Skinny on Sugar Part 4

***This is not intended for medical advice.   

Always seek advice from a medical professional before making any changes to your diet.
 

Here is a chart I created to help people better understand Sugar and Alternatives by Glycemic Index*
Please do not reproduce without permission.

Sugar	GI	Comments/Notes
Artificial Sugars	N/A	Items such as: Saccharin, Aspartame, Sucralose These are never a good idea to use.  They are know to be cancer causing in animals and studies have shown they lead to weight gain.    Please avoid.
Stevia	0	This is one of your best bets.  It is about 200-400 times sweeter then table sugar.  However, when using it, it can leave a slight bitter aftertaste and recipes must be altered when using it for sweetener.  Derived from leaves of a shrub.
Erythritol	0	Erythritol is said to be between 70 – 100 percent as sweet as table sugar.  It is a sugar alcohol with a slight cooling affect in the mouth.  It is often corn derived in this country.  It can have a laxative effect for some people.  It has almost zero calories.  It can be used to bake, but does not dissolve well in liquids.
Xylitol	7	Is a sugar alcohol. Can be used cup for cup.  Is either corn or birch bark derived.  Can be useful in fighting cavities in mouth rinse, chewing gum, and toothpaste.  May have a laxative effect for some people and can leave a cooling effect in your mouth.
Agave	15-30	Agave is a syrup derived from the Blue Agave plant.   Not recommended due to lack of industry standards and the fact that it is almost all fructose (hard on your body to utilize)
Fructose	17	While this looks like a great low number, it is not recommended.  Fructose lacks the nutrition and benefits of other sugars.  It is linked to raising triglycerides and cholesterol levels.
Raw Honey	30	If you can tolerate some sugar, this is a great bet.  Raw honey contains minerals, vitamins, phytonutrients, amino acids, enzymes and antioxidants.  Raw honey is superfood that can help with seasonal allergies, infections, sore throats, and more.  Local raw honey is preferred.
Coconut Palm Sugar	35	Made from the sap/flowers of coconut trees, also comes in a syrup.  Has little fructose.  Replaces cup for cup.  Tastes more similar to brown sugar.  Great for baking.  Has key vitamins, minerals, and phytonutrients.
Apple Juice	40	Fresh squeezed, not concentrate.
Rapadura/Sucanat	47	Sugar cane juice is mechanically extracted, then heated and cooled until tiny brown crystals form. The brown comes from the 13% molasses content.  It contains less sucrose than table sugar (88 percent and 99 percent, respectively).
Evaporated Cane Sugar	55	Is essentially a finer, lighter-colored version of Turbinado sugar. Still less refined than table sugar, it also contains some trace nutrients (that regular sugar does not), including vitamin B2. In Europe, it’s known as “unrefined sugar
Maple Syrup	54	Made from the sap of trees.  Contains nutrients and has beneficial properties.  However, it is higher on the GI scale.
Molasses	55	Molasses is all the GOOD things taken out of sugar when it is refined.  An organic molasses will contain iron, zinc, potassium, calcium, magnesium and other nutrients.  It is consider an alkalinizing agent for the body.
Turbinado	65	After the sugarcane is pressed to extract the juice, the juice is then boiled, cooled, and allowed to crystallize into granules (like sucanat, above). Next, these granules are refined to a light tan color by washing them in a centrifuge to remove impurities and surface molasses. Turbinado is lighter in color and contains less molasses than both Rapadura and sucanat. A popular brand-name of Turbinado sugar is Sugar in the Raw, which can be found in most natural food stores, and even in single-serve packets at coffee shops. Cooking notes: Replaces sugar 1:1. Turbinado is a great substitute for brown sugar.
Raw Sugar	65	Widely varies in quality.  Is a processed sugar, but a better choice then white sugar.
Corn syrup	75	Nothing nutritious in this sugar.  However, people with a fructose intolerance, with may be the only sweetener they can tolerate.  Avoid.
Refined honey	75	Nutrition is gone.  Nothing beneficial in refined honey.
Refined Table Sugar	80	Also to be avoided.  Processed, stripped of anything beneficial.  Also very acidic this is detrimental to the body, strips body of calcium.
Brown Rice Syrup	85	Brown Rice Syrup is a great substitute for corn syrup.  However it is not recommended for diabetics.  Its sweetness comes from maltose, which causes spikes in blood sugar.
HFCS	87	Is a combination of fructose and sucrose.  Avoid at all costs.
Maltodextrin	150	Sweetener and filler used in processed foods, made from rice, corn, potato or wheat starches.
Do Not Reproduce or copy without expressed or written permission		This chart was designed and researched by Nicole Ott and posted at 3boys4mama.blogspot.com

*GI is the amount of glucose released by a food over a 2-3 hour period.


 Part 1, Part 2 , Part 3, Part 5, Part 6

  ***As a reminder, I am not a doctor, dietitian or nutritionist.  However, I did have a nutritionist look it over for accuracy.  Always consult with a medical professional before changing or modifying your diet