So, I must say on my quest to find out about SUGAR in its Sugar Cane form and Sugar Cane’s GI, I came across ALL the sweeteners and their GI (GLYCEMIC INDEX) value.
You definitely want to stay below 50 if possible for ALL Foods to avoid insulin (THE FAT STORING HORMONE) from leaving its ever so cute fat deposits.
However, I would definitely say you want to read the side notes for each thing – VERY informative and HARD TO FIND INFO!!
I am really liking STEVIA as an option and want to find it someplace. I have heard RAVING reviews from friends about how beneficial it is not only as a sweetener but as a plant in general.
And I stand corrected that the REAL GI for RAW Honey is not 60 but a mere 30!!!! THAT is PRETTY SWEET…pun intended!
And my sister and I were talking about “Why God created SUGAR” last night.
Well, as you will read, he didn’t create what we commonly know TODAY as sugar!! Here is the rundown (make sure you check out Maltodextrin – YIKES!!):
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Artificial Sweeteners
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N/A
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Never a Healthy Sugar Alternative All artificial chemical sweeteners are toxic and can indirectly lead to weight gain, the very reason many people consume them. They should be avoided. In fact, given a choice between high fructose corn syrup and artificial sweeteners, we recommend high fructose corn syrup by far (though it’s essentially asking if you should consume poison or worse poison). |
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Stevia
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0
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Best Healthy Sugar Alternative Though it is 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar, stevia is not a sugar. Unlike other popular sweeteners, it has a glycemic index rating of less than 1 and therefore does not feed candida (yeast) or cause any of the numerous other problems associated with sugar consumption. Read more about stevia at Organic Lifestyle Magazine (OLM). Please note that Stevia and Truvia are not the same thing. |
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Agave Nectar
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15-30
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A sweet syrup made from the Blue Agave plant, Agave Nectar is obtained by the extraction and purification of “sap” from the agave plant, which is broken down by natural enzymes into the monosaccharides (simple sugars): mainly fructose (70-75%) and dextrose (20-26%). Read more about agave nectar at OLM. |
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Fructose
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17
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Though fructose has a low glycemic index rating, fructose consumption should be limited. Fructose is linked to heart disease as it raises triglycerides and cholesterol. It is devoid of nutrition. |
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Brown Rice Syrup
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25
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Though it is said to have a low glycemic index (25), it is not recommended for diabetics, since its sweetness comes from maltose, which is known to cause spikes in blood sugar. |
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Raw Honey
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30
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A Healthy Sugar Alternative in moderation With antioxidants, minerals, vitamins, amino acids, enzymes, carbohydrates, and phytonutrients, raw, unprocessed honey is considered a superfood by many alternative health care practitioners and a remedy for many health ailments. Choose your honey wisely. There is nothing beneficial about processed honey. Read more about honey at OLM. |
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Apple Juice
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40
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Fresh apple juice is good for you, though we recommend eating fresh raw whole apples. Concentrated apple juice (sometimes used as a sweetener) is closer to refined sugar than fresh apple juice. |
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Barley Malt Syrup
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42
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Barley malt syrup is considered to be one of the healthiest sweeteners in the natural food industry. Barley malt is made by soaking and sprouting barley to make malt, then combining it with more barley and cooking this mixture until the starch is converted to sugar. The mash is then strained and cooked down to syrup or dried into powder. |
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Amasake
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43
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This is an ancient, Oriental whole grain sweetener made from cultured brown rice. It has a thick, pudding-like consistency. It’s not easy to find in the U.S., but it is a great alternative to refined table sugar. |
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Sugar Cane Juice
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43
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Healthy Sugar Alternative in moderation |
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Organic Sugar
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47
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Organic sugar comes from sugar cane grown without the use of chemicals or pesticides. It is usually darker than traditional white sugar because it contains some molasses. (It has not been processed to the degree white sugar is processed). |
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Maple Syrup
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54
