Sugar Substitutes

Question: Sugar substitutes? I'm making a lemon meringue pie for a diabetic friend of mine and I need to know if a Candarel sweetener/substitute would work for the meringue? If it won't, then please let mebomow, but I'm quite keen on cooking, so is there any other sweet recipes I can use a Candarel instead of sugar for?

Answer: SPLENDA instead of sugar.

Question: sugar substitutes? is is true that sugar substitutes like splenda or nutrisweet can cause cancer, and that you shouldnt drink diet sodas because of this?

Answer: no- it's not true.

Question: Have you ever tried the natural sugar substitutes? There are many natural sugar substitutes but who has tried them and are they alright for our bodies?

Answer: Yeah, stevia is the only natural one I know of. Its much better (but more expensive!) than splenda and those nasty bitter sweeteners. There is no evidence suggesting that it is either good or bad for out bodies.

Question: How does sugar substitutes affect the body? How does sugar substitutes affect the body?

Answer: I assume you have checked out the Wikipedia entry. The "Brain Science" pod caster Ginger Campbell is uncomfortable with aspartame because of the lack of research into its relation to the neurotransmitter glutamate. This connection was not in the Wikipedia article, but may be worth exploring.

Question: Desserts made without sugar or sugar substitutes? I have to come up with desserts that does not have sugar added for a banquet. I already have fruit salad. Are there anymore ideas out there. I would greatly appreciate your input (no sugars, sugar substitutes, honey, syrups added) Naturally sweetened is fine. Thanks

Answer: maple syrups are a great sub. and splenda is good but cost alot

Question: Are there any differences between sugar substitutes? My doctor wants me to reduce the amount of sugar in my diet. I do use sugar in my coffee each morning. For this purpose, are there any health or dietary advantages or disadvantages to using any of the three major sugar substitutes: Equal, Splenda or Sweet 'n Low? Is one better (worse) than any of the others?

Answer: I would choose splenda as it is lower in salt content.

Question: Sugar substitutes and baking? Can a sugar substitute be used satisfactorily to replace the sugar in a shortened cake? Why?

Answer: A sugar substitute can be used but you will be changing the formula and it would be the same "cake". Sugar in a high ratio cake IS one of the main ingredients that gives the cakes it's texture, dense but light, high ratio means the the "key" ingredients are Butter/Shortening and Sugar, flour is third on the list. The creaming of the Sugar and Butter is the back bone structure that produces the reaction with the flour during baking that gives you perfect end results. Measure accurately, this is a formula.

Question: Tea: will adding sugar substitutes take away the health benefits? I know that if you drink plain black tea, it's very good for your immune system, and your entire body in general. I was wondering if adding two small packets of a sugar substitute will make it any less healthier (or at least, will it majorly damage the health benefits?). That's all I put in my tea. I never put in milk/creme/honey. Also, I live in a diabetic-friendly family, so I cannot just "stop using the substitutes and just use plain sugar".

Answer: You know what's better - drinking plain green tea. Milk/creme/honey is much more beneficial than sugar substitutes. And I'm not an advocate of milk. Honey is actually very good for you, and a half a teaspoon will do you no harm if your concerned about weight.

Question: Are sugar substitutes really healthy? I like sugar substitutes but I want to know if they can have the same effects as sugar. ie: bad for teeth, energy spurts, and if some sugar substitutes are better than others? msjantastic: this is not a common knowledge question it might seem simple for some but I wasnt interested in anything health related until recently so its not something I ever researched. is stevia the brand name or the kind of sweetener?

Answer: none are really better than others. they don't do any of that stuff you described though if that's what you're asking. and no they're not nutritious I highly recommend Stevia, it tastes like Splenda but without the horrible side effects and it's all natural too.

Question: No salt, honey or molasses sugar substitutes for baked goods? Okay I'm looking for recipes for baked goods that contain no salt, and that I can substitute sugar with molasses or honey. If anyone can help me find a website with free recipes that would be so helpful, I've googled it, but I just can't seem to find anything. I found a recipe on megaheart.com looks pretty tasty

