The Truth About Sweeteners - Stevia

Now that big corporations like Coca Cola and Pepsi started adding it to diet products, we can safely say stevia is the next big thing in calorie-free sweeteners. But is it as safe as your local health food store clerk thinks it is?

Is Stevia Safe?

That doesn’t prove anything tangible – but let’s begin by pointing out that stevia is a natural plant. That already places it pretty high on my own confidence scale, if you ask me. Now, being “natural” doesn’t necessarily makes it safe. So let’s see what science has to say about it : 

• “Stevia is well tolerated and has no pharmacological effect.”
• “In this 2-year study in Chinese patients with mild hypertension, stevia reduced blood pressure compared with placebo. No significant adverse effects were noted.”
• Stevia is 40 to 300 times sweeter than sugar, so you don’t have to use a lot.

A lot of studies are now proving that stevia is probably safe. That’s why the FDA has now officially approved stevia sweetening agents (but not the real plant, for some reason) – rebaudioside A and stevioside – for safe use in food products. The FDA has come a long way. Back in 1998, they were still burning stevia products and even books about stevia when doing inspections.

Is Your Stevia Real?

The stevia found in 99% of stevia sweeteners is not whole stevia, but the isolated sweetening agent rebaudioside A or stevioside – or a combination of both. It’s still unclear if these isolated sweetening agents are a problem compared to whole stevia, but the latter does show more benefits.

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If you want all the benefits stevia shows, sticking with whole stevia leaf extract or even whole stevia leaf powder is a good idea.

“Stevia Tastes Like Death!”

First of all, if you just swallowed a teaspoon of pure stevia extract and almost choked to death… you’re doing it wrong. The whole stevia plant is at least 40X sweeter than sugar, while the sweetening agents can be up to 350X sweeter than sugar – so adding more than 1/32th of a teaspoon to your drink could make it taste terrible.

“Stevia Tastes Like Cast Iron!”

Stevia is always marketed as tasting the “same as sugar”. I personally never tried a brand of stevia that showed no aftertaste. The stevia plant naturally has hints of licorice and a slightly bitter chlorophyll taste. So expect a stevia product to taste about the same. That being said, rebaudioside A has less aftertaste than whole stevia or stevioside. 100% pure rebaudioside A is very hard to find, but you should be able to find stevia that contains at least 70% of it. In the end, you’ll have to test different brands and find the one you like better.

Choosing Your Stevia

With the hundreds of products out there with different names, claims and gimmicks, finding the right stevia can be a nightmare. This table should give you a better idea of what to choose:

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About “Purevia” and “Stevia In The Raw”

Don’t get fooled by these two stevia brands. They claim to contain only pure stevia, but when you look at the ingredients list, they actually contain mostly dextrose (pure sugar) or maltodextrin (very high GI sugar). They also claim to be calorie-free, but nothing could be further from the truth. Because the FDA allows any food that contains less than 4 calories per serving to be labeled as calorie-free, these two products show portion sizes of 0.5g and sell this “0-calorie pure sugar” in complete legality.

Cooking with Stevia

Stevia can be used in baking, but expect some trial and error. Because of the different forms (powder, blends, liquid) and concentrations, it would be next to impossible to give you clear universal guidelines.

Summary

• Stevia is safe to use and is a much better choice for fat loss and health than artificial sweeteners.

• The whole stevia plant shows more benefits than the extracted sweetening agents rebaudioside A and stevioside.

• Stevia blends (erythritol and stevia) are a good choice, but I personally prefer pure nonGMO erythritol.

• Calorie-free or not; all sweeteners must be consumed in moderation.

The Truth About Sweeteners - Sugar Alcohols

No, “sugar alcohols” aren’t anything like your favorite Piña Colada or liquor. They may just be the sweet alternative you’ve been looking for.

Why Sugar Alcohols Rock

Sugar alcohols are a good alternative to sugar and even artificial sweeteners for fat loss – and for a lot of reasons:

1. They don’t raise your insulin or blood sugar.

2. They contain fewer calories than sugar.

3. They don’t feed off bad bacteria and impair your immune system like sugar does.

4. You use them the same way you’d use sugar in recipes, and in similar quantities.

5. They taste just like sugar, with none of the aftertaste most artificial sweeteners and even stevia have.

Warning: Digestive Distress

Sugar alcohols are not absorbed well in the digestive system (the exception being erythritol).

The good news: this means you absorb a fraction of their calories, making them less fattening than sugar.

The bad news: it may cause them digestive distress for some people.

