Is Glucose A Sweetener?

Good Sugar Vs. Bad Sugar, Know The Differences | Factor75

Low in free fructose, but is comprised of70 to 79 percent sucrose (which means its still35 45 percent fructose) Not to be confused with palm sugar, which derived from a different type of palm tree Contains iron, zinc, calcium and potassium, along with some short chain fatty acids, polyphenols, antioxidants and even a little inulin fiber to slow the insulin spike Fairly new on the market, its nutritional profile is still contested, read a further analysis from Authority Nutrition here . Because nature is awesome, and shes been doing this whole glucose/fructose thing for centuries, eating fruit sugar is safe. However, some fruits have better ratios of sugar to fiber, which prevents an insulin spike, and delivers more sustained energy. Blueberries, strawberries, and grapefruit: Super high in antioxidants and fiber, these fruits are powerhouses of taste and nutrition with relatively low sugar. Mangos, papayas and nectarines: Super high in sugar and low in fiber, these fruits are still delicious and natural, but are more likely to give you a blood sugar spike. Still, theyre way preferable to a snickerdoodle. Shoot for high-fiber, low-sugar fruits for the most health benefits and steady energy (e.g. the lower right-hand quadrant of this graph): Mark Sisson of Marks Daily Apple outlines his picks for best and worst fruits according to his Primal Diet. Lets be real here. Im not saying dont eat sugar ever, ever. Because we all know our willpower has limits. But if you choose fruit over refined sugar, and pay close attention to added HFCS, you wont be at risk of sugar-induced heart disease and chronic stress . Sure, it might not satisfy your HFCS-loving sweet tooth at first, but youcanbeat sugar cravings. And you will feel so liberated. Eat naturally-occurringsweeteners occasion Continue reading >>

What Is Glucose Syrup?

Jill Corleone is a registered dietitian and health coach who has been writing and lecturing on diet and health for more than 15 years. Her work has been featured on the Huffington Post, Diabetes Self-Management and in the book "Noninvasive Mechanical Ventilation," edited by John R. Bach, M.D. Corleone holds a Bachelor of Science in nutrition. Glucose syrup may be used to make your favorite beer.Photo Credit: Rayes/Digital Vision/Getty Images While glucose is the fuel for your body, consuming it in syrup form isn't going to boost your energy levels. Like other forms of sugar, glucose syrup is simply an added sweetener. It's OK to include small amounts of food that contain glucose syrup in your diet, but too much may lead to weight gain. Glucose is a monosaccharide, which means it is a single molecule and often referred to as a simple sugar. Glucose is found naturally in fruits and honey, and it's also found in processed foods. Glucose syrup is created by hydrolyzing, or breaking apart, the strings of glucose molecules that make up starchy foods. Glucose syrup is most commonly made from cornstarch, but wheat, potatoes and rice are also used to make the sweetener. Glucose syrup may be fat-free, but it's a concentrated source of calories and offers very little nutritional value. A 1-tablespoon serving contains 62 calories and 17 grams of carbohydrates, all in the form of sugar. Glucose syrup made from corn contains a small amount of calcium, zinc and thiamine but not a significant amount. For comparison, 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar contains 50 calories and 13 grams of carbohydrates in the form of sugar and an insignificant amount of iron and riboflavin. Glucose syrup is a liquid sweetener that is well-tolerated and very versatile. It's often used in commercial canned Continue reading >>

The Version Of Sugar That Wont Affect Your Blood Glucose Levels And Why You Cant Have It

