Supermarket aisles are brimming with sugar varieties and substitutes, making it difficult to select a sweetener for your home baking. Many home cooks swear by original recipes calling for white or brown sugar or, less commonly, forms of sugar like molasses or cane syrup. If you're skeptical of newly popular sweeteners like agave syrup or stevia, you may prefer the benefits of sticking with sucrose, whether brown or white.
Avoid Negative Effects of Substitute Sweeteners
Sugar itself isn't a particularly healthy food; it doesn't provide any nutrients for its calories and can increase your chances of tooth decay, obesity or diabetes. Nevertheless, to sweeten your baked goods, using sugar sparingly may prove a healthier choice than using substitutes. Artificial sweeteners such as aspartame and saccharin should not be consumed beyond an acceptable daily intake established by the FDA. Studies such as a 2005 trial carried out by the European Ramazzini Foundation have indicated potential links between some artificial sweeteners and cancer growth. The National Cancer Institute affirms that there is no definitive evidence of a relationship between any artificial sweeteners and cancer, but a secondary study by the Ramazzini Foundation in 2007 again found a linkage. A 2010 study on high-fructose corn syrup -- 40 percent of caloric sweeteners used in the United States -- found that it caused significantly higher weight gain than table sugar.
Maintain Original Flavors and Textures
Using sugar substances such as white sugar, brown sugar or molasses often makes it easier to follow recipes exactly. Besides its influence on flavor, sugar affects the texture and overall chemical reactions of the cooking process in baked goods. Some sugar substitutes break down through long baking processes; for example, aspartame will lose its sweetness from sustained heating. Other alternative sweeteners impart a different taste and agave nectar, for instance, is about one-and-one-half times sweeter than white sugar.
Avoid Over-Consumption of Natural Sweeteners
Using natural sweeteners such as honey, maple syrup, grape juice concentrate or agave syrup is a common practice to make a sweet dish slightly healthier. The relative benefits of substitute sweeteners vary and may include a diminished effect on your blood sugar level, compared with sugar substances. However, the risk in using ostensibly healthier sweeteners is over-consumption. Mayo Clinic urges moderation when using natural sweeteners, just as with sugar or other sugar substitutes.
Pursue Healthy Eating Practices Through More Effective Means
Instead of focusing on procuring sugar substitutes and adapting recipes for their use, you can more effectively improve your diet by practicing reasonable portion control, eating balanced meals and increasing exercise. Limit your intake of sweetened baked goods so that your total daily sugar consumption is no more than six teaspoons for women and nine for men, per Mayo Clinic's guidelines for average adults.
References
- MedlinePlus: Sweeteners - Sugars
- MayoClinic.com: Artificial Sweeteners: Understanding These and Other Sugar Substitutes
- National Cancer Institute: Artificial Sweeteners and Cancer
- University of Missouri: How to Modify Recipes to Reduce Sugar
- Nutrasweet: Can Aspartame Be Used in Cooking or Baking?
- MayoClinic.com: Added Sugar: Don't Get Sabotaged by Sweeteners
Member Comments