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The sweetest of them all
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The sweetest of them all
amasake - a thick liquid obtained from the fermentation of sweet brown rice.
beet sugar - sugar (sucrose) from sugar beets.
barley malt - made from sprouted barley.
brown sugar - white sugar with molasses to give a soft texture.
cane sugar - sucrose from sugar cane.
castor or caster sugar - fine crystals of white granulated sugar. Dissolves readily.
concentrated fruit juice - made by heating a fruit juice to a high temperature so that the water content evaporates, leaving behind a sweeter and more concentrated juice. It can be frozen to extend shelf life.
corn syrup, also called high fructose corn syrup (HFCS) - a thick and sweet syrup obtained from processing cornstarch with acids or enzymes.
corn syrup solids - see corn syrup.
corn sweetener - made from the breakdown of cornstarch.
date sugar - sugar from dates.
dextrose, also called corn sugar, grape sugar and starch sugar - the most common form of glucose found in ripe grapes, honey and can be produced from starch.
disaccharide - any sugar containing 2 monosaccharides. Lactose and sucrose are also
fruit sugar - sugar found naturally in fruits.
fructose, also called levulose and fruit sugar - a simple sugar that is the sweetest among natural sugars (e.g. glucose, maltose and sucrose). Found in fruits, honey and saps.
glucose - a simple sugar obtained from plants, honey and grape juice. See dextrose.
glycerol - a sweet liquid synthesized from sugar.
glycol - a thick, colorless sweet liquid made artificially from certain ethylene compounds.
honey - made by bees from flower nectar.
invert sugar - the breakdown of sucrose into an equal mixture of glucose and fructose.
lactose, also called milk sugar - found naturally in milk. It can be hydrolyzed to yield glucose and galactose. The least sweet among other natural sugars.
levulose, also called fruit sugar - a simple sugar found in honey and ripe fruits. See frutose.
malt barley - barley processed into malt. This process produces sugar due to enzymatic reactions.
malt sugar - see maltose.
malt extract - see malt syrup.
malt syrup - made from a filtered, evaporated mash of ground corn and sprouted barley.
maltodextrins - made from corn starch or potato starch with the addition of acids and enzyme to break down the starch molecules. Used commonly in fat-reduced food.
maltose, also called malt sugar - a crystalline sugar formed from starch.
mannitol - a white, sweet crystalline substance found in many plants.
mannose - a monosaccharide (simple sugar) obtained from the oxidation of mannitol.
maple sugar - the boiling of the sap from the maple tree until all the liquid has evaporated. It is about twice as sweet as granulated white sugar.
maple syrup - a thick and syrupy sap from a maple tree that has been boiled until most of the water has evaporated.
molasses - a brownish-black syrup obtained from refining sugar cane and sugar beets.
monosaccharide - a simple sugar (e.g. fructose and sucrose)
nectars - made from fruit juices and pulp.
palm sugar, also called jaggery - obtained from palm trees (e.g. coconut trees) or sugar cane juice.
pentose - a monosaccharide and natural sugar with 5 carbon atoms.
raw sugar - primarily sucrose, it is what is left behind after the refining process of sugar cane.
rock sugar - comes in amber-colored lumps. Gives glaze to sauces and braised dishes. Also added to sweeten barley water and birds' nest soup.
sorbitol - found naturally in some fruits and seaweeds.
stevia - a white-flowered shrub named Stevia rebaudiana. Its primary sweet component is called stevioside, which is found predominantly in the leaves. Stevia has minimal calories.
sucrose - a crystalline disaccharide of fructose and glucose obtained from sugar cane or sugar beets.
sugar cane - a tall tropical southeast Asian grass.
table sugar - made from sucrose. See sucrose.
turbinado, also called raw sugar - partially refined sugar.
unrefined sugar - see raw sugar.
white sugar - made from refine sugar or beet sugar
xylitol - obtained from fruits, berries. Used as a sweetener in sugar-free foods.
Some artificial sweeteners - aspartame and saccharin.
Sweet talk
- Certain types of food containing sugar that enters easily and quickly into the bloodstream are called high-glycemic foods. Such foods include baked potatoes, white flour, white rice, pretzels, french fries and sweetcorn.
- Unhealthy levels of sugar has been linked to diabetes, obesity, allergies, heart disease, osteoporosis and the list still goes on.
- Eliminating sugar from one's diet could help eliminate dryness associated with Sjögren's syndrome.
- Cancer is a sugar-feeder.
- Sugary foods encourage mucus formation.
- Too much sugar in the diet causes hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) which can cause memory lapses and poor concentration power.
- Sugar-loving yeasts are set to grow and cause infection when sugar content in the vaginal area is high due to a high intake of sweet foods.
- Taking sugary foods and drinks feed the bacteria on the plaque to form teeth decaying acid. Sipping or eating slowly only exposes the teeth to sugar for an even longer period.
- Sugar can make urine more acidic which makes the passing of urine painful for people with cystitis.
- Stress can cause the body to release hormones that make blood sugar levels fluctuate which triggers cravings and anxiety.
- Sugar triggers the release of dopamine which is converted to adrenaline and noadrenaline (also called norepinephrine)- these brain chemicals make us feel good, energised and alert. However everyone ought to know by now that it is never a good thing to be dependent or addicted to sugar.
Choose adaptogens as alternatives.
- Whenever food is digested, it breaks down into glucose (sugar) then gets absorbed straight into the bloodstream and is ready to be converted to energy by the body cells. The hormone insulin has to be present to stimulate the body cells to take in glucose. Chromium is a trace mineral that promotes better use of insulin and improves glucose tolerance (the ability to use and store glucose).
- Fenugreek is a herb that helps regulate sugar levels and reduce sugar cravings in people with problems metabolising sugars. It can slow down the glucose absorption process.
- Nopal, also known as prickly pear, helps slow down the absorption rate of sugar and fat.
- Banaba is a natural insulin found in plants. It is used to treat diabetes mellitus and can help reduce sugar cravings.
- The artificial sweetener sorbitol found in sugar-free products is not digested in the small intestine. Large enough quantities can cause diarrhea and flatus.
- Maltitol, also known as polyols or sugar alcohols belongs to a class of artificial sweeteners such as sorbitol, xylitol and mannitol. It is made by the hydrogenation of maltose. Consuming excessive amounts of maltitol can have a laxative effect.
- Components found in aspartame are found to be safe in some studies, however others link aspartame to headaches and health conditions like fibromyalgia. It is also believed that this sweetener disrupts the brain functions by overstimulating the neurons.
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