To Sweeten or Not to Sweeten...and with What?
This is my question.I've read a lot of articles like this in the past year:
Agave Not a Healthy Sugar Alternative After All
http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/health/agave-not-a-healthy-sugar-alternative-after-all-1040266/ I use Agave a lot. When I started the raw food living diet a year ago, I bought many raw-food un-cook books to learn about my new chosen lifestyle. Most all of these books tout the benefits of Agave and proclaim it as the sweetener of choice in the raw diet. There are clearly two sides of the Agave argument. I try to buy only the really RAW agave (not heated over 115 degrees and therefore un- processed) but it's not easy to find. Manufactures can get away with claiming that it's RAW, but it may not be truly raw. There are tons of Agave Syrups on the market shelves that don't even say RAW, so I definitely avoid those!It's a bummer that there is so much confusing information out there about how to have "sweets" in you diet in a healthy manner.
Better alternatives might be:
- Dates - great for sweeten desserts. Cheaper and more flavorful and full of fiber!
- Stevia is a good alternative, but it's bitter tasting.
- Yacon Root Syrup-Yacon is a glucose-free but it's expensive (about $14 for 8 oz) It also has a distinct flavor that some people may not like. I'm learning to like it.
- Raw Honey - easy to get, not too expensive.
"Natural" sugar is "natural" sugar, and if people try to eat as little as they can, and completely avoid the processed stuff like, white processed "table" sugar, high fructose corn syrup and the many others versions of this, and the fake sugars like Splenda, NutraSweet, Aspartame, (which are pure poison) they will better off health-wise. I'm not counting sweet fruits in this category of natural sweeteners. There is so much MORE nutrient-wise in fruit, so getting more fruit in your diet is a good thing. Futhermore, we do actucally NEED sugars. This is great article by David Wolfe about sugar.
I love sweets and do not want to feel deprived by cutting them out completely! I will continue to search for the right sweetener and experiment more with Yacon. More on Yacon Syrup...
Yacon is Low-Carb and Low-Glycemic.
Imagine a natural low-calorie sweet treat that is positively good for you and one you can indulge in even if you're diabetic. Nature's low-calorie sweetener yacon syrup!
Yacon syrup is a glucose-free sweetener that can improve digestive health as well as help reduce sugar intake. It is pressed from the root of the yacon, a distant relative of the sunflower. Yacon has been consumed in the Andean highlands of Peru for centuries.
Yacon root is considered the world's richest source of fructooligosaccharide (FOS), a unique type of sugar that can't be absorbed by the body. FOS acts as a prebiotic, serving as food for the “friendly” bacteria in the colon, and preclinical studies have indicated that consumption of FOS may help increase bone density and protect against osteoporosis. Because the sugar in yacon is mostly FOS, the syrup is low in calories and is a good sweetener for use by dieters and diabetics.
Our organic yacon syrup has a dark brown color and sweet flavor, like a cross between caramel and molasses. Use it as you would honey or maple syrup on foods and in recipes or sweeten beverages with a spoonful.
FOS also acts as a prebiotic, serving as food for the “friendly” bacteria in the colon, including lactobacillus and bifidobacteria species. It provides health benefits including:
- Aids digestion
- Enhances absorption of calcium and magnesium
- Improves elimination of toxins
- May reduce the risk of colon cancer
FOS is also high in antioxidants and potassium. Preclinical studies have indicated that consumption of FOS may help increase bone density and protect against osteoporosis. Other benefits noted with FOS supplementation include increased production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate. In addition, the beneficial effects of FOS on the presence of bifidobacteria suggest an improved absorption of vitamins, such as the B complexes.
Tests were conducted at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos in Peru in July 2004 to test how Yacon syrup affected blood glucose levels. The participants were 60 non-diabetic men and women between the ages of 20 and 60. Each group fasted for at least eight hours before ingesting the different sweeteners. Three groups were given different samples of Yacon, one group was given bee’s honey, another group was given maple syrup, and the last was given anhydrous glucose. The group ingesting Yacon syrup had hardly any difference from before and after. The results showed that Yacon had very little effect on glucose levels, while the other sweeteners showed a significant rise in glucose levels and a slow decline back to normal.
More on How Yacon Syrup Works:Our Yacon syrup contains approximately 30% FOS and low proportions of simple sugars (e.g., glucose, fructose, and sucrose). The human body has no enzyme to hydrolyze FOS, so (even though it tastes sweet) it passes through the digestive tract unmetabolized, providing few calories. Yacon also acts as a prebiotic. The undigested portion of Yacon serves as food for "friendly" bacteria, such as Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus species, in the small intestines and the colon. Clinical studies have shown that administering FOS can increase the number of these friendly bacteria in the colon while simultaneously reducing the population of harmful bacteria. Other benefits noted with FOS supplementation include increased production of beneficial short-chain fatty acids such as butyrate, increased absorption of calcium and magnesium, and improved elimination of toxic compounds. Preclinical studies indicate an increase in bone density after consumption of FOS. In addition, the beneficial effects of FOS on the presence of Bifidobacterium suggest an improved absorption of vitamins, such as those in the B complex.