Answer: Carrot & Molasses Muffins Ingredients 250g (9oz) finely grated raw carrots or 450g (1 lb) mashed cooked carrots 450g (1 lb) wholewheat pastry flour 100 g (4oz) soya flour 1 teaspoon ground cinnamon 400g (14 oz) chopped dates 200g (7oz) chopped nuts (optional) 125ml 4 fl oz) molasses 175m (6fl oz) oil 4 tablespoons water Preheat the oven to 180°C/350°F/Gas mark 4. Combine the raw or cooked carrots, flours, cinnamon, dates, and nuts, if using. Mix the molasses, oil and water in a separate large bowl. Add the molasses and oil mixture to the carrot mixture and fold together quickly until all the dry ingredients are moistened and evenly mixed. Spoon into greased muffin tins and bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes, until a fine skewer or fork inserted into the centre of a muffin comes out clean. http://www.ifood.tv/recipe/carrot_and_molasses_muffins Vegan Apple Pie Ingredients 6 large apples, peeled,cored,and sliced (peeling is optional) 1/2 cup raisins (optional) 3/4 cup maple syrup 1-2 teaspoon lemon juice 2 teaspoons cinnamon 2 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot 1 pie crust (see my Hot Water Pie Crust recipe) 1-2 tablespoon whole wheat flour Directions 1Preheat oven to 350. 2Prepare apples. 3Boil water in a large pot and add apples and raisins. 4Turn down heat to medium and simmer apples and raisins for 10 minutes or until soft. 5Save 1/4 cup of water used for cooking apples for later use. 6Drain apples and place in large bowl. 7Mix apples with maple syrup, cinnamon, and lemon juice. 8Set aside. 9In a saucepan, add"applewater" and corn starch. 10Stir continuously until mixture is thick, then add to apple mix. 11Lastly, add whole wheat flour to mixture. 12Stir well and carefully. 13Pour final mixture into the pie crust and bake on 350 for 30 minutes, or until brown http://www.recipezaar.com/Vegan-Apple-Pie-14416 Browse through these site: http://www.ifood.tv/recipes http://www.recipezaar.com/

Question: Do sugar substitutes grow yeast in the body? for the past few days, i have been avoiding sugars because of a yeast infection. i was wondering if anyone happened to know whether sugar substitutes (maltiol, sorbitol, xylitol, ect.) produce or allow yeast to grow in the body? thank you : )

Answer: NO

Question: How does the spread of sugar substitutes affect the sugar industry? In your opinion, is the spread of stuff like aspartame a good thing or a bad thing for the sugar industry?

Answer: Good and bad. There's too many pros and cons to discuss this.

Question: Does anyone have any sugar substitutes for coffee? I am stuck at home and out of sugar, no sweet n low or other sugar subs, I have powdered and brown sugar? Does brown sugar taste the same in coffee?

Answer: Some people actually prefer brown sugar in coffee! powdered sugar is going to clump up on top though .... You could always squirt some chocolate syrup in there!

Question: Is it possible to make home made preserves, pickles and sloe gin using sugar substitutes instead of sugar? I have a friend, recently diagnosed as diabetic, she used to make wonderful preserves and pickles and damson and sloe gin liqueurs, does anyone know any recipes that can be made with sugar subsitutes and still takes yummy? I hope someone can help.

Answer: Don't forget that alcohol is sugar in a different form and fruit is full of fructose and all carbohydrates are a form of starchy sugar.

Question: NATURAL SuGaR Substitutes that can be cooked? I like STEVIA on cold things. I know about honey & molasses. I wish to explore all my options (sweetener wise) I want to make homemade natural ICE CREAM (or frozen yogurt) when we (as a family) want a decadent tasting dessert. I WILL NOT DO Spenda or other artificials. I've been sugar/carbonation free for 2 months & want to keep it up. I've never felt better!

Answer: Madhava Agave nectar - light. All natural - your body processes it the same way as honey or molasses, it is made from the juice of the agave plant. Very mild. Has a lengthy shelf life(won't crystallize) and a low glycemic index. Dissolves quickly in COLD food or drinks....so you can give up the STEVIA...jury still out on that one for me. You can find it at Whole Foods or Chamberlins.

Question: I have type II diabetes and on two medications for control. What are the safe sugar substitutes healthwise? If Splenda is a sugar product, why is it "suitable for diabetics?". It seems that most packaged foods like breads, soups etc. have sugar in one or the other forms. Some are easy for me to interprete when it says, 'molases', 'syrup' etc. But others are very difficult to make any sense. Please provide the vocabulary of SAFE/UNSAFE contents for a diabetic. Thanks.

