| Sugar from milk and fruit sources, for | | | | or other foods. However, if it is |
| instance, should not exceed 10% of total | | | | difficult to make it through the day |
| kcalories. Concentrated refined sugars | | | | without a pudding, for example, choose |
| (e.g., table sugar) should be limited as | | | | one made with skim milk and a sweetener |
| much as possible. The objective is to | | | | than a high-fat, high-sugar type. |
| look for other names on food packaging | | | | Sugar Substitute Sweeteners |
| that are sugars, including corn syrup, | | | | Nutritive Sweeteners |
| dextrose, sucrose, corn sweeteners, | | | | Fructose - Found in fruits, honey, and |
| glucose, fructose, lactose, honey, | | | | some sweet vegetables. Fuctose absorbs |
| molasses, maple sugar, maple syrup, | | | | more slowly in the GI tract than glucose |
| sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltose, or | | | | and metabolizes directly in the liver |
| anything with 'sugar' in the name, e.g., | | | | independent of insulin. Large intakes of |
| confectioner's sugar, or invert sugar. | | | | 70+ grams per day can cause diarrhea. |
| The next step would be to reduce or | | | | Sorbitol - A sugar alcohol found mainly |
| replace simple sugars with these | | | | in plants and used in confectioneries |
| suggestions: | | | | (candy), gum, toothpaste, and diabetic |
| Reduce sugar in recipes. Even with a | | | | desserts. After absorption, sorbitol |
| vast reduction of up to 20% or more, | | | | oxidizes into fructose. Sorbitol results |
| many recipes taste the same. With some | | | | in a slower, less pronounced rise in |
| recipes half the sugar can be | | | | blood glucose than sugar. More than 10 |
| substituted with an equal portion of a | | | | grams per day may result in diarrhea. |
| sweet spice, such as cinnamon, fennel, | | | | Xylitol - A compound derived from wood |
| cardamom, allspice, anise, and ginger. | | | | sugar. It causes the least harm to teeth |
| Many breakfast cereals contain high | | | | of all nutritive sweeteners. Does not |
| percentages of sugar. Look for those | | | | increase blood glucose levels. Intake of |
| that do not have added sugar and top the | | | | more than 30 grams per day may result in |
| cereal with fruit if necessary and | | | | diarrhea. Also, it may be associated |
| preferred. | | | | with bladder stones and tumors. |
| Substitute fruit juices for fruit | | | | Artificial Sweeteners |
| drinks, soft drinks, punches, and other | | | | Acesulfame K - A synthetic sweetener |
| liquids that contain high amounts of | | | | that is very stable in heat. Marketed as |
| sugar. | | | | Sweet One, Sunette, or Sun Sweet |
| If substituting sugars, be aware that | | | | Tabletop. |
| there are two types of sweeteners or | | | | Aspartame - Best known as NutraSweet, it |
| sugar substitutes. The first type is a | | | | is found mainly in soft drinks, gums, |
| class of nutritive sweeteners that | | | | pudding mixes, and other foods. It |
| absorb slower than sucrose, they do not | | | | consists of amino acids that break down |
| promote dental caries, and they do | | | | in the GI tract, then it absorbs and |
| contain kcalories. The second is a class | | | | metabolizes. It has a very low nutrient |
| of artificial sweeteners that do not | | | | and caloric value. |
| contain kcalories, and they are safe for | | | | Saccharin - Better known as Sweet'n Low, |
| use for diabetics and calorie reduced | | | | Nutra-diet, and Sugar Twin, Saccharin is |
| diets. | | | | used primarily in soft drinks and canned |
| Using sugar substitutes (especially | | | | fruit. It neither metabolizes or stores |
| artificial sweeteners) should not give | | | | in the body, but excretes in the urine. |
| people license to consume large amounts | | | | Saccharin has a bitter aftertaste, is |
| of these products simply because they | | | | low in kcalories, and may be a possible |
| are low in kcalories. They also tend to | | | | carcinogen. |
| be low in other nutrient values and it | | | | Sucralose - Available only in Canada to |
| is unclear what medical conditions can | | | | date. It contains no kcalories and is |
| arise from over-consumption. Hence, | | | | derived from sugar. It is used in |
| these products should not be a | | | | cooking and baking. |
| substitute for fresh fruits, vegetables, | | | | |