Natural Sugar Substitutes

Life of a person should be full of sweetness, natural sweetness.

Nature has offered a lot of choice for this. Sugar is a favorite and most overused substance world wide. But sugar provides calories and excess sugar consumption is related to many health problems like obesity and anxiety.

It is important to satisfy the sweet tooth, but this can be done by replacing sugar with natural sugar substitutes. Natural sugar substitutes are the ones found naturally in fruits and vegetables or derived by processing the sugar molecule itself. These include brazzein, xylitol, fructose, glycerol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, sorbitol, mannitol, erythritol, glycyrrhizin, lactitol, mabinlin, miraculin, monellin, pentadin, tagatose and thaumatin.

Natural sugar substitutes or natural sweetener provides some amount of calories depending on the sweetener.

-Stevia with fruit ogiliosaccharides (FOS) – Stevia is a sweet herb available in powder and liquid form.
-Xylitol is a low glycemic sugar and can be used for baking and sweetening beverages. Like sugar, it does not cause yeast over growth or blood sugar imbalances.
-Single blossom honey – it is low glycemic but high in calories and carbohydrates so should be used wisely.
-Fructose – is a low glycemic sugar found naturally in fruits, it is required in less amounts as it is sweeter than sugar.
-Sucrose – is a medium glycemic sugar, should be avoided in large amounts.

Artificial sweetener or sugar substitute is calorie free but provide the sweetness of sugar. They are many times sweeter than sugar, thus a small quantity is enough to equate large quantities of sugar. People with diabetes mellitus have difficulty in metabolizing sugar in blood. Natural or an artificial sweetener is a wise choice for them as they can enjoy the sweet taste of the food without leaving any sugar in the blood to metabolize. As artificial sweeteners provide zero calories it is used by many individuals to have control over their weight or used as a part of weight loss plan.

Sugar substitutes are not fermented by the micro flora of the dental plaque and thus are non-carriogenic. There are various studies conducted to assess the safety of artificial sweeteners due to the concerns of it being carcinogenic and causing other health problems. But all the studies confirm that artificial sweeteners are safe to use for healthy population. However people with phenylketonuria (PKU) should use aspartame with caution as they can not metabolize it. One should keep in mind that a sugar free product does not mean a caloric free product. Natural sugar substitutes can be used over sugar confidently as it has many other benefits, but should be used sensibly with restrain.

Brazzein

Brazzein is a natural sugar substitute isolated form the plant Pentadiplandra brazzeanafrom West Africa. This plant was discovered by Marcel and Anette Hladik in 1985 while studying the eating pattern of apes in Gabon. The fruit of this plant is 500x-1000x sweeter than sucrose and was traditionally consumed by apes and people of Gabon for many years. These people called the fruit ‘L'oublie’ which means ‘to forget’ in french, as it was believed that this fruit is so sweet, after eating you tend to forget everything. Most of the sugar substitutes are carbohydrates, but unlike those brazzein is a naturally occurring protein based potential economic sweetener.

In fact brazzein is the smallest and the sweetest molecule of protein discovered so far. There is an increased demand of a non-caloric protein-based sweetener with favorable taste. The composition of brazzein consists of a single chain with 54 amino acid residues. It has much less calories compared to sugar and is also considered safe for people with diabetes.

Brazzein is very special for the industrial food manufacturers as it is exceptionally heat stable with pH range of 2.5 - 8. The sweetness of brazzein can be attributed to even distribution of the bridge between its four intramolecular disulfide bonds and lack of free sulfhydryl groups. With a long history of consumption, brazzein has excellent sweet potency, solubility and thermostability. Brazzein tastes purely sweet without any other secondary taste like bitter, sour or salty. But unlike a very high intensity sugar substitute, the sweetness of brazzein is not lingering in the mouth and readily washed off from the tongue. Brazzein when blended with other sweeteners, often improves the mouth feel and works well in citric acid and phosphate beverages. To provide a synergy that is qualitative and quantitative brazzein is often combined with aspartame and acesulfame-K. This blend helps to improve the taste, flavor, mouth feel and reduces the possible side effects of other sweeteners. Brazzein is often expressed in fruits, vegetables and yeast to increase their sweetness. Often brazzein is engineered in grains like wheat to make pre sweetened grains or flours. At the University of Wisconsin-Madison, brazzein was first isolated as an enzyme by Professor Bengt G. Hellekant and Ding Ming.