Keeping that in mind – always follow these 3 golden rules when using sugar alcohols:

• Start slowly. Gradually build up your sugar alcohol consumption over the course of 4 to 6 weeks
• Monitor your reactions. Some people are sensitive to sugar alcohols, and should rarely or never consume them except if they enjoy stomach cramps…
• Don’t overdo it. Going overboard is a one-way ticket to some quality time in the bathroom

What’s The Best Sugar Alcohol?

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Mannitol and lactitol were left out of the table; they are almost impossible to find.

Sourcing Is Key

Anecdotal evidence shows that sugar alcohols made in China may cause more problems that those made in Canada or the US. Look for xylitol derived from birch (not corn), and erythritol derived from non-GMO corn.

Summary

• Xylitol and erythritol are probably good alternatives to sugar – but only if you can tolerate them.

• Like any sweetener, they must be used in moderate quantities.

• Always choose xylitol made from birch and made outside of China.

• Always choose erythritol made from non-GMO corn and made outside of China

The Truth About Sweeteners - Artificial Sweeteners

No calories, no problem.” At least that’s what I used to think. But when we look at the actual studies – it’s getting clearer that artificial sweeteners are NOT dieter’s best friends after all.

No Calories… Still Fattening And Dangerous

Even if they are virtually calorie-free, artificial sweeteners may make you gain weight. That’s a terrible thing – especially when most people usually choose “diet” products when trying to lose weight. But another big concern is the possible side effects they can have on your entire health.

Splenda (sucralose)

Effects on fat

For the average 150 lbs. person, 1.5 tsp. of Splenda per day promotes weight gain. The effect will be worse if your weigh less.

Other side effects

5 tsp. of Splenda per day damages gut flora and reduces the power of your immune system. Might be linked to Inflammatory Bowel Disease (IBS).

Equal (aspartame)

Effects on fat

Shown to increase weight gain, even if you eat the same number of calories. Increases your sugar cravings. People consuming artificial sweeteners do not necessarily reduce their sugar consumption, making them basically useless for weight loss. May reduce insulin sensitivity and slow your fat loss. Spikes your blood sugar and insulin as much as any sugar.

Other side effects

Accounts for over 75 percent of the adverse reactions to food additives reported to the FDA. Triggers migraine headaches for some people. Has been linked with very serious conditions like cancer and brain damage, but at concentrations of 4,000 mg/day (around 22 twelve oz. sodas).

Research on aspartame is very controversial, and a lot of money is on the table for the food industry. That may be why a researcher found that 92% of independent studies found one or more problems with aspartame, while all of the industry-sponsored studies concluded aspartame showed no problems

Saccharin (sweet n’ low)

Effects on fat

Shown to increase weight gain, even if you eat the same number of calories.

Other side effects 

Causes bladder cancer in rats.

Acesulfamek (sweet one)

Effects on fat 

More fattening than sugar.

Other side effects

Various cancer experts think further testing is needed to assess cancer risks. The CSPI recommends avoiding it until more studies are done.

Will Artificial Sweeteners Kill Me?

Probably not. 

It is true that aspartame and other artificial sweeteners have been linked to cancer and various life-threatening health conditions. But these links have been established by studies made on animals, where they were fed exceptionally high quantities of sweeteners – which means these results that can’t necessarily be extrapolated to humans.That being said, artificial sweeteners are certainly not the only source of potential carcinogenic compounds we consume in our everyday lives. That’s why I think laws like “The Delaney Clause” should be enforced for every food product. It states:

“The FDA shall not approve for use in food any chemical additive found to induce cancer in man, or, after tests, found to induce cancer in animals.” 

Unfortunately, this clause has been toned down since 1992 to allow more pesticides in the food supply.

How To Spot Artificial Sweeteners

A lot of artificial sweeteners like aspartame hide under proprietary brand names.

If a product says “sugar-free”, then look closely at the label. Diet sodas, flavor packs, drink mixes, yogurts, cereal, chewing gum, juices, snack foods and any food with “artificial flavor” on the ingredients list could all potentially contain artificial sweeteners. This may be counter-intuitive, but the full sugar version of those foods are probably less damaging to your health.

Neotame: The New Guy In Town

Mix aspartame and 3-di-methylbutyl, which can be found on the EPA’s list of most hazardous chemicals… and you get the brand new sweetener neotame. This new sweetener is not commonly used yet, but we’ll definitely see more of it in the future. Even though it’s deemed safe by the FDA, neotame will probably trigger reactions for people sensitive to aspartame.

Summary

• Artificial sweeteners are NOT a good replacement to sugar for fat loss. Some studies even show they might make you fatter than sugar.

• They won’t give you cancer overnight, but are carcinogenic in animal studies.