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Maple syrup is made by boiling sap collected from natural growth maple trees during March & April. It is refined sap and is therefore processed. It has a high glycemic index, and though it is much more nutritious then refined table sugar and high fructose corn syrup, there are better choices. |
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Evaporated Cane Juice
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55
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Evaporated cane juice is often considered unrefined sugar, but juicing is a refining process, and evaporating refines further. Though better than turbinado, cane juice (unevaporated) is a better choice as a sweetener. |
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Black Strap Molasses
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55
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White refined table sugar is sugar cane with all the nutrition taken out. Black strap molasses is all of that nutrition that was taken away. A quality organic (must be organic!) molasses provides iron, calcium, copper, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium and zinc, and is alkalizing to the body. |
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Turbinado
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65
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Turbinado sugar is partially processed sugar, also called raw sugar. Raw Sugar |
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Raw sugar
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65
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Raw sugar is not actually raw sugar. It is processed, though not as refined as common white table sugar. Therefore, given a choice between raw and white, choose raw. There are many different variations of raw sugar with many different names depending on how refined it is. |
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Cola (and most other sodas)
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70
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Though cola has a lower GI ranking then some might expect, there are many other reasons to avoid cola, or any type of soda. There is nothing beneficial to the human body inside a can of soda (not to mention we should avoid drinking out of aluminum cans!). |
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Corn Syrup
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75
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Corn syrup has very little nutrition and should be avoided. |
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Refined, Pasteurized Honey
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75
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The nutrition is gone, and there is often high fructose corn syrup added to processed honey. Refined pasteurized honey is no better than white table sugar. |
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Refined Table Sugar
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80
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Conventionally grown, chemically processed, and striped of all beneficial properties, many health advocates believe that refined sugar is one of the two leading causes (high fructose corn syrup is the other) of nearly every health ailment known to man (or woman or child). Not only does it have a high GI ranking, but it also is extremely acidic which causes calcium and other mineral depletion from bones and organs. |
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High Fructose Corn Syrup
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87
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Many health advocates believe that high fructose corn syrup and refined sugar are the two biggest contributors to health ailments in our society. High fructose corn syrup is a combination of sucrose and fructose. |
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Glucose (AKA Dextrose)
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100
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White bread was the benchmark, but for consistency glucose now holds the rating at 100. |
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Maltodextrin
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150
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Foods that have maltodextrin often say “Low Sugar” or “Complex Carbohydrate”, but this sweetener should be avoided! |
Thanks for the info, Bonnie – very interesting… I’d have to agree that hfcs and white sugar are two of the three major culprits of the disastrous health situation this country is in – the third is hydrogenated fats. I have thought for a long time that if we just eliminated these things from the American diet, that things would get much better.
I really love Stevia – I use it quite a bit, and have for many years. It is a little bit tricky to use, as it can have a really bitter, nasty aftertaste if you use too much (which is easy to do, since it is so potent). I find that the best way to use it is in conjunction with something that has a natural sweetness, and usually with a small amount of honey or agave nectar, too. When you use it in conjunction with the stevia, the glycemic impact is quite low. I make homemade ice cream or cheesecake this way, and it turns out really well. I have deven serve these things to guests, and they can’t tell – but I’d play around with it and test it out on your own family first, as there is a learning curve…
Good to know about the aftertaste. I just went and got some in powder form from Trader Joe’s today. ONLY TO FIND OUT – if you get the brand there in packets, they combine Stevia with …duh duh..MALTODEXTRIN – which is the mother of all GI at 150. So the 1 oz container is the one to go for.
And I did get some raw honey I will be combining that with – THANKS MUCH for the tip!
Wow Bonnie, this was awesome!!!! I’ve sort of fallen off the blogging planet, but I’m hoping to get back on this week. I haven’t forgotten about our post swap! I love all the info about the different sugars…I had no idea!
What do you think of Xylitol? It’s natural, it’s great for your teeth and gums. It’s sweet…