With ordinary milling, brazzein can be commercially extracted from genetically modified maize. Approximately 1-2 kg of brazzein can be derived from one ton maize. Brazzein is an economical alternative for the food industry because of its natural properties.

Erythritol

Erythritol is a natural sugar substitute and a polyol that is a sugar alcohol.

It is virtually non-caloric yet 70% sweet as table sugar. Erythritol has been a part of human diet since ages. At low levels erythritol is naturally found in grapes, pears and melons and found at higher levels in fermented products like wine.

Daily in our regular diets knowingly or unknowingly it is estimated that we consume approximately 30-100 mg of naturally occurring erythritol. Erythritol has been used as a sugar substitute in many products in Japan since late 1980’s. Recently it is approved for use in Canada and U.S.Under the requirements of Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for labeling, erythritol has a caloric value of 0.2 calories per gram in U.S. but Japan labels it as 0 calories (calorie free). Unlike other sugar alcohols erythritol is absorbed well in the blood stream (due to its small molecular size and structure) in small intestines and excreted in the urine unchanged with in 24 hours. As it is not absorbed in the large intestine (as most of it, around 95% is absorbed in the small intestine) it does not have any laxative effects. It is also more difficult for intestinal bacteria to digest it, so is unlikely to cause any other gastric side effects like gas or bloating like other common sugar alcohols. In general it is free of any side effects, but one should remember that if consumed in large quantities, which the body can not absorb easily, then it may cause laxative effects (1 gm per kilogram body weight is well tolerated by adults). Erythritol is safe for people with diabetes as it does not affect the blood glucose or insulin levels and can be easily replaced for sugar to make food formulated specially for people with diabetes. Erythritol is tooth friendly as unlike other sugar alcohols it is resistant to metabolism by oral bacteria that produces acid by breakdown of sugars and alcohol that may lead to loss of tooth enamel and cavities. Erythritol is a non-cariogenic polyol sweetener approved by American Dental Association and FDA and claimed that its use does not promote tooth decay.Erythritol has a clean and crisp taste, very similar to sugar, but when compared to sugar it lingers poorly in the mouth and when consumed in high concentration has a slight harsh after-feel. Due to this effect it is often combined with high intensity sweeteners like sucrose.

Fructose

What is fructose?

Fructose is a low glycemic simple sugar (monosaccharide) used by the body as a source of energy and is one of the three most important blood sugars along with glucose and galactose.

Fructose is a naturally occurring sweet sugar (twice as sweet as sucrose). Fructose is found naturally in combination with sucrose or glucose in honey, fruits mainly melons and berries, root vegetable such as sweet potatoes, beets, onions and parsnips. Sucrose is a disaccharide consisting of glucose and fructose and fructose can also be derived from sucrose by digestion.

The low glycemic index of fructose can be attributed to its structure (5-member hemiketal ring) and lengthy and unique metabolic pathway that involves multi-step enzymatic process in the liver. However fructose when given alone in pure form increases blood glucose levels in a similar amount of glucose. Pure crystalline fructose has a fruity aroma and tastes similar to cane sugar.

