Published: Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Fresh fruit is the best sugar substitute
Artificial sweeteners can play a dietary role
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Weekly Herald photo illustration/CHRIS GOODENOW
There are many options to add a little sweet to your diet, without adding sugar.
Opinions about artificial sweeteners are as varied as the options.
Depending on the source, substituting artificial sweeteners for sugar can be a sweet alternative for a healthier diet. For others, artificial sweeteners literally leave a bad taste in their mouths.
One thing both sides can agree on when satisfying one's sweet tooth: Fresh fruit is always the healthiest option.
Safest sweets
To each their own, says Nancy Sutherland, head nurse in the Edmonds School District. But ask her for a preference, and it's to consume natural foods.
“In my world, real food is always preferable, and moderation is key,” Sutherland said.
Sutherland is hesitant to advise people about artificial sweeteners, whose risks and benefits are not well-defined, she said.
For those with a sweet tooth, fruit is a great alternative to satisfy a craving -- however, don't overdo it and drink orange juice all day, she added. Apples are packed with fiber; people like the crunch.
Lavonne Bissell, a registered nurse, said her family opts for honey to sweeten food and drinks. Her father was a beekeeper. “I don't have any documented info on artificial sweeteners and children, but in our household we enjoy honey,” Bissell said.
Smart sweets?
Don't necessarily count out artificial sweeteners. For those who deal with diabetes and must avoid high-carb culprits like sugar, such alternatives can play a role, though perhaps a limited one.
The American Diabetes Association points to five such sweeteners approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that are used in diet drinks, frozen desserts and candy, to name a few. A sixth, derived from stevia, is recognized as generally safe by the FDA.
Used in moderation, such artificial sweeteners are both effective and safe, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. But even that group urges parents to instill the habit of reaching for fresh fruit first rather than juices and ice cream labeled as “reduced sugar” or “sugar free.”
The ADA also warns people to carefully read nutrition labels as foods sweetened with sugar substitutes can still carry calories and carbohydrates.
Sweet lessons
Curbing carbohydrates is important not just to control blood sugar levels but also to lead a generally healthy lifestyle that avoids other pitfalls, from cavities to obesity.
Sutherland teaches a hygiene class to elementary students in the Edmonds School District. She holds up Ziploc bags filled with empty juice and empty soda cans and Fruit Loops cereal along with the amount of sugar included in each of the foods.
The visual packs a punch for students. Most are grossed out by the amount of sugar in foods they readily reach for.
Sutherland tailors the presentation to resonate with students by explaining that if they want healthy, pretty teeth, they shouldn't overload on fizzy, sugary drinks.
“I try to elicit responses from students,” she said.
Sweet alternatives
Each of the following are approved or generally recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration:
Artificial sweeteners
• Acesulfame potassium (Sunett, Sweet One)
• Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)
• Neotame
• Saccharin (SugarTwin, Sweet'N Low, SweetTwin)
• Sucralose (Splenda)
• Stevia/rebaudioside (A Sweet Leaf, Sun Crystals, Steviva, Truvia, PureVia)
Natural sweeteners
• Date sugar
• Grape juice concentrate
• Honey
• Maple sugar
• Maple syrup
• Molasses
• Agave nectar
Sources: American Diabetes Association, Mayo Clinic
Depending on the source, substituting artificial sweeteners for sugar can be a sweet alternative for a healthier diet. For others, artificial sweeteners literally leave a bad taste in their mouths.
One thing both sides can agree on when satisfying one's sweet tooth: Fresh fruit is always the healthiest option.
Safest sweets
To each their own, says Nancy Sutherland, head nurse in the Edmonds School District. But ask her for a preference, and it's to consume natural foods.
“In my world, real food is always preferable, and moderation is key,” Sutherland said.
Sutherland is hesitant to advise people about artificial sweeteners, whose risks and benefits are not well-defined, she said.
For those with a sweet tooth, fruit is a great alternative to satisfy a craving -- however, don't overdo it and drink orange juice all day, she added. Apples are packed with fiber; people like the crunch.
Lavonne Bissell, a registered nurse, said her family opts for honey to sweeten food and drinks. Her father was a beekeeper. “I don't have any documented info on artificial sweeteners and children, but in our household we enjoy honey,” Bissell said.
Smart sweets?
Don't necessarily count out artificial sweeteners. For those who deal with diabetes and must avoid high-carb culprits like sugar, such alternatives can play a role, though perhaps a limited one.
The American Diabetes Association points to five such sweeteners approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration that are used in diet drinks, frozen desserts and candy, to name a few. A sixth, derived from stevia, is recognized as generally safe by the FDA.
Used in moderation, such artificial sweeteners are both effective and safe, according to the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics. But even that group urges parents to instill the habit of reaching for fresh fruit first rather than juices and ice cream labeled as “reduced sugar” or “sugar free.”
The ADA also warns people to carefully read nutrition labels as foods sweetened with sugar substitutes can still carry calories and carbohydrates.
Sweet lessons
Curbing carbohydrates is important not just to control blood sugar levels but also to lead a generally healthy lifestyle that avoids other pitfalls, from cavities to obesity.
Sutherland teaches a hygiene class to elementary students in the Edmonds School District. She holds up Ziploc bags filled with empty juice and empty soda cans and Fruit Loops cereal along with the amount of sugar included in each of the foods.
The visual packs a punch for students. Most are grossed out by the amount of sugar in foods they readily reach for.
Sutherland tailors the presentation to resonate with students by explaining that if they want healthy, pretty teeth, they shouldn't overload on fizzy, sugary drinks.
“I try to elicit responses from students,” she said.
Sweet alternatives
Each of the following are approved or generally recognized as safe by the Food and Drug Administration:
Artificial sweeteners
• Acesulfame potassium (Sunett, Sweet One)
• Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet)
• Neotame
• Saccharin (SugarTwin, Sweet'N Low, SweetTwin)
• Sucralose (Splenda)
• Stevia/rebaudioside (A Sweet Leaf, Sun Crystals, Steviva, Truvia, PureVia)
Natural sweeteners
• Date sugar
• Grape juice concentrate
• Honey
• Maple sugar
• Maple syrup
• Molasses
• Agave nectar
Sources: American Diabetes Association, Mayo Clinic