There is a natural alternative to sugar thats perfect for people with diabetes. It tastes exactly the same, but it isnt metabolised the same way, so it wont spike your blood glucose levels . But its never been produced on a large scale. Its called L-glucose, and its story begins with a mission to find life on Mars. No, really. This is the first time youll hear about sugar and Mars, and not be talking about the chocolate bar. Exploring the depths of the universe is cool and all, but did you know that this little guy led to the invention of low-calorie sweeteners? Dr. Gilbert V. Levin wanted to know if there was life on Mars, and he had thought of a good way to find out. Plan was, the Viking 1 lander, having landed, would put soil from Mars into a container, which would be full of radiation-laced nutrients. If there was life in the Martian soil, it would eat the nutrients and release radioactive carbon dioxide, which could be detected using a Geiger counter. The next question: what nutrients to use? At first, Levin thought of glucose , which is consumed by every living organism on Earth. Hopefully, any potential life on Mars would, too. But the chemistry wasnt quite that simple. There are molecules that can take both left-handed and right-handed forms, which refers to a slightly different arrangement of elements. On Earth, we only metabolise right-handed glucose. But this wouldnt necessarily be true of Martian microbes, so Dr. Levin wanted to prepare both kinds of glucose, just to be sure. But technical problems rendered this impossible, so Dr. Levin swapped glucose for lactose. The project was somewhat successful, but didnt prove the existence of life on Mars. Otherwise youd have probably heard of it already. But were not here for Mars; were after low-calorie sweeteners Continue reading >>

Glucose Syrup - Wikipedia

Glucose syrup, also known as confectioner's glucose, is a syrup made from the hydrolysis of starch . Glucose is a sugar . Maize (corn) is commonly used as the source of the starch in the US, in which case the syrup is called " corn syrup ", but glucose syrup is also made from potatoes and wheat , and less often from barley , rice and cassava . [1] p.21 [2] Glucose syrup containing over 90% glucose is used in industrial fermentation , [3] but syrups used in confectionery contain varying amounts of glucose , maltose and higher oligosaccharides , depending on the grade, and can typically contain 10% to 43% glucose. [4] Glucose syrup is used in foods to sweeten, soften texture and add volume. By converting some of the glucose in corn syrup into fructose (using an enzymatic process), a sweeter product, high fructose corn syrup can be produced. Depending on the method used to hydrolyse the starch and on the extent to which the hydrolysis reaction has been allowed to proceed, different grades of glucose syrup are produced, which have different characteristics and uses. The syrups are broadly categorised according to their dextrose equivalent (DE). The further the hydrolysis process proceeds, the more reducing sugars are produced, and the higher the DE. Depending on the process used, glucose syrups with different compositions, and hence different technical properties, can have the same DE. The original glucose syrups were manufactured by acid hydrolysis of corn starch at high temperature and pressure. The typical product had a DE of 42, but quality was variable due to the difficulty of controlling the reaction. Higher DE syrups made by acid hydrolysis tend to have a bitter taste and a dark colour, due to the production of hydroxymethylfurfural and other byproducts. [1] p.26 Th Continue reading >>

All Sugars Aren't The Same: Glucose Is Better, Study Says

Correction Appended: April 21, 2009 Think that all sugars are the same? They may all taste sweet to the tongue, but it turns out your body can tell the difference between glucose, fructose and sucrose, and that one of these sugars is worse for your health than the others. In the first detailed analysis comparing how our systems respond to glucose (which is made when the body breaks down starches such as carbohydrates) and fructose, (the type of sugar found naturally in fruits), researchers at the University of California Davis report in the Journal of Clinical Investigation that consuming too much fructose can actually put you at greater risk of developing heart disease and diabetes than ingesting similar amounts of glucose. In the study, 32 overweight or obese men and women were randomly assigned to drink 25% of their daily energy requirements in either fructose- or glucose-sweetened drinks. The researchers took pains to eliminate as many intruding factors as possible by asking the volunteers to commit to a 12-week program; for the first and last two weeks of the study, each subject lived at UCD's Clinical and Translational Science Center, where they underwent rigorous blood tests to determine their insulin and lipid levels, among other metabolic measures. (Take a quiz on eating smart.) Both groups gained similar amounts of weight by the end of the 12 weeks, but only the people drinking fructose-sweetened beverages with each meal showed signs of unhealthy changes in their liver function and fat deposits. In this group, the liver churned out more fat, while the subjects consuming similar amounts of glucose-sweetened drinks showed no such change. The fructose-drinking volunteers also were not as sensitive to insulin, the hormone released by the pancreas to capture and br Continue reading >>