GULT-5 transporter is required for the absorption of fructose in the body; in case of its deficiency excess fructose is carried in to the lower intestine and acts as a nutrient for existing gut flora. This results in fructose malabsorption, bloating, loose stools, excessive flatulence and even diarrhea depending on the amounts consumed and other factors. Excess consumption of fructose is been related to obesity (central obesity), elevated triglycerides and LDL cholesterol levels that can ultimately cause metabolic syndrome. Unlike glucose fructose is processed in the liver, when amount of fructose exceeds the limit of the liver to process it, the excess of it is converted to fat and transported in the blood stream as triglycerides. Moreover the excess consumption can be due to the fact that the calorie from fructose does not make a person feel satisfied. This is a possible reason why fructose is related to weight gain. Dietary fructose is often avoided if plasma triglyceride levels are a risk factor for cardiovascular diseases. High fructose added in the processed products is due to the easy accessibility and inexpensive high fructose corn syrup. Studies show that high fructose corn syrup has similar properties to sucrose and have essential identical physiological effects.
Fructose also chelates minerals like copper, zinc and chromium in the blood. Since these micronutrients are present in small quantities, chelating effects may lead to deficiency disorders, immune system impairment, fructose intolerance or even insulin resistance (a major factor for type-2 diabetes).These effects of fructose doesn’t happen with consumed in normal amounts in natural form that is fruits and vegetables, but the problem occurs when the consumption exceeds the limit which body can handle.

Glycerol

What is glycerol?

Glycerol is a chemical compound with the formula HOCH2CH(OH)CH2OH and is sweet tasting sugar alcohol with three hydrophilic alcoholic hydroxyl groups.
Glycerol is also known as glycerin by commercial products and is widely distributed in nature in the form of esters known as glycerides. Since glycerol forms the backbone of a triglyceride molecule it is a by product obtained from fats and oils in the process of saponification or transesterification. It is a sweet, syrupy, colorless or yellow liquid and is used as a sweetener, solvent, antifreeze and plasticizer.
It is also used in the manufacture of liquid soaps, dynamite, cosmetics, ink and lubricants. In medical and pharmaceutical preparations glycerol is used to improve smoothness, lubrication and as humectant. Glycerol is used with the motive of food production for many foods and beverages.
Its unique properties like sweetener, humectant and solvent may help to preserve foods. It is used as a flavoring agent (such as vanilla), softening agent (for candies, cakes, meats and cheese), thickening agent, emulsifier and in manufacture of polyglycerol esters. Glycerol is often used in baked products because of its moisturizing properties as it prevents crystallization when added in candies and icings. Approximately glycerol is 60% as sweet as sucrose and serves 27 calories per teaspoon. It almost serves the same energy as sucrose but it does not raise blood sugar levels nor does it serves as a feed for the bacteria in oral cavity. Thus it is tooth friendly and does not cause plaque or dental cavities. Glycerol is used as a solvent, substitute to alcohol to create a therapeutic herbal extraction that is approximately 30% less absorbed by the body. Glycerol is also used as an ingredient in laxatives in the form of liquid enema (it induces hyperosmotic effect by irritating the bowel), cough syrups, elixirs and expectorants. Glycerol is also used in personal care products like tooth paste, shaving creams, hair care products, skin care products and soaps. Soap with glycerol is specially used by people with sensitive skin as it has moisturizing properties and prevents skin dryness.
It is also possible to make glycerol soap at home. Glycerol is also known as E number E422 as a food addictive. It should not be consumed in concentrated or undiluted form as in that form it tends to draw water from the body tissues and may cause gastric distress and blistering in the mouth. Glycerol these days is increasingly used in feeding animals.