• Aspartame may trigger headaches for some people. 

• There are better alternatives to these artificial sweeteners out there, so avoid them as much as possible.

The Truth About Sweeteners - High Fructose Corn Syrup (HFCS)

Since 2011, the corn industry has spent millions on advertising to convince consumers and professionals that HFCS is “all-natural” and “equal to sugar”. Is the scare about it exaggerated after all ?

Is HFCS “Natural”?

Corn growers argue that high fructose corn syrup is natural – and the FDA agrees – while institutions like the Center for Science in the Public Interest argue it’s too processed and chemically altered to be called that way. I think spending too much time over this debate is pointless. While realistic claims on labels are very important to help you make informed decision, the real question is whether HFCS is more fattening and unhealthy than sugar.

HFCS and Sugar are The Same… Right?

Not so fast. Most people fall into the mistake of thinking HFCS is worse than sugar because of the high fructose content. But when we look at the actual numbers, this just doesn’t make sense:

• HFCS contains 42% to 55% fructose – but the latest studies show that it can go up to 65% in several food products
• Sugar (also called sucrose) is technically 50% fructose

Clearly, the problem with HFCS isn’t the high fructose content. Even the CSPI – reputed to fight for consumers’ rights – affirms that “sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are nutritionally the same.”

So Health Bloggers Are Completely Wrong and The Corn Industry Is Right! 

Not so fast! As Dr. Mark Hyman put it, “HFCS and cane sugar are NOT biochemically identical or processed the same way by the body.” 

Disclaimer: this is going to get a little bit technical.

Here’s the problem… the enzymatic extraction that creates HFCS unbound the glucose and fructose molecules.

Sugar

HFCS

So, instead of descending in your digestive tract to be broken down by enzymes like sugar does, high-fructose corn syrup is quickly absorbed in your bloodstream through an entirely different process. This difference has been highlighted in one animal study, where rats fed HFCS gained more weight than rats given sugar. But some studies also prove the difference is negligible when it comes to humans.

HFCS “Side Effects”

Overconsumption of HFCS (usually 50 g or more per day – the equivalent of one 32 oz. soda) is shown to:

• Impair mineral balance in your body
• Induce insulin resistance
• Make your body produce uric acid that can cause gout
• Sabotage learning and memory

This all sounds terrible – but let’s address the elephant in the room every health blogger under the sun prefers to ignore. 

At the time I’m writing this, it is still unclear if these terrible side effects happen when you eat too much high-fructose corn syrup, or simply too much fructose. I think the easy point to make here is that overindulging on any kind of sugar will screw up your fat loss and health

Other Problems With HFCS

Mercury contamination : Even though a lot of manufacturers switched to mercury-free ingredients to process it, HFCS may still be contaminated with mercury.

GMOs : Almost 100% of all corn grown in the US is GMO, so chances are any foods with HFCS in it will contain traces of GMOs.

2X Worse Than HFCS

You may have seen the ingredient “crystalline fructose” being used in some beverages, and wondered what the heck it is. The name may sound pretty – but the sad reality isn’t. Crystalline fructose is basically HFCS that has been further refined to attain fructose levels of 88 to 96%.

How To Avoid It

You’ll find high fructose corn syrup in a variety of common foods:

• Soda 
• Baked goods 
• Breakfast cereals
• Bread
• Candies
• Canned fruits
• Crakers
• Jams and jellies
• Peanut butter
• Salad
• Dressings
• Dairy products
• Condiments and sauces
• Yogurt

Most HFCS Is Hidden

As if choosing healthy foods wasn’t tricky enough, here are the different names HFCS can be listed under on the ingredients list:

• High-fructose corn syrup
• Corn sugar
• Glucose/fructose (in Canada)
• Glucose-fructose syrup (in Europe)
• High-fructose maize syrup
• Isoglucose (in Europe)

Unfortunately, some food products like soups or dry mixes can hide HFCS under the name “flavorings”, making it virtually impossible for you to know whether the product actually contains HFCS or not.

Summary

• High-fructose corn syrup contains up to 65% fructose, while sugar contains 50% fructose.

• It is still unclear if high-fructose corn syrup is more fattening than sugar.

• That being said, overindulging on any kind of sugar – natural or not – will lead to fat gain and disease.

• HFCS is processed with heavy chemicals, is GMO and may be contaminated with mercury – three more reasons to avoid it altogether.

The Truth About Sweeteners - Natural Sugar

Natural sugars are all the hype these days. And “hype” often rhymes with “misinformation” and “misunderstanding”

Are “Natural Sugars” Any Better?

