| The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends | | | | alcohols can be listed by many different names, as |
| no more than 10% of your total daily energy should | | | | indicated below, however the most popular one is |
| come from added sugar. Based on a 2,000 calorie | | | | xylitol which can be found regularly in sugar-free hard |
| daily diet, you should not exceed 12 teaspoons of | | | | candies, chewing gum and sugar-free chocolate |
| sugar daily. To gauge how much sugar is in a serving, | | | | products. When reading labels watch for glycol, |
| divide the grams by 4. I.E. - 4 grams of sugar per | | | | glycerol, erythritol, threitol, arabitol, xylitol, ribitol, mannitol, |
| serving translates into 1 teaspoon of sugar. | | | | sorbitol, dulcitol, iditol, isomalt, maltitol and polglycitol to |
| Many people wonder whether they should be eating | | | | identify various forms of sugar alcohols. Many are lead |
| sugar (natural or refined) or should they use artificial | | | | to believe that sugar alcohols are a no calorie |
| sweeteners as a replacement, in order to reduce | | | | substitute for sugar, however sugar alcohols do |
| calories and blood sugar levels while at the same time | | | | contain calories (ranging from.2 to 4.3 / gram), in most |
| retaining the sweetness in their favourite foods. | | | | cases less than refined sugars. Some research does |
| Knowing what you are consuming and their side | | | | indicate that people who have undergone Roux-en-Y |
| effects may help in the decision making process? | | | | gastric bypass surgery should be careful not to |
| Do sugars or sweeteners cause people to eat more | | | | consume to much sugar alcohols, with the exception |
| food? The experts have been at odds about this issue | | | | of erythritol, as they can aid in causing dumping |
| for years; one study will say yes and then the next will | | | | syndrome. |
| have the opposite results. One argument for the yes | | | | Natural Sugars |
| side is that the body may look for more | | | | Naturally occurring sugars are found in raw |
| carbohydrates after the brain receives the message | | | | unprocessed fruits, vegetables, honey (un-pasteurized) |
| of having received sweetness. The no side says that | | | | and milk (un-pasteurized); once these food items have |
| sugar in particular does not create a desire for more | | | | been cooked or processed (including freezing) their |
| food as high blood sugars suppresses the appetite | | | | sugar/caloric/nutritional content can be increased or |
| over the short term. | | | | decreased. Listed below is a list of common raw fruits |
| What are artificial sweeteners, refined sugars and | | | | and vegetables with their calorie and sugar content |
| natural sugars? | | | | based on a 100 gram serving. |
| Artificial Sweeteners (limited or no calories) | | | | 100 grams Calories Sugar |
| Saccharin - a sweetener derived from coal tar, in 1977 | | | | Apple.....49.0.....11.8 |
| a government study linked it to bladder cancer in rats, | | | | Apricot...36.0.....8.0 |
| since manufacturers have not been allowed to add | | | | Avocado...126.0....7.0 |
| saccharin to foods, however it is available from | | | | Banana....88.0.....20.4 |
| pharmacies where it is sold over the counter as a | | | | Blackberries.40.0.....8.0 |
| tabletop sweetener. | | | | Blueberries.48.0.....11.0 |
| Cyclamate - like saccharin, this compound is made also | | | | Brussels sprouts.43.0.....2.2 |
| from coal tar and has been linked with bladder cancer | | | | Cabbage...25.0.....3.2 |
| in animals. Cyclamate is unavailable in the US however | | | | Cantaloupe.29.0.....6.3 |
| it is available in Canada under the names of Sucryl®, | | | | Carrots...11.0.....2.2 |
| Sweet'N Low®, Sugar Twin® and Weight | | | | Celery....16.0.....1.8 |
| Watchers®. | | | | Cherry....52.0.....13.0 |
| Aspartame - also know as NutraSweet® and | | | | Corn......86.0.....6.3 |
| Equal® is made of two amino acids (phenylalanine | | | | Cucumber..12.0.....1.4 |
