What's the Scoop on Natural Sweeteners?

With today's obesity epidemic, the sugar substitute market is growing by leaps and bounds. Product manufacturers are racing to discover sugar substitutes that taste good, provide fewer calories, and are safe to consume. In general, a sugar substitute is a food additive that is designed to mimic the taste of sugar. These products can be natural or artificial. Both must go through testing by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to be deemed as safe before entering our food supply. Due to consumer demands for more organic and less processed products, natural sweeteners such as stevia, agave nectar, and sugar alcohols have recently claimed the spotlight.

Stevia is a plant native to Central and South America that has been consumed outside the United States for over 200 years. The steviol glycosides are the sweetest portion of the plant. When isolated and purified, the steviol glycosides are 250 times sweeter than sugar. The glycosides cannot be absorbed by your body. Thus they are completely excreted in your urine with no accumulation. The World Health Organization's (WHO) Joint Expert Committee on Food Additives states up to 4 mg per kilogram of body weight is an acceptable safe level for steviol glycosides.

In the U.S., products sweetened with stevia include soda, juice, gum, yogurt, and condiments with many more products currently being development. Two popular products made from stevia are SweetLeaf® Sweetener™ and Truvia™. Both products contain zero calories and can be utilized for baking. When substituting any stevia product for baking, it is best to follow the guidelines provided by the manufacturer. For instance, the substitution factor for Truvia™ is ¾ teaspoon for every 1 teaspoon of sugar.

Xylitol. Due to its similarity in sweetness to sugar, xylitol is the most popular sugar alcohol and provides only 2.4 calories per gram compared to 4 calories in sugar. Sugar alcohols are a hydrogenated form of carbohydrate that are not 100% digested by humans. Many different sugar alcohols are available and found in thousands of products at the grocery store. Xylitol is found naturally in beets, mushrooms, oats, berries, and corn. It's commercially produced from birch trees. Xylitol prevents tooth decay, plaque formation, and increases saliva production. This makes it an excellent additive in many sugar-free gums. Individuals with diabetes may benefit from xylitol. It doesn't stimulate insulin or increase blood sugar. For baking, it is suggested to substitute half of the sugar for xylitol.

Caution: The minty flavor of xylitol may not be acceptable in all recipes. Some individuals may be sensitive to sugar alcohols and could experience abdominal discomfort, gas, and diarrhea if consumed in large quantities.

Agave Nectar is native to Mexico and until recently was most well-known for its use in tequila. Agave nectar contains more calories than sugar (20 calories per teaspoon compared to 15 calories in sugar) and is 90% fructose. However, since agave nectar is significantly sweeter than sugar, less is needed when used for substituting. Unlike other sweeteners, agave nectar contains iron, calcium, potassium, and magnesium. Due to naturally occurring steroids, agave nectar is not considered safe for pregnant women. Some health care researchers are concerned about the high fructose content and the effect on America's increasing weight problem. Individuals trying to lose weight may want to choose a non-caloric sweetener instead.