Glycyrrhizin

Glycyrrhizin is an active principle of the plant licorice (glycyrrhiza glabra) and extracted from licorice root.
It is 30-50 times sweeter than sucrose. Standardized extracts of licorice available in the market have 20% glycyrrhizin. Chemically glycyrrhizin is a triterpenoid saponin and a sulphated polysaccharide. It is considered to the active constituent of the drug and the standardization of licorice is based on glycyrrhizin content.
The standardized extracts of licorice sold in the market contain 20% of glychrrhizin. Glycyrrhizin is sweet but different than sugar as the onset is lower than sugar and the taste lingers in the mouth for sometime after consumption. Although glycyrrhizin is heat stable, it has a typical flavor from licorice that makes it unfavorable as a direct sugar substitute.
It is not used as a sole sweetener but in U.S. glycyrrhizin is classified as ‘generally recognize as safe’ as a flavoring agent. It is also used as a flavoring agent in many candies, tobacco products and pharmaceuticals. Glycyrrhizin is often used in combination with other sweeteners in Japan where there were concerns over safety of artificial sweeteners and a trend to choose plant derived sugar substitutes. But due to some of its side effects Japanese government has asked the citizens to limit its consumption to 200 mg per day.Glycyrrhizin and other products with this component have a long history of medicinal value and are used in the treatment of peptic ulcer especially glycyrrhetinic acid (triterpene derivative). Glycyrrhizin has a protective effect on the liver as it may have inhibitory effect on immune mediated cytokines in the liver. The compositions of licorine root containing glycyrrhizin have been reported to decrease serum testosterone levels in males (the active component of licorice, glycyrrhizic acid interferes with the enzyme which catalyzes the conversion of androstenedione to testosterone). Glycyrrhizin also has anti-HIV, anti-inflammatory and anti-viral properties, but more scientific researches are required regarding its safety and effectiveness in these areas. Glycyrrhiza has many potential side effects like hypertension, hypokalemia and fluid retention or edema.
Glycyrrhizin inhibits the enzyme which converts cortisol to cortisone in the kidney; as a result cortisol levels increase with in the collecting duct of the kidney. This cortisol acts like aldosterone and increases sodium re absorption leading to edema. This can be avoided by removing glycyrrhiza from licorice – the resulting compound deglycyrrhizinated licorice (DGL) does not contribute to any metabolic disadvantage and can be used in the treatment of ulcers.

Lactitol

Lactitol is a disaccharide sugar alcohol (polyol) used as a replacement bulk sweetener.
It is derived from natural milk sugar lactose (manufactured by reducing the glucose of lactose) with approximately 40% of the sweetness of sugar. Compared to a typical carbohydrate that provides 4 calories per gram, lactitol provides 2.4 calories per gram. The clean sweet taste of lactitol is similar to the taste profile of sucrose.
It is a low calorie sweetener produced by two manufacturers Danisco and Purac Biochem and they market it in both anhydrous and monohydrate form. Due to its stability, solubility, and similar taste to sucrose it is used in variety of low fat and low energy foods such as chocolates, sugar free candies preparation, chewing gums, baked goods and sugar substitutes. Unlike lactose, lactitol is not hydrolyzed by the enzyme lactase for its metabolism.
It is in fact neither hydrolyzed nor absorbed in the small intestine but is metabolized in the large intestine by the bacteria’s and is converted to biomass, organic acid, carbon dioxide and small amount of hydrogen. The further metabolism of organic acid results in a caloric distribution of 2 calories per gram. Lactitol like other sugar alcohols (sorbitol, mannitol, maltitol and xylitol) is approved by Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as ‘generally recognized as safe’. Most of the countries around the world have approved the use of lactitol in many food products. FDA has also approved it as a food addictive and is not associated with tooth decay or causing increases in blood sugar levels. Lactitol is a white crystalline powder with clean sweet taste and no noted after taste. Lactitol is non hygroscopic that is it does not absorb water in the products when used and help to increase the shelf life by maintaining the quality of a product for example it helps to maintain crispiness and freshness of cookies and chewing gum. It is heat stable, stable in acidic and alkaline conditions and has similar solubility to glucose. Moreover due to its mild sweetness and low calories it can be combined with other high intensity sweeteners and be used as a replacement bulk sweetener.
As lactitol is fermented in the large intestine it has beneficial effects on the colonic micro flora. Lactitol functions as a prebiotic as an increase in the prebiotic bacteria along with a decrease in pH of the colon resulting in significant reduction of potential pathogens in the colon. As lactitol contributes almost half the calories of sucrose, has a low glycemic index and does not induce an increase in blood sugar or insulin levels it is considered safe for consumption for people with diabetes. Compared to sugar it helps control blood sugar levels, insulin levels, body weight and lipids in the body of a person with diabetes.

