Continuing my series on sweeteners, here is the last
installment discussing neotame, agave, xylitol and sorbitol.
Neotame is an artificial sweetener made by adding 3,3-dimethylbutyraldehyde to aspartame. It is much sweeter than aspartame so much less is needed. There is less research done regarding the side effects of neotame, but given that it is made from aspartame the same caution should be used. I would advise avoiding its consumption all together. On ingredient labels, neotame can be listed as 961.
Neotame is an artificial sweetener made by adding 3,3-dimethylbutyraldehyde to aspartame. It is much sweeter than aspartame so much less is needed. There is less research done regarding the side effects of neotame, but given that it is made from aspartame the same caution should be used. I would advise avoiding its consumption all together. On ingredient labels, neotame can be listed as 961.
Agave syrup is a natural sweetener from the necter of the
agave plant. It is sweeter than
honey and has a thinner consistency.
It is about 1.5 times sweeter than sugar but has a lower glycemic index
and glycemic load. It can be used
in baking however recipes would have to be adjusted. There are cookbooks available with recipes for agave. The only down side to agave is that it
is high in fructose so excessive consumption can trigger fructose mal-absorption,
metabolic syndrome or other fructose related issues. Although you would have to consume a lot of agave syrup for
this to happen.
Xylitol can be found in some sugar free chewing gums and
candies. It is found naturally in
some fruits and vegetables although it is usually extracted for commercial use
from hardwood or corn. Xylitol can
improve dental health, clear nasal passages and prevent ear infections. It does this by preventing bacteria
from sticking to teeth and nasal passages. In addition to this, bacteria can’t digest xylitol like it
does sugar, so it doesn’t grow. It
also has a very low glycemic index of 7 (sugar is 100). Unfortunately it can cause diarrhea and
gas. I suspect this is because it
is having an effect on the good bacteria in your gut not just the bad bacteria. Although it is a natural sugar a
chemical process is used to extract it. If you are going to consume xylitol I would keep the
dose low, watch closely for any side effects and if you develop any stop
consuming it immediately.
Sorbitol is used as a sweetener in chewing gum, diet drinks,
ice cream, mints, cough syrup and toothpaste. It is also used as a thickener. It is found naturally in apples, pears, peaches and prunes
and synthesized from glucose. It is used as a diet sweetener because it has fewer
calories than sugar but it also has half the sweetness. It is used medically as a laxative with
side effects such as nausea, diarrhea, stomach cramps and gas, so caution
should be used if consuming it as a sweetener in large doses.
This is the end of the series on sweeteners. Check back in a couple weeks for my
next article.
References:
References:
MedicineNet.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/sorbitol-oral/article.htm
Accessed 3 March 2013
Dr. Mercola
http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2011/02/08/neotame-receives-fda-approval-but-is-not-widely-used-yet.aspx
Updated 8 February 2011
Accessed 2 March 2013
Natural News
http://www.naturalnews.com/022986_xylitol_health_sugar.html
Updated 10 April 2008
Accessed 2 March 2013
NineMSN Food
http://food.ninemsn.com.au/healthyrecipes/newsandfeatures/8306471/the-sweet-but-bitter-truth
Updated 25 January 2008
Accessed 2 March 2013
PubChem Compound
http://pubchem.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/summary/summary.cgi?cid=5780
Accessed 3 March 2013
U.S. Department of Health & Human Services
Household Products Database
http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/cgi-bin/household/search?queryx=50-70-4&tbl=TblChemicals&prodcat=all
Accessed 3 March 2013
WebMD
http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-996-XYLITOL.aspx?activeIngredientId=996&activeIngredientName=XYLITOL
Accessed 2 March 2013
Xylitol.org
http://www.xylitol.org
Accessed 2 March 2013