Glucose

Glucose (also called dextrose) is a simple sugar that is found in fruit and vegetables.It is about 75% as sweet as ordinary sugar. It is important in human biology as it is the main fuel used by the body. It has a very high glycemic index (100) and raises blood sugar quickly if ingested. Because of this it forms the standard for testing for diabetes and insulin resistance. It is not suitable for diabetics in it's refined form. However it does not appear to have the same problems associated with fructose and in fact it seems to have the effect of reducing appetite and calorie intake. The body needs to maintain a steady level of this sugar in the blood and it has regulating mechanisms to achieve this. Foods that are high in carbohydrates such as bread, potatoes and rice contain plenty of glucose. However these exist as starch, and this is made up of long chains of glucose molecules bound together as complex carbohydrates. These are broken down during digestion, but this takes time to do, and allows for a more steady rise in sugar levels in the bloodstream. If a large quantity is ingested it can cause a spike in the blood sugar level putting a strain on the body's regulating mechanism. Complex carbohydrates, particularly whole grains, brown rice and potatoes etc are a safer source of energy. It is used in the food industry as a sweetener and to provide texture to food. It is used in energy drinks and bars. Dextrose tablets are recommended for people suffering from hypoglycemia. It is also used in intravenous drips for certain patients in hospital. It also has industrial uses, and is a raw material in the production of vitamin c and Sorbital. Provides energy quickly. Excellent during exercise or sport. It is a natural product and is safe to consume in moderation. Does not Continue reading >>

The 8 Safest Natural Sweeteners To Use

Sweet foods were a rare delicacy for our ancient ancestors. Today, we have an unlimited supply of sugary foods and beverages at our disposal. Natural sweeteners can be used effectively in moderation to provide the sweetness that most people crave. Here are the best natural sweeteners ranked in order based on low glycemic index and additional health benefits. Every living creature is designed to run off of a simple sugar called glucose. It is the primary unit in the study of metabolism . However, there are certainly dangers involved with consuming too much glucose. Those dangers mostly involve elevated blood sugar and insulin which trigger fat accumulation, cellular inflammation and insulin resistance. Fructose is another simple sugar that is found in natural sweeteners such as fruits, honey and plant/tree nectar. This is metabolized differently than glucose and can cause even more hazardous effects when consumed in excess. Most plant based sweeteners such as agave nectar are extremely high in fructose. Agave was thought to be one of the good natural sweeteners until health researchers found out the dangers of its nearly 80% fructose content. Processed from the leaf of the stevia plant which is native to South America. This herb derivative has no effect on blood sugar , insulin signaling and triglyceride formation. It develops most of its sweetness from glycosides called stevioside and rebaudioside. These compounds are 250-300 times sweeter than sucrose and they have the ability to withstand heat and have a long shelf life ( 1 , 2 ). Studies have even shown the stevia leaf to have beneficial effects at improving cellular insulin sensitivity and reduce the risk of type II diabetes and high blood pressure ( 3 , 4 ). My favorite stevia to use personally is Sweet Leaf stevi Continue reading >>

The Difference In How Fructose And Glucose Affect Your Body

The Difference in How Fructose and Glucose Affect Your Body My regular readers know that I consider agave to be a BIG enemy to health and beauty- which is very high in fructose (up to 97% fructose). It truly irks me that sly marketing makes the general public think agave is a healthy sweetener, and that it continues to be used in health products purported to be better than regular baked or other goods, as well as in many restaurants. It is not. There is a myth that exists that fructose is a healthy sugar while glucose is bad stuff. In fact, in recent years, there has been a rise in sweeteners that contain this healthy sugar, such as the dreaded agave nectar. I sincerely hope that this information (please help spread it!) makes more people aware of the differences in sugar types, and makes more people know to avoid agave at all costs. S.O.S: Save Our Skin!!! Fructose is one type of sugar molecule. It occurs naturally in fresh fruits, giving them their sweetness. Because of this, many people consider fructose natural, and assume that all fructose products are healthier than other types of sugar. Likewise, fructose has a low glycemic index, meaning it has minimal impact on blood glucose levels. This has made it a popular sweetener with people on low-carbohydrate and low-glycemic diets, which aim to minimize blood glucose levels in order to minimize insulin release. But the glycemic index is not the sole determining factor in whether a sweetener is healthy or desirable to use. Because fructose is very sweet, fruit contains relatively small amounts, providing your body with just a little bit of the sugar, which is very easily handled. If people continued to eat fructose only in fruit and occasionally honey as our ancestors did, the body would easily process it without any p Continue reading >>

