In our wheat-free lifestyle, having an occasional sweet indulgence can be nice. Recipes such as cheesecake or cookies, for instance, require some amount of sweetener. So how can we choose our sweeteners and minimize adverse physiologic consequences? Understanding the use of these benign sweeteners can be especially helpful for holiday cooking, entertaining family and friends, keeping the kids happy, as well as for enjoying an occasional indulgence. (Surely you’ve tried my Pecan Streusel Coffee Cake!)
Choose sucrose (common table sugar) and we are exposed to the 50% fructose contained in the glucose:fructose molecule. Fructose is so awful at so many points in metabolism that it is worth absolutely minimizing. This is why we banish sucrose, high-fructose corn syrup, agave, and minimize honey and maple syrup. We also avoid the sugar alcohols sorbitol, maltitol, lactitol, and mannitol; they cause vigorous rises in blood sugar and provocation of small LDL particles, not to mention gas and diarrhea. Beware of the common usage of these sugar alcohol sweeteners in “sugar-free” ice cream and frozen yogurt, and sugar-free candy.
There are several good choices among benign sweeteners, but navigating among them can be confusing. You should be aware that non-nutritive and otherwise benign sweeteners, due to their sweetness, have the potential to increase appetite. Use these sweeteners sparingly, adding only enough to make your recipe slightly and pleasantly sweet. Also, recall that the majority of people who are wheat- and grain-free experience heightened sensitivity to sweetness and the need for sweeteners of any sort diminishes over time and only modest amounts are needed.
More recently, sweeteners such as aspartame, saccharine, and sucralose (Splenda) have been shown to introduce unhealthy changes into bowel flora that can contribute to insulin resistance, so these sweeteners are on the “avoid” list.
Here is my list of sweeteners that have proven to be benign and can be used in the Wheat Belly and other healthy wheat/grain-free recipes:
Stevia and rebiana
While stevia has been around in the U.S. for decades as a “nutritional supplement,” it recently received a boost into mainstream use with the FDA’s “Generally Recognized As Safe,” or GRAS, designation in 2008 for its rebaudioside component, also known as rebiana. Stevia plants are naturally sweet, often called “sweet leaf.” Some people grow the plants and chew the leaves for their sweetness or add the leaves to recipes.
Stevia is widely available as powdered and liquid extracts that, in addition to the rebiana, have the other sweet components of the stevia leaf. But be careful: Many of the powdered extracts are made with maltodextrin to add volume or to mimic the look and feel of sugar. Maltodextrin is a polymer of glucose produced from corn or wheat. The maltodextrin may therefore represent a potential source of wheat gluten exposure for people who are extremely sensitive, as well as a source of sugar, since it is essentially a chain of glucose molecules. Stevia in the Raw is one such brand made with maltodextrin that we avoid. Ideally, use stevia extracts that are pure liquid or powdered stevia or made with inulin that can contribute to positive prebiotic fiber effects on bowel flora.
Liquid stevia extracts are highly concentrated with little else but stevia and water. The quantity required to equal the sweetness of sugar varies from brand to brand. The SweetLeaf brand, for instance, claims that two drops of their Stevia Clear extract equals one teaspoon of sugar, while some other brands require five drops for equivalent sweetness.
Some people experience an unpleasant aftertaste with stevia. If you experience this, you can reduce this effect by combining sweeteners, e.g., stevia + monkfruit, or stevia + erythritol, of purchase a pre-mixed product (listed below).
Monkfruit (lo han guo)
Monkfruit is a relatively newcomer. Like stevia, it is a natural product obtained from a fruit that grows in China and Thailand, causing it to be available in only limited supplies. Of all the sweeteners, this is the one that, to my palate, provides the nicest level of sweetness without the aftertaste that some people experience with stevia. I’ve been using a liquid extract that bears the Skinny Girl label, $2.99 at a mainstream grocery store. I’ve used it in a variety of ways and have not encountered any negative aspects in flavor, baking, etc.
Monkfruit has been studied extensively and no adverse effects have been identified.