Maltitol

What is maltitol?

Maltitol is a sugar alcohol and is commonly used as a natural sugar substitute.
Except for browning it has very identical properties to sucrose and has 75 - 90% sweetens of sucrose. Compared to other carbohydrates which give 4 calories per gram, maltitol gives 2.1 calories per gram thus due to its fewer calories it is often used to replace table sugar (sucrose).
Commercially maltitol is known as Maltisorb and Maltisweet (trade names), it is basically a disaccharide and produced from corn and its products. Maltose obtained from the starch of corn undergoes hydrogenation to give maltitol.
Compared to other sugar alcohols, maltitol is very subtle and has similar effects to sucrose; its high sweetness also allows it to combine with other high intensity sweeteners and use in low calorie food products as a sugar substitute. Maltitol is most commonly used in the production of sweets like chocolates, chewing gums, sugarless hard candies, ice creams and baked goods. Although maltitol has lesser effect on blood sugar levels (as it somewhat gets slowly absorbed than sucrose thus more suitable for people with diabetes) and also is not associated with tooth decay (as it is not metabolized by oral bacteria), but it is known to cause gastric distress if consumed in large quantities. As it is absorbed slowly in the gut it has a laxative effect and sometimes can cause bloating or flatulence if consumed in high amounts. Thus people with gastric problems like anal leakage should use fibrous foods or other sugar alcohols along with maltitol wisely to avoid any complications. Even after liquifying intense heat application, maltitol does not get brown or caramelize.
As maltitol has exceptional sugar like properties it is often used in large quantities by the food manufacturers, thus consumers often end up consuming maltitol far more than any other sugar alcohol or substitute. It is true that maltitol is a low calorie sweetener but one should keep in mind that it provides around 2 calories per gram and the products in which it is used are not necessarily calorie free or fat free. Moreover maltitol syrup has a glycemic index of 52 which is close to that of a table sugar which has glycemic index of 60. The powdered form of maltitol has a glycemic index of 36, which is still higher when compared to other artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols. Thus people with diabetes should keep this in mind before consuming maltitol as a sweetener or table sugar.

Mannitol

Mannitol is a sugar alcohol or a polyol originally isolated from manna.
It is also commonly referred as Mannite or Manna sugar and similar to xylitol or sorbitol. Commonly a substance such as sodium bicarbonate is added to adjust its pH as it tends to lose a hydrogen ion in aqueous solution and causes the solution to become acidic. Mannitol has a negative heat solution and thus can give a cooling effect or fresh feeling to the product; it is commonly used in breath freshening candies.
Mannitol can be used by diabetics as a sweetener as it does not affect the blood sugar and insulin levels. People with diabetes can thus have a wide variety of foods to choose and satisfy their sweet tooth. Mannitol is occasionally used as an adulterant or cutting agent for illicit drugs like heroin or methamphetamines.
When mannitol is used for this purpose it is often referred as baby laxative in many films or television shows depicting drug culture. Mannitol is sometimes sold as laxative for children (in larger doses more than 20 gm it acts as a laxative), as due to its sweet taste children consume it easily. Clinically mannitol is used as a treatment to reduce marginally raised intracranial pressure until more definitive treatment is given (the use of mannitol in this area is currently under controversy). It is believed that mannitol is filtered by glomerulus of the kidney when administered intravenously but there is decrease in water and sodium reabsorption due to its osmotic effects (as it is incapable of being reabsorbed from the renal tubule). Thus mannitol decreases the extra cellular fluid volume by increasing water and sodium excretion. Mannitol can temporarily shrink the tightly coupled endothelial cells that make up the blood brain barrier, thus it helps to open the blood brain barrier and in turn helps in the delivery of various drugs directly to the brain (helpful in the treatment of Alzheimer’s disease). Mannitol cannot cross biological membranes as it is a non permeable molecule. As it is readily absorbed in blood it is sometimes used to encapsulate a sharp object while it’s passing through the venous system (by the time it reaches its destination the sharp object will be exposed). During a cardiopulmonary bypass mannitol is commonly used in the circuit prime of a heart lung machine.
While a patient is on a bypass, the presence of mannitol helps to preserve renal function during the times of low blood flow and pressure. This is done by preventing the endothelial cells in the kidney to swell, which may have otherwise reduced the blood flow and resulted in cell damage. Mannitol is also used for the diagnostic test for airway hyper responsiveness and is being developed by Australian pharmaceutical company for the treatment of bronchiectasis and cystic fibrosis.