Answer: Splenda, or sucralose as it's known in the industry, is also found in some low-calorie sodas, such as C2 from Coca-Cola (KO ), Edge from Pepsi (PEP ), and upwards of 4,000 packaged-food products. An additional advantage for Splenda: Unlike aspartame (the key ingredient in Equal and NutraSweet), this additive retains its taste when heated. Now a host of lawsuits from rivals and individuals questions whether Splenda can really claim that it's made from sugar since the final product is several steps removed from its natural form. --- "Splenda misleads consumers into believing that it's made from natural sugar when it's not," says Jeff Leshay, a spokesman for Merisant. The individuals, Peggy Patton and Marc Backer from California and Bobby Allen Green from Florida have filed separate class actions against McNeil. ---- The active ingredient in Splenda starts as pure cane sugar but is chemically altered to create a compound that contains no calories, according to McNeil. The final product contains no sugar. ------------------------------------------- Whether Type 1 or 2, diabetics need a balance of diet and exercise. Here are some foods you can eat, and some foods you must avoid! Foods you must avoid! i. Salt Salt is the greatest culprit for diabetics. You get enough salt from vegetables in inorganic form, so reduce the intake of inorganic salt. ii. Sugar Sucrose, a table sugar, provides nothing but calories and carbohydrates. Also, you need calcium to digest sucrose. Insufficient sucrose intake might lead to calcium being leached off the bones. Substitute sucrose with natural sugar, like honey, jaggery (gur), etc. iii. Fat Excessive fat intake is definitely not a good habit. Try and exclude fried items from your diet totally. But, remember, you must have a small quantity of oil to absorb fat-soluble vitamins, especially vitamin E. iv. For non-vegetarians Try and stop the intake of red meat completely. Try to go in for a vegetarian diet. If you cannot, decrease the consumption of eggs and poultry. You can, however, eat lean fish two to three times a week. v. Whole milk and products Try to switch to low fat milk and its products like yogurt (curd). Replace high fat cheese with low fat cottage cheese. vi. Tea and coffee Do not have than two cups of the conventional tea or decaffeinated coffee every day. Try to switch to herbal teas. vii. White flour and its products Replace these with whole grains, wholewheat or soya breads and unpolished rice. viii. Foods with a high glycemic index Avoid white rice, potatoes, carrots, breads and banana -- they increase the blood-sugar levels. Special food for diabetics i. Bitter gourd (karela) This vegetable contains a high dosage of 'plant insulin'. It lowers the blood-sugar levels effectively. Have the juice of three to four karelas early morning on an empty stomach. As a vegetable, too, it can be taken on a regular basis. Powder the seeds of karela (measuring 1 teaspoon), mix with water and drink it. ii. Fenugreek (methi) It is the most common food used to control diabetes. Gulp a teaspoonful of these seeds with a glass of water daily. Soak the seeds overnight. Have the water in which the seeds were soaked. You can make a chutney with methi seeds. You can also eat them sprouted, dried and powdered, or mix them in wheat flour to make chapattis. iii. Indian blackberry (jamun) This fruit is very effective in preventing and controlling diabetes. Powder the stone of the fruit and eat it -- it contains glucoside, which prevents the conversion of starch into sugars. iv. Garlic This is used to lower blood-sugar levels. Garlic is rich in potassium and replaces the potassium which gets lost in urine. It also contains zinc and sulphur, which are components of insulin. Take about three to four flakes of freshly crushed garlic daily. v. Onion Because of its diuretic and digestive properties, onion works against diabetes. Raw onion is more useful. vi. Flaxseed This is the richest source of Omega 3 fatty acids. It helps control diabetes because it maintains the sensitivity of the cell membrane, facilitates insulin, and thereby the uptake of glucose by the cells. vii. Fibre Soluble fibre, found in apples, kidney beans, oatmeal, soyabean, etc, help control diabetes. These aid slow digestion and absorption of nutrients, resulting in a slow and steady release of glucose. They soak up excess bile acids found in the intestinal tract, the same acids that are converted to blood cholesterol. They also help empty the stomach and trigger satiety that can help Type 2 diabetics to achieve weight loss goals. viii. Cinnamon solution Water extracts of cinnamon have been found to promote glucose metabolism and reduce cholesterol. You can boil cinnamon sticks in water and drink this water. ix. Antioxidants Diabetes is often associated with conditions like heart disease, diabetic retinopathy, immune deficiency and kidney disease. Many are caused by free radical damage. Therefore, make sure you include antioxidants, especially vitamin C (lemons), E, selenium, zinc and chromium (Brewer's yeast), in your diet, as they have been shown to control blood sugar levels.