Erythritol
Erythritol is a naturally occurring sugar alcohol, i.e., a carbohydrate with an OH group attached and thereby labeled an alcohol, though it has nothing to do with ethanol. It is found in gram quantities in fruit. In commercial production, erythritol is produced from glucose with a process using yeast. Some brands are sourced from corn; you should be aware of this in case you experience an adverse effect that may be due to the small quantity of corn protein residues, though they should be negligible and not a concern for most of us. Also like xylitol (below), osmotic gas and bloating generally does not occur as it does with common sugar alcohols mannitol and sorbitol.
Over 80% of ingested erythritol is excreted in the urine, the remaining 20% metabolized by bacteria in the colon. For this reason, it yields no increase in blood sugar even with a “dose” of 15 teaspoons all at once. There are less than 1.6 calories per teaspoon in erythritol. Limited studies have demonstrated modest reductions blood sugar and hemoglobin A1c (a reflection of the previous 60 days’ blood sugar) in people with diabetes who use erythritol. Erythritol also appears to reduce potential for dental decay.
Erythritol is somewhat less sweet than table sugar. It also has a unique “cooling” sensation, similar to that of peppermint, though less intense. It may therefore confer a cooling sensation to your baked products. It also does not hold up in baking quite as well as stevia.
Xylitol
Xylitol, like erythritol, is a form of sugar alcohol but without the gastrointestinal effects like sorbitol or maltitol (unless extreme quantities are used, which we do not). Xylitol is found naturally in fruits and vegetables. It is also produced by the human body as part of normal metabolism.
Teaspoon for teaspoon, xylitol is equivalent in sweetness to sucrose. It yields two thirds of the calories of sucrose and, because digestion occurs in the small intestine rather than the stomach, triggers a slower and less sharp rise in blood glucose than sucrose. Most people experience minimal rise in blood glucose with xylitol. In one study of slender young volunteers, for instance, six teaspoons of sucrose increased blood sugar by 36 mg/dl, while xylitol increased it 6 mg/dl. Interestingly, several studies have demonstrated positive health effects, including prevention of tooth decay and ear infections in children, both due to xylitol’s effects on inhibiting bacterial growth in the mouth.
Xylitol can be used interchangeably with sugar in recipes. It also has the least effect on changing baking characteristics. While traditionally produced from birch trees, more recent large scale production uses corn as its source. While I am no fan of corn, particularly genetically-modified corn, the purified xylitol, as with erythritol, likely does not provide substantial exposure to corn proteins. You should know that xylitol is toxic to dogs and they should not be allowed to ingest any at all.
Inulin
Inulin is available as a white powder. While classified as a fiber, it provides a mild sweetness while also providing a useful prebiotic fiber/resistant starch effect for cultivation of bowel flora. It is most useful as a sweetener when combined with another safe sweetener such as stevia or monkfruit.
There are also combinations of safe sweeteners that you can purchase. Among the best are:
Wheat-Free Market’s Virtue Sweetener–A combination of erythritol and monkfruit that uniquely yields sweetness 4-times that of sugar, meaning a little goes a long way and thereby making it among the most economical of natural sweeteners.
Swerve–A combination of erythritol and inulin useful for baking.
Truvia–While I am not fond of the manufacturer (Cargill), this is a pretty good product, a combination of rebiana (from stevia) and erythritol.
What about organic unsulphured blackstrap molasses?
re: What about organic unsulphured blackstrap molasses?
As I recall, this is actually called for in some WB recipes, which reinforces a point I made in another dialog on this thread – actual sugar is not a problem within whole-meal/whole-interval net carb guidelines.
Blackstrap molasses is 61% net carb, and all of that is sugar. Just work out how much ends up in a portion. You may assume that any WB recipes that call for it have already worked that out.
Does anyone know any thing about Coconut Flower syrup? This is appearing on the shelves in Bangkok and is promoted as low GI (which I know isn’t part of Wheat Belly…) I can’t get on with stevia. I don’t have a particularly sweet tooth but occasionally would like to be able to use something to add a bit of sweet! Thanks in advance.
re: … any thing about Coconut Flower syrup?
