Reducing Sugar in the Diet

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Sugar from milk and fruit sources, for instance, should not
exceed 10% of total kcalories. Concentrated refined sugars
(e.g., table sugar) should be limited as much as possible. The
objective is to look for other names on food packaging that are
sugars, including corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, corn
sweeteners, glucose, fructose, lactose, honey, molasses, maple
sugar, maple syrup, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, maltose, or
anything with ‘sugar’ in the name, e.g., confectioner’s sugar,
or invert sugar.

The next step would be to reduce or replace simple sugars with
these suggestions:

Reduce sugar in recipes. Even with a vast reduction of up
to 20% or more, many recipes taste the same. With some recipes
half the sugar can be substituted with an equal portion of a
sweet spice, such as cinnamon, fennel, cardamom, allspice,
anise, and ginger.

Many breakfast cereals contain high percentages of sugar.
Look for those that do not have added sugar and top the cereal
with fruit if necessary and preferred.

Substitute fruit juices for fruit drinks, soft drinks,
punches, and other liquids that contain high amounts of sugar.

If substituting sugars, be aware that there are two types of
sweeteners or sugar substitutes. The first type is a class of
nutritive sweeteners that absorb slower than sucrose, they do
not promote dental caries, and they do contain kcalories. The
second is a class of artificial sweeteners that do not contain
kcalories, and they are safe for use for diabetics and calorie
reduced diets.

Using sugar substitutes (especially artificial sweeteners)
should not give people license to consume large amounts of these
products simply because they are low in kcalories. They also
tend to be low in other nutrient values and it is unclear what
medical conditions can arise from over-consumption. Hence, these
products should not be a substitute for fresh fruits,
vegetables, or other foods. However, if it is difficult to make
it through the day without a pudding, for example, choose one
made with skim milk and a sweetener than a high-fat, high-sugar
type.

Sugar Substitute Sweeteners

Nutritive Sweeteners

Fructose – Found in fruits, honey, and some sweet vegetables.
Fuctose absorbs more slowly in the GI tract than glucose and
metabolizes directly in the liver independent of insulin. Large
intakes of 70+ grams per day can cause diarrhea.

Sorbitol – A sugar alcohol found mainly in plants and used in
confectioneries (candy), gum, toothpaste, and diabetic desserts.
After absorption, sorbitol oxidizes into fructose. Sorbitol
results in a slower, less pronounced rise in blood glucose than
sugar. More than 10 grams per day may result in diarrhea.

Xylitol – A compound derived from wood sugar. It causes the
least harm to teeth of all nutritive sweeteners. Does not
increase blood glucose levels. Intake of more than 30 grams per
day may result in diarrhea. Also, it may be associated with
bladder stones and tumors.

Artificial Sweeteners

Acesulfame K – A synthetic sweetener that is very stable in
heat. Marketed as Sweet One, Sunette, or Sun Sweet Tabletop.

Aspartame – Best known as NutraSweet, it is found mainly in soft
drinks, gums, pudding mixes, and other foods. It consists of
amino acids that break down in the GI tract, then it absorbs and
metabolizes. It has a very low nutrient and caloric value.

Saccharin – Better known as Sweet’n Low, Nutra-diet, and Sugar
Twin, Saccharin is used primarily in soft drinks and canned
fruit. It neither metabolizes or stores in the body, but
excretes in the urine. Saccharin has a bitter aftertaste, is low
in kcalories, and may be a possible carcinogen.

Sucralose – Available only in Canada to date. It contains no
kcalories and is derived from sugar. It is used in cooking and
baking.

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