Found this really good update on sugar substitutes in Parade Magazine. Here is a summary of the important information:

The old sugar substitutes are saccharin, aspartame, and sucralose. The Center for Science in the Public Interest – a health advocacy group- disagrees about saccharin and aspartame, citing studies that indicate those sweeteners increase the risk of cancers, and advises people to choose sucralose. The author of the article Joy Bauer (author of “Joy’s LIFE Diet:Four Steps to Thin Forever”) says she doesn’t think it matters which product you consume as long as you don’t consume more than two artificially sweetened items a day. Or she says you could stop using artificial sweeteners and use one of the natural sugar substitutes.

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol that occurs naturally in many foods. Unlike other sugar alcohols used in dietetic foods-such as sorbitol,malitol, and xylitol-erythritol doesn’t lead to gassiness or bloating and does not have a laxative effect. Erythritol is 60% to 70% as sweet as table sugar, so you may need to use a bit more in beverages and baked goods. Though made from sugar, the new erythritol sweeteners are calorie-free.

PrueVia and Truvia are both made from an extract of the stevia plant. Stevia has been consumed for centuries in South America but until recently could be marketed in the U.S. only as a dietary supplement. Now that the FDA has approved its use in food, it should begin appearing in the marketplace. Stevia does not share all of sugar’s physical characteristics, so check online for conversion formulas and recipes. Truvia and PureVia “cut” their products with erythritol, so they are less sweet than pure stevia.

Products such as Xagave come from the nectar of the Agave plant (same plant is used to make Tequila). Xagave actually contains a few more calories than sugar – 56 per tablespoon as opposed to 50 for sugar. Xagave is sweeter than sugar so you do save calories because you use less. You will have to make adjustments in cooking and baking applications. The real advantage of Agave is that it is less likely than sugar to lead to erratic blood-sugar levels. Here is caution though – if you have irritable bowel syndrome or are at risk for heart disease, you may be better off with the other sugar substitutes or just use real sugar at 16 calories a packet.

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