The only nutritional info I could find was on a label on Amazon, with the product description misspelled. Hard to tell if the data is credible, because the label doesn’t conform to US standards, but it appears that this syrup is 60% net carbs, and probably all of that is sugars (conveniently listed as “Others” under carbs).
re: … promoted as low GI …
Coconut palm sugar is also promoted that way, and its GI is a not-low 35. This stuff is probably in the same ballpark, but it could also be that it’s high in fructose, which is used used to fool diabetics into thinking that it’s “low GI” because it doesn’t spike blood sugar immediately like glucose does. Fructose nails you later.
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I know that a lot of people recommend a sweetner called “Swerve”… it is the most disgusting, vile, horrible tasting sweetner in the world! I put a small teaspoon of this junk in my coffee and almost vomited right there. And this is what is recommended by Wheat Belly? Think I’ll pass on that aspect of the diet. While I did give up all artificial sweetners, including aspartame, let me say that even though I know that aspartame is poison, or at least that’s what they say, I never had a bad reaction to it, and never had any weird withdrawal symptoms either, and its been months now… so I kind of wonder if this is all a lot of nonsense. Anyway, I use SUGAR, as in REAL, NATURAL, cane sugar. My grandmother used sugar, and my mother used sugar, and they both had healthy lives. So that’s what I’m going with. I cannot understand how these disgusting sweetners such as stevia and Swerve can be good substitutes for the real deal. Seems way over the top to me. And let me say before anyone goes off, I am a supporter of Wheat Belly, follow the non-wheat/grain/corn/rice diet, and have felt the better for it. But the sugar part of it, all nonsense in my opinion, which I know no one cares about, but just sayin’ and warning others about Swerve, which by the way, was so overpriced its a crime! (ten dollars for a tiny package of this poison!)
re: … “Swerve”… it is the most disgusting, vile, horrible tasting sweetner in the world!
Well, that’s why the recommended alternative sweeteners is a list. People have both preferences and reactions. The ideal added sweetener might be none at all, but that’s challenging for a lot of people, thus the list. I don’t think we use Swerve in my household, but I don’t see anything in it that would be the obvious cause of your reaction, and the archival traffic in the blog doesn’t really suggest an answer either. I see principally complaints about stevia.
re: … even though I know that aspartame is poison, or at least that’s what they say, I never had a bad reaction to it, and never had any weird withdrawal symptoms either, …
Adverse reactions appear to be prompt primarily for people with phenylketonuria. Aspartame is suspected as a more insidious agent for a wide variety of ailments in everyone, however, and looking at the various lists, I’m wondering if the root of most of them is being a gut biome antagonist. Personally, I’ve been avoiding the stuff since it was introduced.
re: … I kind of wonder if this is all a lot of nonsense. Anyway, I use SUGAR, as in REAL, NATURAL, cane sugar. My grandmother used sugar, and my mother used sugar, and they both had healthy lives.
Real natural cane sugar is a late neolithic substance. Until global shipping became practical, consumption of it was limited to where it grew naturally. The spread of sucrose is the spread of a long list of modern ailments, starting in the mouth. Either HbA1c matters, or it doesn’t. Got any idea what your number is?
Anyhow, your grandma probably used a lot less than people do today (due to cost). And to be fair, you might have a genotype that is more tolerant of carbs (I suspect TG and HbA1c would tell the tale). Personally, I consider added simple sugars to be the #2 thing to dial to zero in diet. Replacing them with safe alternative sweeteners is optional.
re: I cannot understand how these disgusting sweetners such as stevia and Swerve can be good substitutes for the real deal.
Probably because not everyone has such a reaction to them, or if they do, they simply pick another that works for them. Further, on a low-carb high-fat diet, most people lose the craving for, and even the taste for sweet, and consume less sweet stuff.
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I used to think sugar was the best option, so avoided sweeteners like the plague until I came to realise that the biggest problem with sugar is not the fructose per se, but the fact that it has been stripped of virtually all the nutritional elements we need in order to process it.
Whole foods come as a complete package with all their nutrition intact. But anything that is lacking any one or more of its complete array of elements actually robs the body of more than it gives.
We are made of the elements. We need those elements in order to be able to thrive. If your body is able to absorb more than enough of those elements from your food so that you can process sugar without any problems you are very fortunate. But the huge swathe of degenerative issues like tooth decay, weak hair & nails, skin problems, neuropathies, ataxias, muscular issues, cognitive issues, diabetes, joint aches & pains, heart problems, etc., etc., is a big indication that many people can’t.
