Selected Sweeteners
| SWEETENER |
NATURAL SOURCE |
CALORIES? |
PROS |
CONS |
| Table Sugar (Sucrose) |
Sugar cane or sugar beets. |
Yes. |
- Very sweet
- enhances baking process.
|
- Empty calorie source.
- Causes fast and high rise in blood sugar.
- Promotes tooth decay.
|
| Glucose |
Naturally occurring sugar. The broken down form of
carbohydrates. |
Yes. |
- Good sweetening capability.
|
- Causes fast and high rise in blood sugar.
- Promotes tooth decay.
|
| Fructose |
Fruit and Honey. |
Yes. |
- Doesn't require insulin initially to enter cells.
|
- No help in weight control.
- May aggravate high blood levels of triglycerides.
- Promotes tooth decay.
|
| High-Fructose Corn Syrup |
Liquid sweetener containing 42-90% fructose. |
Yes. |
|
- Similar effects as sucrose and fructose.
|
| Honey |
A natural syrup made up of glucose, fructose and
water. |
Yes. |
|
- High glucose content.
- Promotes tooth decay.
|
| Sorbitol, Mannitol, and Xylitol |
Naturally occuring sugar alcohols. |
Yes. |
- May be absorbed into blood more slowly than glucose or
sucrose.
- Does not promote tooth decay.
|
- Some may not have a high tolerance.
|
| Aspartame |
A combination of two amino acids: Aspartic acid,
and Phenylalanine |
No. |
- No aftertaste.
- Does not promote tooth decay.
|
- Loses sweetness in cooking or baking.
|
| Acesulfame K |
White, odorless crystals derived from acetoacetic
acid. |
No. |
- No aftertaste.
- Useful in cooking and baking.
- Does not promote tooth decay.
|
- Not as good as sugar in baking
|
| Saccharin |
Chemically similar to acesulfame K |
No. |
- Fair sweetening capability.
- Does not promote tooth decay.
|
- Bitter aftertaste.
- Does not bake well.
|
