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by Aline Lindemann We’re told to avoid sugar or even banish it from our diet, but let’s be realistic. It’s out there, we love it, and we’re going to have it. So, I propose a different approach: learn the facts, consider your own personal health needs, and make educated decisions. During this time of the year when sweet treats are in no short supply, we need all the help we can get.
 Sugar, typically harvested from sugar cane, has been used to sweeten foods and beverages for ages. During Medieval times, it flourished as a trade commodity and proved to be a critical ingredient in the preservation of food in the days before refrigeration. Sugar remains an essential ingredient in yeast dough and as a browning agent in baked goods. Its reputation as a harmless flavor enhancer has insured a relatively long and mostly trouble-free existence, with the exception of some pesky warnings from the dentist.
But those days are over. Thanks to more recent investigations into high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) and other sugar substitutes, sugar and its less processed version, evaporated cane juice, have come under greater scrutiny. Like fat in the 1990s and carbohydrates in the early 2000s, sugar is now under the microscope. Does it deserve a closer look?
Foods high in sugar have a high glycemic index. They cause a rise in blood sugar levels when they’re ingested, thereby triggering a rapid release of insulin. Frequent and excessive spikes in insulin levels are linked to diabetes, obesity, and high blood pressure, and according to the Institute of Medicine in Washington D.C., the prevalence of these health conditions are on the rise. Are sugar and HFCS to blame? 
The chart above may be hard to read on your display. Click here to see an enlarged version. In the early 1990’s, food and beverage manufacturers started using HFCS as an alternative to sugar. Its cheaper price allowed them to keep prices low and quantities high, and Americans ate it up. Recent studies maintain that HFCS and sugar have similar effects on the body and that both the increased prevalence of HFCS and our increased consumption of the sweet stuff are leading to our ill health and early demise.
So what about the alternatives? Sugar shortages during World War I prompted the introduction of saccharin to the mainstream market. The sweet tooth is a powerful motivator, but so is the scale. This led to saccharin’s popularity as a diet aide in the 1960s, but it was short-lived. Questions about cancer in rats led to a warning label requirement in the 1970s, and even though more than thirty human studies since then have found no such connection, the stigma remains.
Next on the scene was aspartame. Known by brand names Equal and NutraSweet, aspartame is derived via chemical alteration of naturally occurring amino acids. The process produces a crystal that is 200 times sweeter than sugar and is found in thousands of products, most notably soft drinks and yogurt. Consumers like its clean taste and even cleaner reputation for being a virtually risk-free sugar alternative. The biggest drawback is that it’s insufficient as a substitute for sugar in baking and cooking, and critics contend that the chemically processed product is artificial and unhealthful.
 There are other alternatives. Stevia, known mostly in natural food circles, comes from a plant that is related to marigold and celery. It was originally introduced to the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) in 1921 as an alternative sweetener for diabetics and, despite its natural origins, is still labeled as an “artificial sweetener” by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). It’s 200 to 300 times sweeter than sugar, has no calories, and doesn’t raise blood sugar levels. It isn’t likely to gain shelf space in the supermarket any time soon, though. Stevia has been “generally recognized as safe” by the FDA, but has not yet been deemed safe for consumption in large quantities, such as what would be needed for beverage companies to sweeten their products.
Sucralose, more commonly known by the brand name Splenda, is actually a sugar derivative produced by chemical alteration of sugar molecules. It is 600 times sweeter than sugar. Sucralose is found in a wide variety of products ranging from baked goods to fruit drinks. Like sugar, it has a clean, sweet taste. The Center for Science and the Public Interest considers it the safest sugar substitute available, and more than 100 studies have confirmed its harmlessness.
“I have used Splenda in cupcakes before,” says Beth Goldwater, pastry chef and owner of Bertha’s Café in Phoenix, “but the result, to me, was not as good as real sugar. However, for those who can’t eat the real deal, it’s a good substitute.”
And what about good old honey? Honey contains antioxidants and has been used for ages to treat everything from coughs and sore throats to immune system disorders. It’s plentiful, inexpensive, and completely natural, but has the same effect on blood sugar levels as sugar.
Chef Nancy Banner of The Holistic Kitchen uses agave nectar instead. “I advocate only natural sweeteners, period,” she says. “Among them, I like agave syrup the best because it has a very low glycemic index score, so it won’t contribute to insulin resistance.”
Agave syrup, the newest darling on the market, comes from the Blue Agave plant prevalent in Southern Mexico. It’s increasingly available to consumers who want a sweetener that tastes good, is 100 percent natural, and has no known negative health effects. It can be used in cooking and baking the same way that sugar can, and is 25 percent sweeter than sugar, so less is needed for added flavor.
Overall, we’d be wise to heed the advice that Chef Banner shares with her clients, who are mostly cancer patients and people who need to keep a close eye on their dietary intake. “Re-train your palate,” she says, “to appreciate the natural flavors of food without adding sweeteners.”
The next best thing? Follow the American Heart Institute recommendations to consume no more than six teaspoons of added sugar per day for women, and nine added teaspoons for men.
To find out how many teaspoonfuls of sugar are in a single serving of food, read food labels. You’ll find the answer where sugar grams are listed under “Total Carbohydrate.” Divide that number by four to find the number of teaspoons per serving. The average 12-ounce can of cola contains ten teaspoons of sugar, while one cup of vanilla ice cream tops out at nine teaspoons, a toaster pastry has four, and that cereal bar isn’t much better at three teaspoons of added sugar per bar. A candy cane? Two teaspoons of sugar—less than what some of us eat for breakfast.
Maybe a closer look is a good idea after all.
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