* Crossposted from: COOKING


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     Title: A Buyer's Guide To Sugar Substitutes Pt 3
Categories: Info, Diabetic, Sugar
  Servings: 1 info file

           sugar info                               

Take note: The body absorbs xylitol but not fully—that's why the
sweetener provides 2 calories per serving and also why it causes
digestive problems for some people. People trying to control glucose
levels shouldn't eat foods containing xylitol with abandon. The
American Diabetes Association advises people with diabetes to count
half of sugar alcohol grams as carbohydrates. Studies show that
xylitol, which is often added to gums and mints, may also help
reduce cavities by reducing acid in the mouth. Xylitol is very toxic
to dogs.

Our taste test: Tasters rated the sweetness level as "very
acceptable" with only a few detecting a mild, yet not unpleasant,
aftertaste in hot and cold tea. The sweetness rated well in baked
cookies but most described the appearance and texture of the cookies
as unappealing and too soft.

Erythritol (ZSweet, Sun Crystals)

Sold as a "tabletop sweetener" (packets used mostly to sweeten
beverages)

Commonly added to packaged foods and beverages

Heat-stable; can be used for baking

What is it? Naturally found in melons and pears, erythritol is
another sugar alcohol. The body fully absorbs erythritol (unlike
xylitol) but can't break it down, so it provides (virtually) no
calories and does not produce a glycemic response.

Sweetness factor: 60 to 80 percent as sweet as sugar

Take note: Because it's absorbed, erythritol is less likely to cause
gastric distress than xylitol. In Sun Crystals, erythritol is
combined with cane sugar for a product that delivers 4 calories per
teaspoon and registers a slight glycemic response.

Our taste test: In hot and cold tea, ZSweet and Sun Crystals earned
good to excellent sweetness scores. Cookies baked with ZSweet
received poor scores for texture and appearance and had mixed
ratings for overall sweetness. Tasters also noted an unexpected cool
sensation when eating the cookies. Sun Crystals is not currently
available in a baking product.

Stevia (SweetLeaf Stevia Plus, OnlySweet)

Sold as a "tabletop sweetener" (packets used mostly to sweeten
beverages)

Commonly added to packaged foods and beverages

Heat-stable; can be used for baking

What is it? A concentrated powder made by extracting a sweet-tasting
compound, steviol glycosides, from the leaves of Stevia rebaudiana, a
plant native to South America. Commercially, stevia is sold as a
liquid or a powder that is combined with bulking agents: often
inulin, a soluble fiber, or maltodextrin, a sugar.

Sweetness factor: 300 x sugar

Take note: Since the FDA has not approved its use as a food
additive, stevia is sold only as a dietary supplement in the United
States. However, in the interest of launching a line of "natural"
diet drinks next year, the Coca-Cola Company and Cargill are
expected to petition the FDA to re-examine the safety science on
stevia. Stevia itself does not raise blood sugar neither does
inulin but maltodextrin does, so people concerned about blood
glucose levels should read ingredient labels carefully.

Our taste test: The overall sweetness of stevia rated well in hot
and cold tea, but most detected an unpleasant aftertaste that one
taster described as "corroded tin can." The sweetness, texture and
appearance of the cookies sweetened with stevia were "unacceptable."


From: Mignonne
 
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Cheers

YK Jim


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