Sugar And Sweeteners 9.301

The body does not distinguish between natural sugars and processed sugars. All sugars contain four calories per gram. In 2002, the average American consumed 152 pounds of sugar per year. Sugar is natural and nontoxic. When eaten in moderation, it can be part of a balanced diet. Excessive consumption of sugar has been shown to cause tooth decay. It has also been linked to obesity, heart disease, hypertension, diabetes, and certain cancers. One of the earliest references to sugar in history is a Spanish drawing of a man harvesting honey, dated around 7000 B.C. We know that the Egyptians kept bees for honey, as depicted in tomb drawings as early as 2600 B.C. Research proves something that most of us are already aware of; people are born with a desire for sweet taste. Sugars are widespread in nature and are the building blocks of carbohydrates. Sugar is naturally found in many foods, including milk, grains, fruit, and vegetables. The sugar found in these foods provides an important fuel source. Certain tissues in the body, such as the brain and red blood cells, exclusively use sugar for energy. Furthermore, these carbohydrate-rich foods provide a variety of other nutrients, such as fiber, vitamins, and minerals. Sugar is also added to many foods, such as breads and other baked goods, cereals, flavored yogurt, sweetened beverages, and sauces. Many foods with added sugar provide energy (calories) but contain few other nutrients. They may replace other foods that are high in vitamins, minerals and other important nutrients in the diet. Therefore, it is important to moderate the consumption of these foods. The World Health Organization recommends consuming no more than 10% of daily calories from added sugar and free sugars, such as honey, syrup, or juices. High consumption of Continue reading >>

Artificial Sweeteners And Diabetes

Is it possible to eat sweets when you have diabetes? The answer is "yes." But when you’re trying to satisfy your sweet tooth, it can be hard to know what to reach for at the grocery store (sugar-free this or low-calorie that). So, use this primer to help you choose wisely. The Sweet Facts When you’re comparing sweeteners, keep these things in mind: Sugars are naturally occurring carbohydrates. These include brown sugar, cane sugar, confectioners’ sugar, fructose, honey, and molasses. They have calories and raise your blood glucose levels (the level of sugar in your blood). Reduced-calorie sweeteners are sugar alcohols. You might know these by names like isomalt, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol, and xylitol. You'll often find them in sugar-free candy and gum. They have about half the calories of sugars and can raise your blood sugar levels, although not as much as other carbohydrates. Artificial sweeteners are considered "free foods." They were designed in a lab, have no calories, and do not raise your blood sugar levels. Types of Artificial Sweeteners Artificial low-calorie sweeteners include: Saccharin (Sweet'N Low, Sugar Twin). You can use it in both hot and cold foods. Avoid this sweetener if you are pregnant or breastfeeding. Aspartame (NutraSweet, Equal). You can use it in both cold and warm foods. It may lose some sweetness at high temperatures. People who have a condition called phenylketonuria should avoid this sweetener. Acesulfame potassium or ace-K (Sweet One, Swiss Sweet, Sunett). You can use it in both cold and hot foods, including in baking and cooking. Sucralose (Splenda). You can use it in hot and cold foods, including in baking and cooking. Processed foods often contain it. Advantame can be used in baked goods, soft drinks and other non-alcoholic bev Continue reading >>