Natural Sugar Substitutes

Life of a person should be full of sweetness, natural sweetness.
Nature has offered a lot of choice for this. Sugar is a favorite and most overused substance world wide. But sugar provides calories and excess sugar consumption is related to many health problems like obesity and anxiety.
It is important to satisfy the sweet tooth, but this can be done by replacing sugar with natural sugar substitutes. Natural sugar substitutes are the ones found naturally in fruits and vegetables or derived by processing the sugar molecule itself. These include brazzein, xylitol, fructose, glycerol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, sorbitol, mannitol, erythritol, glycyrrhizin, lactitol, mabinlin, miraculin, monellin, pentadin, tagatose and thaumatin.
Natural sugar substitutes or natural sweetener provides some amount of calories depending on the sweetener.
Stevia with fruit ogiliosaccharides (FOS) – Stevia is a sweet herb available in powder and liquid form.
Xylitol is a low glycemic sugar and can be used for baking and sweetening beverages. Like sugar, it does not cause yeast over growth or blood sugar imbalances.
Single blossom honey – it is low glycemic but high in calories and carbohydrates so should be used wisely.
Fructose – is a low glycemic sugar found naturally in fruits, it is required in less amounts as it is sweeter than sugar.
Sucrose – is a medium glycemic sugar, should be avoided in large amounts. Artificial sweetener or sugar substitute is calorie free but provide the sweetness of sugar. They are many times sweeter than sugar, thus a small quantity is enough to equate large quantities of sugar. People with diabetes mellitus have difficulty in metabolizing sugar in blood. Natural or an artificial sweetener is a wise choice for them as they can enjoy the sweet taste of the food without leaving any sugar in the blood to metabolize. As artificial sweeteners provide zero calories it is used by many individuals to have control over their weight or used as a part of weight loss plan.
Sugar substitutes are not fermented by the micro flora of the dental plaque and thus are non-carriogenic. There are various studies conducted to assess the safety of artificial sweeteners due to the concerns of it being carcinogenic and causing other health problems. But all the studies confirm that artificial sweeteners are safe to use for healthy population. However people with phenylketonuria (PKU) should use aspartame with caution as they can not metabolize it. One should keep in mind that a sugar free product does not mean a caloric free product. Natural sugar substitutes can be used over sugar confidently as it has many other benefits, but should be used sensibly with restrain.