It is true that natural sugars like honey, agave syrup or coconut sugar contain more nutrients than pure white sugar. However, the amount of nutrients in all sugars – natural or refined – is often negligible. That being said, refined sugars are often accompanied by other problems:

• GMOs – in corn and sugar beets
• Contaminants – HFCS contains mercury
• Higher glycemic index – which means they are potentially more fattening
• Often hidden in food products – making portion control very hard

The bottom line: natural sugars are a better choice than refined sugars because of what they do NOT contain – not because of their “magic” nutrients. Also, never forget that natural sugar is still sugar. Consuming too much will make you fat and sick. Period.

The “Healthy” Sugars Faceoff

Honey

Contains vitamins, minerals, antioxidants and enzymes and is shown to kill off bad bacteria. Several studies show it’s less fattening and less inflammatory than pure sugar. That being said, the composition of honey depends a lot on its origins, i.e. where the bees gather pollen.

Honey may be a good choice – but a recent study by Food Safety News has found that 75% or more of all the honey in the U.S. may be fake, because it doesn’t contain any pollen. This lack of pollen in honey strongly indicates it may have been ultra-filtered – a process that removes all the nutrients and make it impossible to trace its origins.

This has been confirmed when 15 people in 6 countries have been busted for “washing” cheap illegal Chinese honey – known to contain the banned antibiotic chloramphenicol and heavy metals.

Recommendations:

• To make sure your honey is the real thing, try to buy a brand that’s made locally
• Always choose unpasteurized (raw) honey
• Stick with dark honey, which shows more illness-fighting benefits and more antioxidants

* Includes pasteurized honey and honey from unknown origins

Agave Nectar

Very popular in the health-conscious crowd – this sweetener can now be found virtually everywhere. The confusion about its safety is complete. Just type “is agave nectar healthy?” in Google and you’re in for a terrible misinformation fiesta… both on the pro-agave and the against-agave sides. Some health bloggers even go as far as saying that agave nectar is “worse than high-fructose corn syrup”. While this does make a good sensationalist headline, the science behind this idea is shaky. Here’s the unbiased truth. Like this is the case with honey – not all agave nectars are created equal. The chart on the next page will (hopefully) burry the debate forever.

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Clearly, agave nectar extracted the right way and refined agave nectar have nothing in common. Some people will argue that agave nectar that has been extracted with enzymes is refined and unhealthy – but say nothing about the fact that a lot of sweeteners they consider “natural” and “unrefined” have all been processed in some way.

• Maple syrup is extracted by hours of boiling maple water
• Bees mix flowers nectar with enzymes to create honey
• Blackstrap molasses is a by-product of boiling cane juice

However, we can say agave nectar is worse than high fructose corn syrup when it comes to the total fructose content. So even if you do find a manufacturer that makes your health a priority… never consume agave nectar with reckless abandon.

Recommendations:

• Stick with organic agave nectar that has been processed 
• at low temperatures, without the use of chemicals
• If you can, try to find a brand of agave nectar that contains 55% fructose or less
• Gave nectar is very high in fructose, and a single tbsp. contains as much fructose as 2 bananas. Consuming too much is a first class ticket to fat gain and a lot of problems
• All colors of agave can be produced at low temperatures because filtration has a major influence on color
• That being said, darker agave nectar contains more minerals

* Depending on the source and processing method used.

Molasses

Molasses is the by-product or “waste” from processing sugar cane or beet into table sugar. This thick and dark syrup packs more iron than red meat and high quantities of other essential minerals like calcium, 

magnesium and potassium.

Recommendations:

• Stick with molasses made from sugar cane. You’ll avoid 
• GMOs from sugar beets
• If you’re sensitive to sulfites, avoid sulphured molasses.

* Varies depending on the grade.

Date sugar

Made from dehydrated and ground dates. Can be found in syrup form too.

Recommendations:

• Stick with organic date sugar that’s usually made without 
• sulfites and other preservatives

Brown Rice Syrup

Brown rice syrup contains very little to no fructose – which can make it seem like a good sweetener choice. However, recent studies have found that like commerciallygrown rice, even organic brown rice syrup contains very high levels of arsenic – linked to increased risks of cancer.

Recommendations:

• Avoid it unless you can find a manufacturer that guarantees low arsenic levels

Maple Syrup

This syrup is an antioxidant powerhouse that’s known to settle digestion issues and help muscle recovery. Some bloggers still try to scare people about maple syrup – arguing that producers use dangerous paraformaldehyde pellets in trees to increase production and boil the syrup in lead buckets. This is a severe case of misinformation. Turns out the use of paraformaldehyde pullets has been banned since 1991 in the US and since 1993 in Canada. Also, the syrup actually never comes in contact with lead when manufacturers use the latest equipment.

