There are a few sweeteners available that pose significantly less risk to the health than refined sugar. There are also some that are quite toxic in their own right. However, nearly all sugar substitutes are harmful to some degree. None of them, with the exception of the nutritional supplement stevia, should be used without any restriction at all.
Saccharin
Saccharin (Sweet 'n Low) was discovered accidentally by a Johns Hopkins researcher who was trying to develop new food preservatives. Saccharin is a derivative of coal tar. Early on, saccharin was shown to be carcinogenic in test animals. Debate continues as to whether the high doses used in the animals are relevant, since
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humans consume much lower amounts. Even so, one popular brand of saccharin carries a warning that saccharin has been determined to cause cancer in laboratory animals. However, there are other sweetening alternatives available without this concern. Don't use saccharin products.
ASPARTAME
Aspartame (NutraSweet or Equal) is a combination of two amino acids, phenylalanine and aspartic acid. Remember that amino acids are generally beneficial only when a specific deficit is being supplemented or when proportionate amounts of all the amino acids are being ingested to promote the synthesis of new, properly balanced protein. Two amino acids, as in aspartame, that accumulate in the body in outrageously unbalanced amounts can eventually be toxic. Also, aspartame has a third component: methanol. Methanol, also called wood alcohol, makes up to 10 percent of the aspartame. Methanol's breakdown products include formaldehyde, which is a known carcinogen. Methanol is specifically toxic to the optic nerve, and has been known to cause blindness in a large enough dose. As of 1994, more than 75 percent of all nondrug complaints made to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) were about aspartame. Avoid aspartame completely.
ACESULFAME К
Acesulfame К (Sunette or Sweet One) was FDA-approved in 1988. However, its chemical structure closely resembles that of saccharin, which, as I have just noted, is a potential carcinogen. Rats fed acesulfame К developed more tumors than rats not fed it. In addition, diabetic rats fed acesulfame К elevated their cholesterol levels. Avoid acesulfame K.
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STEVIA
The FDA prohibits the labeling of stevia as a sweetener or flavor enhancer, but it does allow it to be labeled as a nutritional supplement. Canada, interestingly enough, takes the opposite approach, allowing stevia to be labeled as a sweetener but not as a nutritional supplement.
Stevioside, the refined form of stevia, is widely used outside the United States as a noncaloric sweetener. Forty percent of the commercial market for sweeteners is held by this substance in South America, China, Taiwan, Thailand, Korea, Malaysia, Indonesia, and Japan.
Traditionally, stevia has been used for flavor enhancement and sweetening, as an herbal tea, and as a medicine. Stevia used in its whole leaf form has been reported to have a blood sugar-lowering effect. Brazil has approved stevia tea for sale in the treatment of diabetes. Whole-leaf stevia has also been promoted outside the United States for a variety of beneficial effects on the cardiovascular system, the digestive system, the reproductive system, the incidence of dental cavities, the skin, and the control of microbial growth. Regardless of the weight one might give to such claims, stevia has been used continuously in Paraguay for over 1,500 years, and no report of ill effect has been made. And more currently, Japan has yet to report any ill effect from the use of stevioside as a sweetener despite heavy usage for over a decade. Use stevia regularly as a nutritional supplement, and any sweetening effect you get can just be a bonus.
Barley Malt Syrup
Barley malt syrup comes from sprouted whole barley, which breaks down some of the carbohydrate into maltose. The syrup ends up being about 65 percent maltose and the rest complex carbohydrate.
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Maltose has a glycemic index higher than that of pure glucose. Although some of the syrup is complex carbohydrate, the maltose content would promote wide glucose swings and hyperinsuline-mia. Use sparingly
Brown Rice Syrup
Brown rice syrup comes from sprouted barley and fermented brown rice. It contains roughly 50 percent maltose, and should generally be avoided or used sparingly for the same reasons as barley malt syrup.
Honey
Honey is a really mixed bag. When processed at all, it should be avoided like table sugar. After honey has been heated and strained, it loses much of the nutritive value for which it is touted. Some honeys even have other sweeteners, such as corn syrup, added to them!
Honey can also be a carrier of Clostridium botulinum spores. This situation is felt to be especially perilous for infants under one year of age, and honey should not be offered to them. However, no one really needs the seeds of such anaerobic bacterial metabolism in their gut, especially if that gut has been relatively cleared out by proper digestion and removal of dental toxins. If you indulge in honey, at least be aware of the dangers that it may pose. Furthermore, consume only honey that is as raw and unprocessed as possible. When pieces of the honeycomb are still present in the honey, this is one good sign that the honey has not been largely ruined.
On the positive side, honey probably supplies more vitamins, minerals, and trace elements than many other foods, and probably more than anything else used as a sweetener. Being in a food form, these additional elements are in a much more bioavailable form than if they were in a less-natural, supplemented form. Honey also
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contains enzymes that are of nutritional value, as well as proteins, carbohydrates, and a number of other factors that support the immune system and promote healing.
The best advice for the adult wanting to consume honey is to use moderation. Taken in balance with other foodstuffs, honey can be a positive health factor for most who consume it as long as it is free of processing. Royal jelly, propolis, and bee pollen are all derivative products of the beehive that likewise support good health, as they, too, contain a wide variety of bioavailable nutrients. However, people who are allergy-prone should always exert caution when first beginning the consumption of raw honey or any of the beehive-derived nutrient products.
Maple Syrup
Maple syrup has about a 65 percent sucrose content. Although minimal vitamins and minerals can be found in this syrup, it is a poor way to get positive nutrients and a good way to get too much sucrose. Use maple syrup sparingly.
Molasses
Molasses is in much the same class as maple syrup, except that its sucrose content is usually slightly higher. Use sparingly.
Brown Sugar
Because it looks more natural, consumers often mistakenly believe that brown sugar is more nutritious than refined sugar or sucrose. This is not true. White sugar is 99 percent sucrose, and brown sugar is 96 percent sucrose. Brown sugar merely has a little molasses and/or caramel color added. Avoid brown sugar.
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Fructose
Fructose is amazingly low on the glycemic index. As such, it doesn't have the overwhelmingly negative impact on glucose swings and insulin overproduction that most of the caloric sweeteners just mentioned above have. Crystalline fructose does not bring vitamins or minerals with it, but any sweetener will not typically be a source of good nutrients. With the exception of whole-leaf stevia and perhaps honey, your goal with all substances that have a sweetening effect will be to treat yourself to something that is only minimally harmful. Use fructose in moderation.
These are the best-known and most commonly used caloric and noncaloric sweeteners, and the foregoing analysis should help you to judge how much you are compromising your nutrition if you decide to use any one of them. Always try to satisfy your sweet tooth with the sweetness of a natural food, such as fruit. When this doesn't work, make an intelligent choice and do yourself the least possible harm as you indulge yourself.