Sweet, But Not Simple

Diligent readers of food and beverage labels may have noticed an increasingly common ingredient in some health and energy drinks: crystalline fructose. To some, the ingredient is a reassuring sign that the product hasn't been sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, a sweetener that's been falling out of consumer favor over concerns of a disputed link to obesity and diabetes . Others, however, may have found themselves wondering what, exactly, is crystalline fructose? And is it really any different from high fructose corn syrup? "Technically, yes, but physiologically, no," says Roger Clemens, a professor at the USC School of Pharmacy whose research has focused on functional foods, food processing and nutrition. The two ingredients are chemically distinct, Clemens says, but their nutritional ramifications vary only slightly. High fructose corn syrup and crystalline fructose are made from the same starting material: corn. In the U.S., this is an abundant and cheap source of fructose, the plant-sugar responsible for making many fruits so naturally sweet. But though high fructose corn syrup often contains about 55% fructose (the rest is glucose), crystalline fructose is the result of several extra processing steps which yield a product that is close to 100% fructose. (According to federal standards, crystalline fructose is, by definition, at least 98% fructose; the remaining fraction is water and minerals.) From a food-manufacturing perspective, a nearly pure-fructose sweetener is advantageous because it's up to 20% sweeter than sucrose, or table sugar, says Craig Ruffolo, vice president of McKeany-Flavell Co., a sweetener industry analysis firm in Emeryville, Calif. That means manufacturers can achieve a high level of sweetness without adding as much volume to a product. Continue reading >>

10 Artificial Sweeteners And Sugar Substitutes

10 Artificial Sweeteners and Sugar Substitutes 10 Artificial Sweeteners and Sugar Substitutes Are honey, agave nectar, or high-fructose corn syrup healthier than table sugar? And what about artificial sweeteners? To help you decide, heres the real deal on 10 common sweeteners. Sugar contributes to tooth decay and obesity, but still we spoon it onto cereal and into coffee (and the food industry puts heapsknown as added sugarinto products). "Americans eat 165 pounds of added sugar each year, and sugar substitutes are on the rise as well, which are hundreds of times sweeter than table sugar," says Frances Largeman-Roth, RD, author of Feed the Belly and co-author of The Carb Lovers Diet. But are artificial sweeteners, honey, agave nectar, or high-fructose corn syrup healthier than table sugar? To help you decide, heres the real deal on 10 common sweeteners. Found: Naturally in fruit; added to baked goods, jams, marinades, salad dressings The deal: Sucrose offers energy but no nutritional benefits. In 2003, a team of international experts recommended that added sugars make up no more than 10% of your diet, or about 12 teaspoons (50 grams) for a 2,000-calorie diet. But in 2009 the American Heart Association slashed that even further suggested women consume no more than 6 teaspoons (25 grams) of added sugar and men no more than 9 (37.5 grams). Found in: Soft drinks, gelatins, chewing gum, frozen desserts The deal: This nonnutritive artificial sweetener was first approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1988, meaning it now has a 22-year track record in which no problems have surfaced. However, pre-market testing was sparse. Hoescht, the manufacturer of the chemical, ran a few long-term animal studies that showed it might be linked to cancer (although animal studi Continue reading >>

What Is The Difference Between Sucrose, Glucose & Fructose?

What Is the Difference Between Sucrose, Glucose & Fructose? Written by Kimberly Ancira; Updated April 06, 2018 Sugar cane is a natural source of sucrose, or table sugar. Sucrose, glucose and fructose are important carbohydrates, commonly referred to as simple sugars. Sugar is found naturally in whole foods and is often added to processed foods to sweeten them and increase flavor. Your tongue can't quite distinguish between these sugars, but your body can tell the difference. They all provide the same amount of energy per gram, but are processed and used differently throughout the body. Simple carbohydrates are classified as either monosaccharides or disaccharides. Monosaccharides are the simplest, most basic units of carbohydrates and are made up of only one sugar unit. Glucose and fructose are monosaccharides and are the building blocks of sucrose, a disaccharide. Thus, disaccharides are just a pair of linked sugar molecules. They are formed when two monosaccharides are joined together and a molecule of water is removed -- a dehydration reaction. The most important monosaccharide is glucose, the bodys preferred energy source. Glucose is also called blood sugar, as it circulates in the blood, and relies on the enzymes glucokinase or hexokinase to initiate metabolism. Your body processes most carbohydrates you eat into glucose, either to be used immediately for energy or to be stored in muscle cells or the liver as glycogen for later use. Unlike fructose, insulin is secreted primarily in response to elevated blood concentrations of glucose, and insulin facilitates the entry of glucose into cells. Fructose is a sugar found naturally in many fruits and vegetables, and added to various beverages such as soda and fruit-flavored drinks. However, it is very different from oth Continue reading >>

