Unrefined Cane Sugar or High Fructose Corn Syrup? The Sweetener Debate.
We all enjoy our beverages on daily basis whether its a soda, energy drink or some new functional beverage. While most of us do not check the ingredient list to see what sweeteners are used in our favorite drink, maybe we should. Do all natural drinks only use pure cane sugar? Is high fructose corn syrup really that bad? While the debate between the type of sweeteners has increased as to their safety we should start by understanding their differences and/or similarities?
What is Pure Cane Sugar?
Pure Cane Sugar is sugar that has undergone less processing and is often more brown in color than Refined Sugar (the white stuff, also known as Table Sugar). You often find Pure Cane Sugar in health food stores and the Natural aisles in your grocery stores. While Pure Cane Sugar (or Dehydrated Cane Juice) can definitely not be described as being good for you because it is a sweetener, on a scale of bad to less bad, Pure Cane Sugar is one of the better sweeteners you can choose. Because of this, Pure Cane Sugar is often included as the sweetener in beverages that carry the label Natural.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
The use of high fructose syrup, also known as HFCS, has skyrocketed in recent years because of its wide availability and cost efficiency. It is comprised primarily of corn syrup that has been stripped down and heavily processed to increase the fructose content. This leaves it with a taste that is far sweeter than that of regular cane sugar, thereby allowing much smaller quantities to be used. It also has a longer shelf life than sugar, especially all natural cane sugar which contains no preservatives to extend its use. This makes high fructose syrup very attractive to manufacturers of nearly all food products, especially beverage companies.
If you check food labels, you will find high fructose corn syrup in everything from soda, juice, drink mix, yogurt, canned goods, and nearly anything else found on super market shelves. Even items that are labeled as all natural can often be found containing high fructose corn syrup. Whats the problem? Since HFCS is heavily processed and laden with chemically based preservatives, it is really anything but natural.
Heated debates regarding the safety of high fructose corn syrup have been waged by many health organizations, primarily because it is believed HFCS may be a huge contributor in the current obesity epidemic. This is because high fructose corn syrup is processed differently by the body than sugar, and due to its unnatural composition, causes the brain to fail to recognize a feeling of fullness. This results in overeating when consuming products which contain HFCS, and because so many products have this sweetener in them, its hard to know which foods are safe. It is also theorized that HFCS may cause the body to produce more fat than usual, resulting in weight gain.
Of course there are other studies saying that HFCS is just the same as table sugar in the effect it has on the body and doesnt contribute to obesity any more than sugar. And again, it is important to remember that sweeteners overall, whether its High Fructose Corn Syrup, Pure Cane Sugar, or any other sweetener, arent the best for your body, especially in large amounts. After all, The World Health Organization recommends that only 10% of your daily calories come from sugar. Based on the average 2,000 calorie diet, thats only 50 grams of sugar per day you should be ingesting, and less is preferable!
Acesulfame Potassium or Ace-K
One of the less talked about sweeteners in the Sweetener Debate is Acesulfame potassium, also known as Ace K. Ace K is a calorie free sweetener along the same lines of aspartame and sucralose. Many diet sodas and other diet beverages contain Ace K as a sweetener because it enables them to give their products a sweet taste without additional calories.
In many products, like soft drinks, Ace K is used along with other 0 calorie sweeteners like sucralose or aspartame because the blend of these sweeteners makes a more palatable taste than any one of them used alone.
Ace-K and similar products are especially beneficial to diabetics because they do not raise blood sugar the way sugar does. They also do not contribute to tooth decay. However, despite these benefits, all artificial sweeteners should be used in moderation.
In the end, while one sweetener may seem to have less negative effects than another, any sweetener is best when consumed sparingly. Most importantly though, read the labels on the products that you buy, so that regardless of the sweetener in the beverage you choose, you can monitor how much sweetener of any kind youre putting in your system. - 17273
What is Pure Cane Sugar?
Pure Cane Sugar is sugar that has undergone less processing and is often more brown in color than Refined Sugar (the white stuff, also known as Table Sugar). You often find Pure Cane Sugar in health food stores and the Natural aisles in your grocery stores. While Pure Cane Sugar (or Dehydrated Cane Juice) can definitely not be described as being good for you because it is a sweetener, on a scale of bad to less bad, Pure Cane Sugar is one of the better sweeteners you can choose. Because of this, Pure Cane Sugar is often included as the sweetener in beverages that carry the label Natural.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
The use of high fructose syrup, also known as HFCS, has skyrocketed in recent years because of its wide availability and cost efficiency. It is comprised primarily of corn syrup that has been stripped down and heavily processed to increase the fructose content. This leaves it with a taste that is far sweeter than that of regular cane sugar, thereby allowing much smaller quantities to be used. It also has a longer shelf life than sugar, especially all natural cane sugar which contains no preservatives to extend its use. This makes high fructose syrup very attractive to manufacturers of nearly all food products, especially beverage companies.
If you check food labels, you will find high fructose corn syrup in everything from soda, juice, drink mix, yogurt, canned goods, and nearly anything else found on super market shelves. Even items that are labeled as all natural can often be found containing high fructose corn syrup. Whats the problem? Since HFCS is heavily processed and laden with chemically based preservatives, it is really anything but natural.
Heated debates regarding the safety of high fructose corn syrup have been waged by many health organizations, primarily because it is believed HFCS may be a huge contributor in the current obesity epidemic. This is because high fructose corn syrup is processed differently by the body than sugar, and due to its unnatural composition, causes the brain to fail to recognize a feeling of fullness. This results in overeating when consuming products which contain HFCS, and because so many products have this sweetener in them, its hard to know which foods are safe. It is also theorized that HFCS may cause the body to produce more fat than usual, resulting in weight gain.
Of course there are other studies saying that HFCS is just the same as table sugar in the effect it has on the body and doesnt contribute to obesity any more than sugar. And again, it is important to remember that sweeteners overall, whether its High Fructose Corn Syrup, Pure Cane Sugar, or any other sweetener, arent the best for your body, especially in large amounts. After all, The World Health Organization recommends that only 10% of your daily calories come from sugar. Based on the average 2,000 calorie diet, thats only 50 grams of sugar per day you should be ingesting, and less is preferable!
Acesulfame Potassium or Ace-K
One of the less talked about sweeteners in the Sweetener Debate is Acesulfame potassium, also known as Ace K. Ace K is a calorie free sweetener along the same lines of aspartame and sucralose. Many diet sodas and other diet beverages contain Ace K as a sweetener because it enables them to give their products a sweet taste without additional calories.
In many products, like soft drinks, Ace K is used along with other 0 calorie sweeteners like sucralose or aspartame because the blend of these sweeteners makes a more palatable taste than any one of them used alone.
Ace-K and similar products are especially beneficial to diabetics because they do not raise blood sugar the way sugar does. They also do not contribute to tooth decay. However, despite these benefits, all artificial sweeteners should be used in moderation.
In the end, while one sweetener may seem to have less negative effects than another, any sweetener is best when consumed sparingly. Most importantly though, read the labels on the products that you buy, so that regardless of the sweetener in the beverage you choose, you can monitor how much sweetener of any kind youre putting in your system. - 17273
About the Author:
Imbibe is an industry leading developer of high quality private label beverages. To learn more about Imbibe visit http://www.imbibeinc.com
posted by X - Men at
7:58 AM
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