The Dish on Sugar and Sweeteners

(I wrote this article originally to be published on paleochix.com, but here it is for your reading enjoyment.)

I get a TON of questions about sugar and sweeteners. Most people just want to know which are okay to eat and which are bad. But, of course, I can’t just say “eat this, not that” without some kind of explanation behind it. I could probably write about 10 posts on this topic, but for now I’m going to boil it down to a few key points.
(Click to download my PDF guide to Sugar & Sweeteners.)

1. ALL sweeteners, caloric or non-caloric, can contribute to weight-gain or prohibit weight loss.

2. Sweeteners that come from nature are always better to consume than those that come from a lab or factory.

3. Regardless of the source, it’s ALWAYS best to minimize your exposure to sweeteners.

Now, allow me to explain these points in some further detail. For those of you who don’t really care about the details, click on the PDF icon to the right there and just grab my guide to sweeteners and which I consider okay vs. those you should avoid entirely.

1. ALL sweeteners, caloric or non-caloric, can contribute to weight-gain or prohibit weight loss.

Contrary to the popular belief that only calories can impact your waistline, there is strong evidence to suggest otherwise. Studies have shown that any sweet sensation can cause an insulin release in your body. When our bodies release insulin, we are in a storage-mode since insulin’s job is to put nutrients into your cells. Most people who consume artificial sweeteners are thinking that they’re doing themselves a favor by avoiding calories, but what’s happening in their bodies is pretty much the opposite of their goal.

Here’s how it goes…

Eat something sweet (regardless of calories) > Insulin is released > Body stores nutrients.

Correct me if I’m wrong, but when you were taking in that non-caloric sweetener, you were trying to avoid storing anything, right? The point was that you were avoiding consuming calories and maybe even trying to lose some body fat. Well, here’s the newsflash. It’s just not going to work. Granted, there are some people out there who are not overweight and who consume non-caloric/chemical sweeteners. Maybe they’re not having the same weight loss problems that others are, but they are still going to incur negative effects of putting those chemicals into their system.

But don’t take my word for it. Here are just a few of the studies published on the topic of the metabolic effects and insulin response resulting from the consumption of artificial sweeteners:

Medscape article: “Use of Artificial Sweeteners Linked to 2-Fold Increase in Diabetes”

Pubmed article: “The effect of artificial sweetener on insulin secretion. 1. The effect of acesulfame K on insulin secretion in the rat (studies in vivo).”

Medical News Today: “Artificial Sweeteners Could Make You Gain Weight, Study”

Or, if you’re like me and enjoy hearing smart people like Robb Wolf talk about these things in regular terms, give a few of The Paleolithic Solution Podcasts a listen. The following are episodes and time markers where you can hear some info from Robb (yes, I’m geeked-out on this stuff enough to locate these clips in the podcasts):

Episode 15, 22:30

Episode 21, 34:30

Episode 22, 41:40

Besides negative metabolic effects, artificial sweeteners have been identified as the cause of a litany of health problems including but not limited to:

migraines and headaches

dizziness / poor equilibrium

convulsions and seizures

nausea and vomiting

fatigue and weakness

change in mood

change in vision

change in heart rate

diarrhea

joint pain

memory loss

sleep problems / insomnia

hives / rash

Source: Mercola.com

I don’t know about you, but if I were suffering from any of the above symptoms, I’m not sure that I’d be able to keep myself on the healthiest eating plan. So besides having the above-listed negative side-effects, the ramifications from the consumption of artificial sweeteners can be very far-reaching. For more on the subject, I would recommend checking out dorway.com and mercola.com and searching through some articles.

2. Sweeteners that come from nature are always better to consume than those that come from a lab or factory.

I think it’s really easy to fall for hype and marketing when it comes to the latest and greatest in the world of what Robb Wolf likes to call “better living through chemistry.” Unfortunately, chemical sweeteners are not what he’s talking about there. The bottom line: ANYTHING that comes from nature will ALWAYS be better for you than something that was made in a lab or a factory. Period. I don’t care if it’s a fist full of honey vs a teaspoon of Splenda – give me the honey!  


Non-chemical sweeteners include:

honey* (raw or regular- raw is ideal for non-cooked items)

maple syrup (real/organic/grade b)*

molasses

date sugar*, palm sugar, coconut sugar

fruit juice

cane sugar

green leaf stevia* (a few dried leaves can be steeped in tea or coffee)

* denotes my top choices for sweeteners that are okay to use in moderation – get organic whenever possible

We can also classify things like high fructose corn syrup (HFCS), agave and brown rice syrup as non-chemical sweeteners.  Non-chemical sweeteners are not necessarily “healthy,” it simply means that they’re refined from something that was found in nature and are not made from chemicals. Typically, non-chemical sweeteners can be metabolized by our bodies while chemical sweeteners cannot and are considered toxins within our system. As with all toxins that enter our system, they are stored in our fat cells.

Chemical sweeteners include:

Aspartame (branded as Equal)

Saccharin

Stevia that is white (branded as Truvia and Sun Crystals currently)

Sucralose (branded as Splenda)

and a new one that will be available soon called Tagatose.

ALL CHEMICAL SWEETENERS SHOULD BE AVOIDED ENTIRELY!

3. Regardless of the source, it’s ALWAYS best to minimize your exposure to sweeteners.

Be a sweetener detective!

Check the total carbohydrate grams in the food, then check the sugar grams- remember that 4g of sugar is 1tsp 

Look for ingredients that end in “-ose” or “-tol” – this means it’s a sweetener. For example: sucralose, glucose, sucrose, fructose, dextrose, maltose, lactose, levulose, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol 

Look for the words sugar, nectar, syrup, crystals. These are typically derived from more natural sources, but are STILL sweeteners and you should be aware of their presence. 

When reading ingredient lists, remember that the first item listed is the largest percentage of the item, and so on. So, if a sweetener is listed within the first few ingredients, the item will have a pretty high amount of sweetener in it relative to the rest of the ingredients.

Detox yourself and get over your addiction to sugar and carbs!

Join me and a group of others starting September 1st, 2010 and complete The 21-Day Sugar Detox!  It’s just $21 for the 41-page manual (e-book, PDF download) and it’s filled with lots of Paleo-friendly recipes. You’ll love the challenge and you’ll feel great after. Even if you don’t want to do the full detox, the recipes, tips & tricks are fantastic (if I do say so myself).

Enjoy & be well!

Diane Sanfilippo

BS, Certified Nutrition Educator, C.H.E.K. Holistic Lifestyle Coach

San Francisco Nutritionist & Paleo Nutritionist serving the Bay Area and beyond via phone & Skype consultations.