Thiamin deficiency for instance, can lead to sub-clinical and insidious Beri-Beri, and Thiamin (B1) is very much needed for sugar and carbohydrate digestion amongst a host of functions. Where is it mostly found? In the bits that have been removed during grain and sugar processing…….
re: … the biggest problem with sugar is not the fructose per se, …
Most natural sugars contain both glucose and fructose (and some other simple saccharides, but those two primarily). Glucose and fructose present separate hazards. Glucose generally becomes blood glucose promptly. Fructose spikes TG. Humans are pretty good at this – no extra substances required, nor do extra elements moderate those metabolic responses to any great degree.
re: … but the fact that it has been stripped of virtually all the nutritional elements we need in order to process it.
That’s the sales pitch for what may or may not be actual ‘natural’ sugars, such as those derived from coconut, but I’ve never seen any explanation of how the extra micronutrients are supposed to beneficially affect metabolism. They may well be things we need, but the BG and TG excursions aren’t worth getting those micros that way.
re: Whole foods come as a complete package with all their nutrition intact.
My impression of the main effect of whole fruits is that being bound up in cells, the absorption of the sugars is delayed, causing less of a spike. This is also why fruit JUICES are such a problem; the processing mechanically breaks down most of the cell walls. All the other micros, and fibers are there, but they don’t help with the BG and TG spikes.
This further means: even with whole fruits, you do digest it all eventually, usually in the upper GI, so mind the net carbs in fruit. Some are so high that any reasonable portion size might as well be candy.
There are a number of books and dissident diets out there in which sugar is considered the #1 hazard. It’s not, in my view, but added sugar is an easy #2. And many of those anti-sugar evangelicals completely miss that other carbs (like grains) become blood glucose just as fast as table sugar.
If you want the older you to hate the younger you, sure, chow down on natural sugars.
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My great grandmother, grandmother and mother had NO medical issues regarding use of sugar; they did not abuse the use, but everything in moderation is fine… will stick with NATURAL cane sugar, used like forever, fine so long as you are not shoveling it into your mouth all day long; which I’m not… better than any of these other so-called natural sweetners like that horrible junk Swerve which made me want to vomit! Or Stevia which is WORSE than sugar could ever be… Splenda tastes like garbage… but Equal was fantastic though I gave up all aspartame months ago, with not one weird withdrawal symptom… better than the horrible poison Swerve which I cannot believe doesn’t have some kind of bug spray in it!
re: … but everything in moderation is fine…
The only thing that’s safe in moderation is moderation.
Since you didn’t respond to the HbA1c question, what do you consider to be a moderate sugar intake?
If it’s such that your total net carbs are under 50/day and 15/meal (not just the sugar), then using real sugar would actually not be a big problem. But I can’t tell if that’s you propose.
Any more than that keeps a person in full-time glycemic metabolism. HbA1c is perhaps the most useful marker for that, being a pretty reliable proxy for average net carb consumption over the last 90 days. Here are a couple of mortality charts:
http://www.thefatemperor.com/blog/2015/3/21/blood-glucose-and-heart-disease-great-hba1c-associational-study-lchf2015
The data is probably not materially confounded by diet, because you can’t get low HbA1c on a standard diet without also having other odd pathologies present. Those living at the bottom of the curve are almost certainly very low net carb. Here are target values for that from various sources:
8.0% ADA “less stringent”
7.0% ADA “reasonable goal”
6.5% ADA “more stringent”
5.2% Perlmutter (Grain Brain)
5.0% Davis (Wheat Belly)
4.7% Bernstein (Diabetes Solution)
“More stringent” is ADA-speak for “our grain and sugar industry sponsors bet you can’t do that”.
TG (triglycerides) is another such marker, and the subject of a recent article here by Dr.Davis. If weight is stable, a TG above 60 indicates a glycemic diet.
re: will stick with NATURAL cane sugar, …
Natural assures about as much with sugar as it does with tobacco.
re: … used like forever, …
It was luxury item in most places until the 18th century. It was used sparingly until the latter half of the 20th century. Most people alive today have no memory of a time when sugar wasn’t cheap. But it wasn’t that long ago.