Recommendations:

• Most “maple” syrups are made with HFCS or other cheap sugars.
• 100% pure maple syrup
• Pure birch syrup might be a good choice too, but it contains 42-54% fructose, so use it in moderation

Coconut Sugar

Coconut sugar (also called coco sugar and palm sugar) is very low on the glycemic index – while being high in vitamins, minerals and amino acids. It can be found in liquid form too (coconut nectar). All the above characteristics may make it seem like a great choice. However, there’s a big problem with coconut sugar that no one talks about… sustainability. Turns out you can’t use a coconut tree to produce both coconut products (oil, milk, etc.) and coconut sugar. Also, trees that are used for sugar production actually stop producing coconuts. And because of the hype around coconut sugar that causes increasing demand, coconut growers are starting to switch their production to the very lucrative sugar. To me, producing sugar instead of the incredibly-healthy coconut oil is NOT smart.

Recommendations:

• If you care about sustainability at all… avoid it and stick with other natural sugars

Summary

• Natural sugars are generally less fattening than refined sugars.

• That being said, natural sugar is still sugar. Consuming too much will lead to fat gain and a vast array of health problems.

• A lot of natural sugars (like honey and agave nectar) are refined and basically no different than white sugar. Follow the above recommendations to make sure you’re buying the right thing.

The Truth About Sweeteners - Sugar

We all know sugary treats like cookies, cake and brownies are fattening and should be eaten in moderation. But how much sugar is too much? Are some sorts of sugar more fattening than others?  Here are the answers you’re looking for

Why Is Sugar Unhealthy?

Most people think sugar is to be avoided because it adds useless calories, AKA “empty calories”. In fact, sugar is not very caloriedense, with less than half the calories of olive oil. Sugar is a source of pure high-GI carbs, which means it spikes your insulin and promotes fat storage in the most efficient way possible. But the real problem with sugar is the way it wreaks havoc in almost every single organ in your body. This is why it shows a very impressive list of side effects that the food industry “forgot” to put on their labels: 

• Weakens your immune system
• Inflames your gut and feeds off the bad bacteria in your body, increasing your risks of virtually any disease
• Creates oxidative stress in your body, which speeds up your aging process
• Is very addictive – with the same highs and lows people experience on hard drugs
• Feeds cancer cells

How Much is Too Much?

In the US, sugar consumption has been increasing steadily since forever – from 6.3 lbs. of sugar per person per year in 1822 up to 107.7 lbs. of sugar per person in 1999. Some sources now show this number is closer to 130 lbs. in 2012. Needless to say – this amount of sugar leads to record fat gain, and the rise of serious conditions like type-2 diabetes, stroke and hypertension. The AHA now recommends men should consume less than 150 daily calories of sugar per day (9 tsp. or 38 grams), and advise women to stick with 100 daily calories from sugar (6 tsp. or 24 grams). Yes, that means women that drink only a single can of soda per day already consume too much sugar (without even counting all the hidden sources). If you consume a lot of sugar right now, simply remember this: less is better.

Do You Even Know How Much You Consume?

You probably consume a lot more sugar than you think. Let me prove this by analyzing this average “healthy” diet:

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Without eating any candy or over-sugary dessert – and while eating what most would consider a pretty “clean diet” – this person just consumed over 118.5 g (59 teaspoons) of added sugar in a single day. For a woman, that means almost 5 times the recommend amount for optimal health and fat loss…

How much are YOU really consuming?

Sugars Are Not all Created Equal

Bad news. Some forms of sugars are worse than others. Most common forms of sugar are glucose and fructose. Even though they may look the same – they affect your body in very different ways.

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*** Important note: sucrose (white sugar) breaks down in 50% fructose and 50% glucose in your body, but is not metabolized the same way as pure fructose .

Clearly, fructose is way more fattening and detrimental to your health than glucose. 

Small quantities of fructose from fruits and whole foods aren’t a problem. But consuming over 50g of fructose (one 32 oz. soda) per day will lead to big problems. Keep that in mind, because it’s a critical factor to choose the right sweetener.

Confusing Names

Sugar is hidden in food under all sorts of ingredients. As an example, popular brand breakfast cereals could contain sugar, brown sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup and barley malt – which are all sugar. Here’s a list of the most common names that all mean “sugar”:

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Summary

• Any form of sugar promotes fat gain and disease when consumed in important amounts.

• The recommended sugar intake is less than 38 g for men and less than 25 g for women. Less is always better.

• Sugar can hide under a ton of different names in food products. Get informed and read the labels carefully.