Sorbitol

Sorbitol is a sugar alcohol (polyol) that is also known as glucitol.
It is slowly metabolized by the body and is a bulk sweetener found in numerous food products. Sorbitol is obtained by changing the aldehyde group to an additional hydroxyl group by reducing glucose. Sorbitol has 1/3rd fewer calories and is about 60% sweeter than sucrose. Besides being used in processed foods, sorbitol is also used in cosmetics and pharmaceuticals.
Sorbitol is often referred as a nutritive sweetener as it provides 2.6 calories per gram verses the average 4 calories per gram of a carbohydrate. Sorbitol occurs naturally in many foods including fruits and berries especially from the trees of the genus Sorbus. It is also commercially produced by hydrogenation of glucose. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has affirmed sorbitol as ‘Generally Recognized as Safe’ (GRAS) and approved its use in various countries.
It has an E number E420 as a food addictive and is group under ‘other natural agents’Sorbitol is used as an inactive ingredient in various cough syrups. Sorbitol when consumed in higher amounts 10-50 gm or more can cause gastro-intestinal problems like abdominal pain, flatulence/gas formation and mild to severe diarrhea. It can also aggravate conditions like irritable bowel syndrome and fructose malabsorption. Sorbitol is used as a sugar substitute in various foods like ice creams, sugar free chewing gums, sugar-free candies, frozen desserts, baked foods and diet drinks. Sorbitol is heat stable and is chemically unreactive and very stable. It also does not participate in maillard reactions, as a result is used in products like cookies where a brown appearance is not desired. Sorbitol is non-carriogenic and does not contribute to dental plaques or dental carries as it is resistant to metabolism by bacteria in the oral cavity. For sugar free foods that contain sorbitol or other sugar alcohol the FDA has approved its use and can mention ‘does not promote tooth decay’ on the health claim labeling. In oral suppression or suppository form sorbitol can be used as a non-stimulant laxative. Drugs with sorbitol stimulate the bowel movements by drawing water in to the large intestine. This can be helpful especially in old age, as sorbitol use is determined to be safe in elderly. As sorbitol is absorbed slowly in the body it does not cause significant rise in blood glucose and insulin levels.
Thus products with sorbitol as a sweetener can be consumed by people with diabetes wisely. Although our body produces sorbitol naturally, yet it is poorly digested and may cause cell damage. Excess sorbitol accumulated in the eyes and nerves is related to diabetic retinopathy and neuropathy (excess glucose that goes through polyol pathway).

Tagatose

Tagatose is a functional sweetener and has a very similar structure to fructose.
Tagatose is a naturally occurring monosaccharide that can be found in some dairy products in small amounts for example milk sugar extract, but it can be commercially produced from lactose. Lactose is first hydrolyzed to glucose and galactose; galactose in turn is isomerized by calcium hydroxine under alkaline conditions to get D-tagatose. This is then purified to get a solid tagatose with the help of crystallization, chromatography and demineralization.
It is 92% as sweet as sucrose and has a similar texture to sucrose but has only 38 % (provides 1.5 calories per gram) of the calories. Tagatose has been since 2001 and the Food and Drug Administration has approved it in the year 2003 as a food addictive and GRAS ‘generally recognized as safe’. Unlike sucrose tagatose metabolism is different in the body and has minimal effects on blood sugar and insulin levels.
Only 15-20 % of tagatose is absorbed in small intestine and although it has a similar structure to fructose it is incompletely absorbed in the body. Rest of the ingested tagatose is fermented by the microflora in the colon producing short chain fatty acids that are completely absorbed and metabolized. Tagatose has great taste, low carbohydrate impact and high functionally. Because of these properties it is used in wide range of foods to improve quality of the product. Tagatose can be used in diet soft drinks, health bars, ready-to-eat cereals, frozen yoghurt or non fat ice cream, hard confectionary, soft confectionary, frosting and chewing gums. Tagatose can be used as a flavor enhancer and can also be used in combination with other high intensity sweeteners like aspartame, acesulfame-K or sucralose. This combination in fact helps to reduce bitterness in a product and even speeds up the onset of sweetness. It is ideal for the regular soft drinks as when combined with other high intensity sweeteners it creates a synergetic flavor enhancing effect. Tagatose is pH stable, heat stable and also stable in acidic medium and enhances specific flavor in various applications.
It is ideal for use in frostings due to its crystallization properties. Although tagatose is heat stable, it tends to caramelize when subjected to certain temperature. Thus its use is not appropriate in the baked products where browning is undesirable. Although safety of tagatose is studied in humans, some sensitive individuals may have mild gastrointestinal discomfort. Tagatose is tooth-friendly and does not promote plaque formation or tooth decay as unlike other sugars it is not fermented and is resistant to the micro flora in the mouth.