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re: As far as what my levels of whatever nonsense you’re talking about, how do I know? My health care is Medicaid, we don’t get any kind of decent health care, …
TG (triglyceride) is fully covered by Medicaid as part of the normal lipid (‘cholesterol’) panel. HbA1c (hemoglobin A1c) is a test fully covered by Medicaid if you have any of several (unfortunately all too common) signs of metabolic syndrome, being pre-diabetic, or having frank diabetes. If you’ve been requesting copies of your labs, you may have some recent numbers for these tests.
You can certainly ask about HbA1c at the annual free Wellness screening. If you have to pay for the test, it can be as little as $22.
That amount of money would also buy a blood glucose meter and a supply of test strips, see:
https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2014/10/blood-sugar-tool-fingertips/
You do have to run a lot of those to learn the same thing one HbA1c will tell you. Home A1c meters are available, too, but they are about 10x as expensive, and not commonly used for that reason.
re: We have to be our own advocates …
That’s what Wheat Belly Total Health is about. It’s why I’m here, sharing what I’ve learned.
re: So I have to do all my research on my own.
As do we all, and blood glucose level may actually be at the top of the list of important labs. Without the numbers (A1c, TG, BG), a person has no idea what sugar is doing to them.
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Quick word on allergies. I have found out the hard way, so FYI: if you are allergic to ragweed, avoid stevia, as they are in the same family. If you are allergic to corn, be sure to use birch xylitol rather than corn xylitol.
Would just like to warn people that if they are very allergic to ragweed they should be careful using products that are derived from chicory root. Ragweed and chicory root are in the same family, so if you’re allergic to one, most likely the other. I’ve tried Swerve a couple times, reaction both times and determined it was the chicory root as I’m very allergic to ragweed. No allergy issues with stevia or erythritol
haha. I just saw your post AFTER I posted mine. Great minds and all that… ( :
Actually though, stevia is also related to ragweed. I used it for a long time and never realized it was the cause of nasty green gunk in my ear and head congestion for months. As soon as I went off stevia, it all cleared up within 3 days.
I don’t seem to be very bothered by stevia and have been using if for years, but maybe I’ll try switching to something else and see if I notice a difference. I have an immediate reaction to Swerve (throat feels funny). I just googled stevia and ragweed and did find that they are in the same family like you said. Very good to know this, thanks
Just purchased Pyure Organic Stevia. Ingredients: Organic Erythritol,Organic Rev A (Stevia Extract), Natural Flavor. Not sure about the Natural Flavor. Have you seen this one and what are your thoughts, I am not sure about the Natural Flavor?? Thank you for your help..
re: … Pyure Organic Stevia … Not sure about the Natural Flavor.
per: http://www.pyuresweet.com/faq/
`What is your “Natural Flavor”?
Our “Natural Flavor” only makes up about 0.55 % of our blend and is derived from a combination of rice hulls (or rice husks) and citric acid.’
That’s not enough rice to amount to any net carb, but rice does raise the issues of WGA (wheat germ agglutinin) and arsenic. At under 1% of something we end up using only small amounts of, I’m going to suggest it’s not a big deal.
It is, however, entirely reasonable to raise an eyebrow when “natural flavor” is seen in an ingredients list. It’s a legally authorized euphemism that can disguise all sorts of troubling substances, commonly MSG and its analogs.
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What about adding dates to sweeten a fruit smoothie?
re: What about adding dates to sweeten a fruit smoothie?
That sweetness is simple sugar. Be sure to run the numbers on the specific variety of dates. A single date of some varieties can bust the 15 gram net carb budget. Deglet noor tend to be the lowest in sugars, but they are still around 4 grams per date.
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Why is honey bad?
re: Why is honey bad?
It’s largely a simple saccharide, whose conjectured benefits do not offset its hazards if used in more than nominal quantities (above WB net carb targets). If someone insists on using natural sugars, it might well be the least damaging … if it’s actually real honey, and if a number of other troubling questions are settled.
I wrote up a summary for Wheat Free Forum last year:
http://wheatfreeforum.com/index.php/topic,895.0.html
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I see that you don’t recommend Agave. I use a 100% Organic low processed brand. Which retains inulin and has fiber.
