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Sweetness without sugar

The most important caution about sugar and your health is its role in tooth decay, if we aren't careful to brush and floss. When used in moderation, table sugar, maple syrup, brown or "raw" sugar, honey, or corn syrup can all add enjoyment to healthy eating, by improving the colour, flavour and texture of many healthy food choices.

Sugars do provide food energy (calories). A number of artificial or "high intensity" sweeteners have been developed to add sweetness without extra calories like saccharin, aspartame, cyclamates (NutraSweet TM, Equal TM), and sucralose. These are all much sweeter than table sugar, and are used in tiny amounts in foods. These sweeteners are extensively tested as food additives. There are some cautions when using artificial sweeteners, for example:

• Aspartame contains an amino acid (protein building-block) called phenylalanine. People with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare genetic condition, must restrict the amount of phenylalanine they eat and should avoid using aspartame.
• Acesulfame potassium, one of the newer artificial sweeteners may cause problems for people who are on a potassium-restricted diet or sulfa-antibiotic drugs.

Another group of sweeteners that sometimes replace sugars in foods are sugar alcohols. These include sorbitol, mannitol and xylitol, that are made from fruit and vegetables. These sugar alcohols affect tooth decay and blood sugar levels less than regular sugars, and some of them contain fewer calories than regular sugars. However, they still do provide some calories, and in large amounts they may have a laxative effect, so they are only used in small amounts in products like chewing gums, mints and cough syrups.

Conclusion

As a part of a healthy eating plan, sugars and sweeteners can safely add enjoyment to healthy eating. Whether we're talking about children or adults, it's all about balance by choosing foods from the four basic food groups to Healthy Eating and indulging in treats that makes eating one of the greatest pleasure of life.