Other Sweeteners to Consider: Fructose, Xylitol, and Sucanat

By Amy Campbell Last week we looked at two sweeteners that you may not be using but that are growing in popularity. This week, let's look at a couple more. Crystalline fructose Fructose has been in the news a lot, thanks to the controversy about high-fructose corn syrup and possible (but as yet unproven) harmful side effects. Fructose is a natural sugar found in fruits, vegetables, and honey. It's about twice as sweet as table sugar. It's not the same thing as high-fructose corn syrup, however. While both of these sweeteners are usually made from corn, crystalline fructose, which is in the form of a fine, white powder, is processed to make it nearly 100% pure fructose. High-fructose corn syrup is 55% fructose and 45% glucose. Like agave nectar, crystalline fructose has a low glycemic index of 22. Food manufacturers have started to use this sweetener in baked goods, frozen foods, candy, and beverages, as it is inexpensive and also provides flavor and texture. One tablespoon of crystalline fructose contains about 45 calories and 12 grams of carbohydrate, roughly the same as regular sugar. But because this is a very sweet product, you likely would end up using less for the same amount of sweetness. Is crystalline fructose safe to use? Well, we know that fructose does not require insulin to be metabolized, or processed, unlike other types of sugars. And because of its low glycemic index, the impact on blood glucose is likely less (although keep in mind that other sources of car...
Source: Diabetes Self-Management - Category: Diabetes Authors: Source Type: blogs