I have issues with most other sweeteners. Monkfruit, and Stevia, give me headaches.
I don’t use xylitol because I have caught my puppy girls sneaking my lemongrass tea, and coffee (which are about the only things I add sweetener to.
Since I have started using this product I have cut out all sugar (white, coconut palm, etc) I barely use 1/2 tsp for my 2 cup beverage mug, where I used to use almost 4 tsp. sugar before.
re: I see that you don’t recommend Agave.
Yeah, that was a disappointment to me to, back when, as it seemed the perfect sweetener for a margarita. Let’s review the problems. The product is often called “agave nectar”, which misleads people into thinking it’s some extract of the flower, or at least the above-ground part of the plant. Nope. It really should be called
Extra High Fructose Agave Root Syrup.
It’s made by the same process as HFCS, destroys the plant, and can be up to 90% free fructose.
https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2011/11/goodbye-fructose/
is not the whole rap sheet on this saccharide.
I further expect that because agave is trendy, demand has outstripped supply, and the agave nectar market is likely subject to the same widespread adulteration and fraud as the ‘honey’ market. There’s a good chance that any random bottle of agave nectar is mostly HFCS.
The general WB rule amounts to: get your fructose only from whole fresh foods (be careful with dried fruits) and mind the net carbs. Treat fructose itself as 100% net carb.
re: I use a 100% Organic low processed brand. Which retains inulin and has fiber.
Those benefits don’t reduce the hazards in any meaningful way. Due to the way fructose is metabolized, by the way, it can be hard to home test for effects. Not being glucose, it doesn’t immediately raise blood glucose. A lot of diabetics fool themselves that fructose is a “low glycemic” sweetener, and charlatans formulate fructose-heavy junk to pander to that ignorance.
re: Monkfruit, and Stevia, give me headaches.
Interesting. I’d like to think the reasons for that will be understood some day.
re: I don’t use xylitol because I have caught my puppy girls sneaking my lemongrass tea, and coffee (which are about the only things I add sweetener to.
We have a dog too, and using xylitol requires strict discipline in handling, disposal and even serving sweetened treats to guests, to ensure the dog doesn’t get it. It’s in the same class as owning PTFE (teflon) cookware if you have birds.
re: I barely use …
I would just say mind the HbA1c and TG.
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I just use regular sugar when I need something sweetened; better than any “alternative” sweetners in my opinion. I spent many years using Equal as my alternative 2 real sugar & then had 2 ween myself off this poison, which I now avoid like a plague. So 4 me, sugar works best… & its what my grandmother & her mother used back in the day, which I trust far more than anything else out there!
re: I just use regular sugar when I need something sweetened;
Well, either blood glucose matters, or it doesn’t. For some perspective, the WB targets are:
► Fasting BG: 90 mg/dl or less
► Postprandial BG: ideally no rise, but 100 mg/dl or less
The above are easy to check at home, but won’t necessarily catch the adverse effects of high fructose intake.
► HbA1c: under 5.0%
► TG (triglycerides): under 60 mg/dl
Home kits for these are also available, but aren’t as cheap as BG meters.
Yes, you can stay under targets with careful use of real sugars. If that’s your situation; cool. And yes, outcomes vary by individual, based on multiple factors, including genotype, phenotype, epigenetic status, gut biome status, weight trend, etc.
But routinely bust the budget, and consequences accrue, many not immediately evident, some irreversible. Many of the dissident diets out there consider added sugar to be the #1 villain. I disagree, but it’s an easy #2.
re: … better than any “alternative” sweetners in my opinion.
To wander off into semantics for a moment, readers new to this topic might need to know that the WB “alternative” sweeteners are natural sweeteners (are found in nature), although in some cases they may be refined mimics. There are various other alternative sweeteners that are not WB endorsed, usually because they are too high in BG-provoking content, or too high in fructose (or both).
“Artificial” sweeteners do not exist in nature, and all so far have eventually been found to be problematic. Sucralose used to be WB-endorsed, but is no longer, being suspect as a gut biome antagonist, and possibly other problems. Expect the list to reflect new developments and actual outcomes over time.
re: I spent many years using Equal …
Dextrose, maltodextruin, aspartame and Ace-K for those unfamiliar.
re: … & its what my grandmother & her mother used back in the day, …
And back in the day, sugar was expensive enough that it was used a lot more sparingly. Not only did cane sugar get much more inexpensive, but HFCS then came along and made adding sugar to everything all but irresistible to food formulators, because the focus panels just gobble it up.