Sweet Stuffed - Los Angeles Times

America's sweet tooth is growing. Like many other mammals, we are hooked on sugar because it is packed with energy and our bodies have evolved ways of encouraging us to consume more of it. The trouble is, foods and beverages with added sugars are plentiful today and usually cheaper on a per-calorie basis than vegetables or naturally sweet fruits. Between 1970 and 2005, consumption of added sugars in the typical American diet increased by 19% to a total of 64 kilograms per year. Last week, the American Heart Assn. issued a statement calling on Americans to cut back on added sugars of all types. Foods are sweetened with various sugars: sucrose, fructose, honey, corn syrup and more. Is there much to choose between them? Passions burn fiercely here. Some people are convinced that high fructose corn syrup has properties that link it to the fattening of America -- partly for that reason, today regular sugar is almost achieving health-food status in some circles. Others swear by less-purified brown sugars or honey. And many people don't know what all this sweet stuff even is. Here's a primer on common sweeteners, as well as some not-so-common ones. Table sugar, or sucrose, is the familiar stuff we use in cubes or by the spoonful. We sweeten our coffee with it, bake with it and know its flavor so well that it is the yardstick to which we compare other sweet flavors. "When you say sweet, you have the image in your mind of sucrose," says Sidney Simon, a professor of neurobiology at Duke University who studies taste. Most commercial sucrose comes from sugar beets and sugar cane. The natural sugar content of the plants is refined to varying degrees to produce granulated, powdered, brown and specialty sugars, such as demerara and muscovado. Molasses, a byproduct of the refining pro Continue reading >>

Natural Sweeteners

The Natural Sweetener Worse Than High Fructose Corn Syrup (& The Truth Behind Eating Natural Sugar) Glucose Sweetener, Dextrose Sweetener, Fructose, Brown Sugar Whats What?! Natural sweeteners like honey, agave, or cane sugar are not any better for you than other sugars. There is a widespread belief that natural is better and that naturalthingscant be bad for you. Sugar is one of those very wrong assumptions. Many, many times Ive heard people in the supermarket remark that agave or honey is better for you because theyre natural sugars. ,so you know exactlywhat to eat and what to avoid. Your Body On Sugar: Natural Sweeteners 101 Glucose is the main energy source of your body. Your brain requires glucose to function, and in fact, a huge percentage of your daily calories go to powering your brain. Pretty cool huh? So theres glucose the sugar in your blood that gives you energy. Your body generally gets it from eating carbohydrates (although the body can make it from other sources if it has to). Then theres dextrose chemically identical to glucose. Then youve got fructose fructose is the form of sugar generally found in fruits and honey. (Think F = Fruits) Then theres sucrose,which is half glucose, half fructose following me? Sucrose is table sugar, the white grainy stuff you usually associate with being sugar. Fructose = from fruits, honey, agave, and high fructose corn syrup. Dextrose = usually produced commercially then added to food to sweeten it. Sucrose = white table sugar, produced from the sugar cane plant (& other sources). Is Not Better The Truth Behind Brown Sugar, White Sugar, Raw Sugar, Agave, Honey, High Fructose Corn Syrup Sugar in its varying processing phases: White refined, unrefined, brown, unprocessed People mistakenly have the idea that natural sweeten Continue reading >>