| and aspartic acid). There has been much controversy | | | | Eggplant..15.0.....1.7 |
| about aspartame causing cancer; however there is no | | | | Garlic....149.0....1.0 |
| specific scientific evidence reported to date. Many | | | | Grapefruit, pink.30.0.....6.6 |
| people have reported headaches and other reactions | | | | Grapes....64.0.....15.5 |
| attributed to its use. | | | | Kiwi......40.0.....8.8 |
| Sucralose - most widely known as Splenda® is | | | | Lemon.....12.0.....3.0 |
| found in a variety of reduced sugar foods and sold as | | | | Lettuce, leaf.15.0.....0.8 |
| a tabletop sweetener. Sucralose is derived from real | | | | Lime......37.0.....7.0 |
| sugar as part of the chemical process to make it, | | | | Mandarin..88.0.....9.5 |
| sugar molecules are attached to chlorine. So far, it has | | | | Mango.....60.0.....15.0 |
| not been associated with cancer in laboratory studies. | | | | Milk......61.0.....5.3 |
| Some people have reported they experience an after | | | | Nectarine.44.0.....7.9 |
| taste after consumption. | | | | Olive.....142.0....3.0 |
| Acesulfame K (potassium) - commonly sold under the | | | | Onion, sweet.32.0.....5.0 |
| name of Sunett® and recently can be found in | | | | Orange....47.0.....10.6 |
| many diet foods such as drinks, jams, baked goods, | | | | Papaya....32.0.....8.0 |
| candies and gum. As it is relatively new to the market | | | | Peach.....36.0.....7.9 |
| there is inadequate data to its cancer causing potential. | | | | Pear......47.0.....11.5 |
| Excessive consumption of potassium can lead to a | | | | Peas......81.0.....5.7 |
| fatal health condition; therefore beware of quantities | | | | Pepper, red bell.28.0.....6.0 |
| consumed on regular bases. | | | | Pineapple.50.0.....12.0 |
| Refined Sugars | | | | Pomegranate.81.0.....17.0 |
| Refined sugars can be listed in many different ways; | | | | Potato, with skin.70.0.....1.0 |
| here are just some of the common listings: brown | | | | Potato, sweet.86.0.....4.2 |
| sugar, granulated sugar, cane sugar, honey | | | | Plum......42.0.....9.6 |
| (pasteurized), rice syrup, maple syrup, corn syrup, corn | | | | Pumpkin...26.0.....1.4 |
| sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, | | | | Radishes..16.0.....1.9 |
| sucrose, concentrated fruit juice, tapioca syrup, | | | | Raspberries.52.0.....4.4 |
| glucose, crystalline fructose, lactose (pasteurized), | | | | Spinach...23.0.....0.4 |
| stevia, turbinado, sucanat and molasses. The caloric | | | | Squash, summer.16.0.....2.2 |
| content of refined sugars varies, based on product | | | | Squash, winter.34.0.....2.2 |
| base source and processing methods. Some sugars | | | | Strawberries.23.0.....5.1 |
| are refined very little, as in whole milk being heated to | | | | Tomato....11.0.....1.9 |
| be pasteurized, while other items are processed to a | | | | Turnip....28.0.....3.8 |
| much greater extent with chemicals and compounds | | | | Watermelon.36.0.....8.0 |
| added or deleted. Granular white sugar (commonly | | | | Yam.......118.0....0.5 |
| called table sugar) has approximately 15 calories per | | | | Diabetes tend to avoid excess sugar in order to |
| teaspoon and is processed most frequently from | | | | regulate blood sugars and opt to using more of the |
| sugar cane or sugar beets. | | | | artificial sweeteners, gastric bypass patients also use |
| Sugar alcohols - are commonly used in calorie reduced | | | | sweeteners in order to avoid excess sugar as it may |
| foods in combination with artificial sweeteners as they | | | | cause dumping syndrome. |
| have a lower sweetness taste. Sugar alcohols are | | | | The choice is yours; many people make their decisions |
| commonly known to have side effects including | | | | based on health issues and/or ecological convictions. |
| bloating, diarrhea and flatulence for many after | | | | No matter what your decision is, make sure it is an |
| prolonged use the side effects disappear. Sugar | | | | informed knowledgeable decision. |