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It sounds like we’re pulling every other sweetener known to man out here, so I’ll throw in mine.
What about coconut sugar?
I’m curious about that as well…
re: It sounds like we’re pulling every other sweetener known to man out here …
We do appear to be revisiting all the FAQs under the various prior sweetener threads.
re: What about coconut sugar?
Over twice the GI of erythritol, which is borderline for generous uses. See:
https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2011/11/goodbye-fructose/comment-page-1/#comment-42439
I am guessing the Erythritol used in the WheatFreeMarket is free of corn right?
re: … Erythritol used in the WheatFreeMarket is free of corn right?
Not according to their product page:
https://www.wheatfreemarket.com/our-products.html
“Erythritol is typically corn-derived, however, and our supplier has indicated that theirs is derived from non-GMO corn. Sugar alcohols such as erythritol are meant to be devoid of the base crop’s proteins anyway which gives us further comfort.”
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Oh well not worried about it, I bought some and I am going to enjoy it. As long as you aren’t a fatty sitting around the house all day I think a little bit of everything is ok in moderation.
re: Oh well not worried about it, I bought some and I am going to enjoy it.
Agreed. I think we have some on hand. Any residues of zein protein and pesticides are going to be vanishingly low.
re: As long as you aren’t a fatty sitting around the house all day …
Don’t fall for the “eat less, move more” myth. Exercise per se is extraordinarily inefficient at weight management, the fictions of TV ‘reality’ weight loss shows notwithstanding. I doubt that wide variations in consumption levels of an erythritol/stevia sweetener would have any material effect on weight (until your gut bugs went into open revolt over an sugar alcohol overload).
re: I think a little bit of everything is ok in moderation.
Tobacco? Hemlock? The only thing I do in moderation is moderation. All seriousness aside, some things do suggest moderation, like wine. Other things require a strict zero tolerance (wheat). And other things require no particular attention over a wide range of exposures (seafood).
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I strongly disagree ! I had no weight loss with the * wheatbelly * diet but lost 10 lbs when I had to pack up a house full of belongings to move to a new city !
Exercise is the magic bullet in my humble opinion . In a prior move I lost 15 lbs !
re: I strongly disagree!
With what in particular? As an aside, for the benefit of regular readers/commenters, please quote a bit of what you are replying to. In addition to making it the immediate topic clear, on mobiles devices these threads are apparently not indented, so it’s not even obvious who you are replying to.
re: Exercise is the magic bullet in my humble opinion.
Note that in the most recent:
https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2015/05/i-lost-the-wheat-but-didnt-lose-the-weight-updated-version/
exercise (or lack thereof) is not mentioned at all as one of the common roadblocks.
Although exercise might be a stall-breaker for some people, in general the issues with it are:
• the amount of effort per calorie burned can be discouraging,
• exercise tends to promote appetite, and
• exercise tends to build muscle, which is not only not weightless, it’s actually denser than fat, so may result in no material change in weight.
Of course, during a move, especially a self-move on a tight schedule, caloric intake can easily be quite reduced, as there’s little time for eating.
Anyway, I don’t think household moves are what is meant by “move more, eat less”☺
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What about Yacon sirop?
It is not as sweet as sugar though, but I use it in cookies, granola, …
Monkfruit is not available in Belgium.
The only brand I can order in the UK is ‘monkfruit in the raw’ , not the best choise …
What about Locanto Monk Fruit?
To bad wheat free market products aren’t available in Europe :-(
Maybe I’ll try to order it in the USA, but there are very high importtaxes …
Any recommendations?
Thank you!
re: What about Yacon sirop?
See: https://drdavisinfinitehealth.com/2012/10/in-pursuit-of-sweetness/comment-page-1/#comment-54287
re: What about Locanto Monk Fruit?
If it’s just monk fruit (Luo Han Guo) and erythritol, it’s fine.