Stevia

Stevia also known as sweet leaf or sugar leaf is a South American herb used as a sweetener.
Stevia when used as a sweetener has a slow onset and a longer duration than sugar. At high concentrations some of its extracts might have bitter or licorice like after taste.
Stevia extract have up to 300 times sweetness of sugar. Stevia is an attractive natural sweetener option for diabetics as it has negligible effect on the blood sugar level and even enhances glucose tolerance.
It has also gained attention due to its positive effects in the treatment of obesity and high blood pressure with the help of carbohydrate controlled diets and low sugar food alternatives. However due to some health and political controversies stevia is not readily available on the shelves of the superstore in many countries as the Food and Drug Administration has turned down the request of its use in foods in U.S. Although it is not used as a food addictive in most of the countries, it is widely used as a dietary supplement (FDA has little control in this field) in many countries and in Japan it is widely used as a natural sweetener. Stevioside and rebaudioside are the two glycosides responsible for the sweet taste of stevia. They were isolated in 1931 by a french chemist and are 250-300 times sweeter than table sugar sucrose, also they were heat stable, pH stable and non-fermentable and thus can be used in many stevia recipes that are low in carbohydrates. Stevia and stevia leaf has been consumed for many years without any scientific research for its safety and effectiveness (in Japan it is used for more than 30 years with out any reported averse effect). Stevia when consumed in small amounts (1 or 2 serving per day in tea or coffee) is considered safe, however when consumed in larger amounts (if allowed to use it as a food addictive in diet sodas or other products) it might pose a public health threat.
Stevia may affect the male reproductive organ system by reducing the sperm count, increased proliferation of the cells in the testicles and may even cause infertility problems. Stevia is also associated with cancer as it is believed that it may get converted in to a mutagenic compound and may promote cancer. It may even interfere with the energy metabolism in the body. However to prove these effect more human based scientific researches are required. It is very important to derive the standard safety dose of stevia and clear these health controversies before it is approved to be used as a food addictive or a sweetener in products widely used by people.

Xylitol

What is xylitol?

Xylitol is a natural sugar substitute and is also known as brich sugar or wood sugar.
Xylitol is naturally present in various fruits and vegetables that include oats, corn husks, different berries and mushrooms. It can also be extracted from corn, corn fiber, plums and raspberries. Xylitol provides roughly same sweetness as sucrose but has low food energy (provides 2.4 calories per gram).
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and was first derived form brich trees in 19th century in Finland, which is considered as its home country. Today corn fiber extracts are popular as a source of xylitol. Xylitol like other sugar alcohol has less impact on blood sugar and insulin levels and is marketed as ‘safe for diabetics and people with hyperglycemia’. Also it is absorbed slowly in the body and provides 40% less food energy when compared to the table sweeteners.
It has zero net effective carbohydrates and virtually no after taste. Xylitol gum and xylitol mints are very popular in Finland and it is used in almost all the chewing gums. Xylitol sugar is a tooth-friendly natural sugar and does not promote plaque formation or dental carries, on the other hand xylitol actively helps to repair the minor tooth cavities caused by dental carries. It is believed that this effect may be due to chemical properties that attracts and starves the harmful microorganisms in the oral cavity, allowing the mouth to remineralize damaged teeth or the minor cavity with less interruption. Xylitol is however not appropriate for making yeast based breads as it exhibits this same effects. U.S. Food and Drug Administration have allowed xylitol based products to make medical claim that they are not involved in the process of dental carries. Xylitol unlike other sugars improves bone density and prevents weakening of the bones, thus may have a potential as a treatment for osteoporosis. Unlike glucose, galactose and sucrose xylitol consumption may prevent proliferation and help control oral infections of candida yeast.
Xylitol chewing gum may also be beneficial to prevent ear infections. Xylitol prevents the growth of bacteria in the eustachian tube (a tube that connects nose and ear) and the action of chewing and swallowing helps in the disposal of earwax. Like other sugar alcohols xylitol when consumed at high doses might have a mild laxative effect. Many people have consumed xylitol for long period of times in high quantities as much as 400 gm per day with no known toxicity. However when consumed greater than 100 mg per kg body weight can be life threatening and is associated with hypoglycemia. This can manifest in depression, loss of coordination, collapse or seizure.