Sweeter Than Sugar - written by Phil Tucker

If you're like me you like your breakfast accompanied by a nice jug of coffee that's as sweet as it is black, a smack across the face to get you started on your day, lighting you up so that you hit the ground running and never look back. Yet you can't help but notice that sugar intake has increased across the nation to such a point that obesity rates and diabetes has shot through the roof, while our diets have been measured to include 10% sugar. It's been calculated by very intelligent people in lab coats that we consume on average about 165lbs of sugar each day, and if that's the case, no wonder our life expectancy is going down instead of up. So what should we add to that pot of coffee? What can we substitute for sugar? In today's article we're going to look at four different sweeteners and see what we find, checking if any of them are actually better than sucrose itself.

Ever heard of Neotame? No? Well it's found in soft drinks, dairy products, frozen desserts, puddings and fruit juices. It has zero calories so that's good for your waistline, and was only approved by the FDA in 2002. Now for some crazy statistics: it's between 7,000 and 12,000 times sweeter than sucrose, and is made by the same guys that make aspartame. However, before you run screaming for the hills, it's one of the only sweeteners to get approved by the CSPI, however it's rarely used.

We love our sugar rush. We love to sprinkle a little sugar over our cereal, to plunge a tablespoon of the white stuff into our coffee, to bake cinnamon rolls drenched in it, to throw it in just about anything and everything. And if not sugar, then it's added sugar, which is what the industry calls any sweetener they add to processed food. Honey, agave, high-fructose corn syrup-there are sweeteners just about everywhere, and it turns out that we are eating far too much of it for our own good. Obesity rates and diabetes are on the rise, and it's been calculated that we eat on average 165lbs of sugar every year. Just stop and think about that, and then go take a look in the mirror. So what are we to do? What is healthy, what is not, how to sweeten your meal in a natural and good way? In today's article we take a look at three different sweeteners, examine the pros and cons, and help you figure out exactly what you should be sprinkling or pouring on your food.

How about Rebiana. Heard of that one? No? Well it's known by its commercial name as Truvia or Pure Via, and also has zero calories. You'll find it healthy looking green packets, and it's added to diet drinks and yogurt. Is it good for you? No calories is nice, but even better its simply derived from the stevia plant. It's a natural alternative to artificial sweeteners. While crude stevia extracts are not approved by the FDA, refined Rebiana is. However, despite its natural origins, a group of toxicologists from UCLA recently wrote the FDA about its ability to cause DNA damage, so watch out.

Finally we have old Saccharin, known by its familiar name of Sweet'N Low. That pink paper packet is ubiquitous, and it has zero calories to boot. Now, quick heads up: a 1981 study found a link between Sacchrin and bladder cancer in rats, though a second study found that this only happened to rats. However, the CSPI still wants people to avoid it, so steer clear.