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Is Truvia in the UK different? Ingredients are shown as
“Ingredients
Bulking Agent: Erythritol, Sugar, Sweetener: Steviol Glycosides ” It is said to be made in the EU.
re: Is Truvia in the UK different?
I’m not seeing that same ingredients list on their UK site, but then I’ve frequently found that UK processed food sites are less than fully forthcoming about what’s in the product. This leads to a general point about processed foods:
• the ‘same’ product may not be the same in all markets
re: Ingredients are shown as
This leads to two more general points about processed foods:
• We always need to rely on the label information as the primary checkpoint.
• We need to re-check products from time to time, as formulations can and do change, and not always in beneficial directions.
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The ingredients list that I quoted is from the website of the supermarket that I use, where the nutrition is given as 100% carbohydrate. I saw that sugar was not listed on the Truvia UK website. Not sure which to believe. I’ve got erythritol and inulin, so I shall try to make my own version of Swerve. I bought one packet of that from the US to try but it is too expensive to do that again. I cannot wait until the NHS changes stance here because local shops do not stock anything that does not follow the orthodox view, and doctors hardly dare go against it either, so we are all on our own.
re: The ingredients list that I quoted …
In the US, the Truvia product line has a variety of products, with varying ingredients. The “baking blend”, for example, does contain sugar.
re: … local shops do not stock anything that does not follow the orthodox view …
How about Amazon (dot co dot uk)?
I see that vitacost dot com does ship to UK. Be sure to see this page:
http://www.vitacost.com/international-faqs-united-kingdom
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Thanks for the updated info. I use xylitol as a sweetener and inulin for prebiotic mixed into coconut water. I seem to have lost my intense desire for sweetness in my foods since I started Wheat Belly in April of this year. So far, I’ve lost 31 lbs! Also, I wanted to mention that the botanical name for stevia is Stevia rebaudiana , not rebiana :) Thank you for your on-going research that has enabled so many to lose the weight we never thought we could lose! I appreciate all you have done,
Dr. Davis:
Great post as always! What are your thoughts on a product called “Just Like Sugar?’ The web site says it is, “a perfect blend of Chicory Root, Calcium, and all Natural Flavors from the peel of the Orange.”
I have used it and I like better than Stevia or any other products I’ve tried.
Thank you!
re: … thoughts on a product called “Just Like Sugar?’ …
The “Chicory root dietary fiber” is just marketing-speak for inulin, and the product is 98% inulin. The trace amounts of calcium and molasses are negligible. I’m not Dr. Davis, but I see no problem with it.
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Bob – thanks for information!
We have been following the no sugar rule very carefully in our home, but have fallen in love with kombucha. What is your feeling about consuming a product which is fermented from sugar?
re: … kombucha.
Within the context of the current topic (sweeteners), rely on the Nutrition Facts panel (if available, otherwise research the product on line). A typical commercial kombucha may have a few grams of actual residual sugar, or other net carbs, per serving. Just factor it into the net carb budget.
The fermented sugar is no longer sugar, and presumably ceases to be any form of rapidly digestible carb. The question of the benefits and hazards of the bacteria and their byproducts is something which would take more time to address (and I don’t even have a quick guess).
Darn, I have a large package of “PureVia” packets which has Dextrose as the first ingredient and then Stevia. Should I trash it and go for a suggested brand?
I had some too, which I just dumped into the garbage and bought some bulk xylitol. I like it so much more!
thank you for mentioning xylitol is toxic to dogs. it also causes liver failure in cats. I will never have it in my house again after spending approximately $4,000 on emergency care for my cat. I must have spilled some on the floor and he picked it up that way.
re: … “PureVia” packets which has Dextrose as the first ingredient …
Although those are mostly sugar (dextrose), there’s less than a gram of it, so unless you are highly reactive to whatever the dextrose was sourced from, just factor it into the 15 gram net carb budget for the meal or six-hour period … and don’t buy any more.
Readers also need to be aware that the PureVia line also includes alternative packets and bulk products with entirely different formulations. The “blend” line is largely crude sucrose (“turbinado”), which is more glycemic than dextrose . The “liquid” line is mostly erythritol, but has some preservatives you may be avoiding.
All of the products are non-GMO, which is encouraging, but they need to ditch the sugars.
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