented to avoid. Mother nature has also provided several options for us to choose from. My suggestion is to stick with mother nature on this one but remember there are side effects to both.
Artificial sweeteners are products you may have heard of such as sucralose or aspartame. These are sweeteners designed to have zero calories and beneficial for weight loss. They seem on the surface to be a great product, but there are many reports of pretty serious side effects. The reports are still contradictory from one to the other, but the majority are reporting side effects such as migraines, headaches, stomach upset and even seizures in some people. In addition to the effect on our bodies there are some physical properties to consider. Aspartame cannot withstand heat and breaks down making it not suitable for cooking. Sucralose itself is suitable for cooking but it has to be mixed with filler that will leave your baked goods sweet like it should, but dry and quite different than you might expect. Artificial sweeteners are big money makers for many companies so be careful not to be tricked by clever marketing. Study both sides carefully and consider the long term affects before choosing to go with something artificial.
Natural sweeteners you may have heard of are Xylitol, Stevia, Mannitol, Sorbitol and Erythritol. Just as with anything we put in our body there is going to be a result. After looking over the specifics not sited in this article there are only three that stand out as a real decent substitute for sugar; Stevia, Xylitol and Erythritol. One nice benefit to Xylitol and Erythritol is they do not promote tooth decay. Unfortunately, Xylitol doesn't digest too well and Stevia seems to get mixed results with different people, Erythritol will leave your stomach feeling no pain. These are all lower than sugar in carbohydrates and calories, but Erythritol stands alone as calorie free.
Erythritol is found in many fruits and vegetables and is about 70% sweet as sugar. As mentioned earlier it has zero calories and digests in the small intestine leaving your body through your urine not causing gas pains like many other natural products. Erythritol is also a great choice for diabetics because it will not cause a rise in your blood sugar levels. You can find Erythritol online or in a store and use it alone as a sweetener with great benefit. There are also a few companies now that are finding super sweet natural ingredients and blending that with Erythritol to bring the sweetness up to that of sugar. Because if its physical properties it is also great for cooking and can in fact be measured cup for cup like sugar.
The above paragraphs are very basic and only a glimpse into the world of sugar alternatives. There are a lot of factors to consider and huge number of opinions to filter through. Hopefully the thought process shared in this article will help you get a little closer to finding the right fit for you. - 17268
About the Author:
Learn more about natural sweeteners at www.doctorgrandmas.com. Doctor Grandma's website is filled with information about the benefits of Erythritol and other healthy foods.
posted by X - Men at
5:00 AM
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