Is there a healthier sugar?

[southeast-isher]

Hi, i have a bit of sugar in tea and too much sugar in coffee. Is there a better alternative to regular sugar? I've just bought some fruit sugar which tastes more like sugar than some of the sweetners so i'd bear the brunt of the price increase if i could find out if it is any better for me - anyone know? And i saw, is it, Agave syrup (spelling?!) on the shelf in the shop - has anyone tried this, and again how does this compare in respects of health compared to regular sugar. Thanks.

[frozenthunderbolt]

As i understand it your body will break down all sugars to glucose to fuel your body. Eating less processed sugars like brown sugar may be *marginally* better for you in that they might still have some nutrients left in them (not 100% sure there) and fructose - sugar from fruit is (i think - dredging my memory) a simpler sugar than sucrose (white sugar) so is easier for your body to deal with.
Don't quote me on this though.

[Kezz]

I use agave nectar. I buy it from asda or morrisons. It's liquid sweetener (runny honey consistency) that's made from a plant and is supposed to be low GI, and even usable for diabetic people. It was reccomended in an anti cancer diet book I think. It's sweeter than sugar so I use about half a teaspoon of it in tea.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Agave_nectar

It means I forget to buy normal sugar in for visitors though, cus I don't use it

ETA: Apparently agave has had a bashing, this link looks like it has good info: http://www.gnosischocolate.com/agave-report/

[grahamhobbs]

Ever thought of not using sugar at all? It's no good for you and if you give it up for a few weeks you will never want to go back to using it. Just stop eating/drinking anything with it in (this will stop you eating most processed foods which is a good thing in itself), as I say for a couple of weeks. It is an addiction you don't need and can be easily broken. I now hate the taste of sugar.

[southeast-isher]

Thanks all of you. Graham, i guess giving up for a few weeks and seeing wouldn't do any harm. Tea i can manage without sugar but when it comes to a expresso with hot milk i'm not so sure. Hmm...

[Millymollymandy]

Graham are you seriously suggesting that we all give up cake, cookies and chocolate etc just because 'sugar is bad for us'? Sausage beans and chips followed by sticky toffee pudding is probably bad for me but it's my favourite meal.

I put sweeteners in my coffee cos I don't like the taste of sugar in it, but without a sweetener it tastes even worse!

[Green Aura]

Graham's right (unfortunately)!

Ok get ready for bored glazed expression - anecdote coming

When I was a student nurse I got a bad chest infection and had to go and stay with my brother and sister in law. She was rabidly anti sugar, referred to it as "white poison" and wouldn't have it in the house. I didn't manage to finish a cup of tea or coffee for the 2 weeks I was there - they tasted gross. I was so looking forward to a coffee with 2 sugars when I got home. Which I made, took one sip and chucked it down the sink - I've never been able to stomach it in drinks since.

Unfortunately it didn't spread to the rest of my sweet tooth so sticky toffee pudding sounds great!

You could try Stevia, although I don't think it's very nice.

[southeast-isher]

I might try Stevia, it sounds interesting. I think i could give up sugar in tea pretty much no problem. With coffee it would be much harder due to the bitter coffee taste and the ritual or drinking it. But when it comes to stuff that already has sugar in it like cakes and things, blimey - that sounds a bit too strict.

[grahamhobbs]

But when it comes to stuff that already has sugar in it like cakes and things, blimey - that sounds a bit too strict.

It's funny what people think of as strict, I can look at cakes, puddings and biscuits and feel nothing, I don't crave them, I'm not being strict with myself, they simply do not appeal in anyway, the taste for sugar has simply dissappeared. Whereas I've never managed to be vegetarian, I've tried at times and I eat very little meat, once or twice a month, but at times my body seems to say I need some meat.

[AnnaD]

Agave nectar is actually pretty bad for you so is best avoided. We use Rapadura, which is completely untreated cane sugar. It's brown and has a lovely caramel flavour. It has all the nutrients intact so is certainly a lot better than normal sugar.

[Milims]

Honey?

[southeast-isher]

Thanks Anna, and where do you buy rapadura from? I love your botanical illustrations by the way.

Milims, i just had honey in my expresso with hot milk and it was delicious, much better than the fruit sugar from a flavour point of view. Will try it in tea later.

[AnnaD]

I get it from Goodness Direct; http://www.goodnessdirect.co.uk/cgi-loc ... _500g.html
And thanks very much!

[southeast-isher]

Thanks Anna.

By the sound of it for me it's between Rapadura and Honey as a viable alternative. Any health experts that can weigh up the pros and cons?

[Borlani]

At the turn of the Century the average American would consume about 2-4 lbs of sugar per year.
Now they consume 129 lbs a year.
I understand the average human shouldn't really take more than a couple of teaspoonsful per day of raw refined sugar. The GDA is apparently 60 grams per day.
Perhaps think about alternatives to the foods or beverages that you add sugar to, such as Tea & Coffee, which are also not so good for you. Caffeine, for example will deplete your magnesium, and we are already running at roughly 50% of recommended daily average for that. Try herbal teas, like nettle and raspberry leaf, simply gather and dry and add boiling water. If you like, add a little bit of honey and chill for later.
Apparently to deal with sugar the body will use up manganese and other nutrients, which are seemingly IN sugar to begin with, but are removed by the refining process. Therefore I now seek out unrefined sugar, and found a useful brand I like in Asda, but I no longer have the packet, I believe it is Australian. I will post later. Don't confuse "unrefined" with brown sugar, which is white sugar with molasses added.
I use Agave syrup (when I can get it -usually Morrisons) for pancakes and porridge, as I have a sweet tooth, but I also use Honey, which has two sugars, each of which are digested at different rates.
The main thing is not to overdose and cause a surge in Insulin production which will wear out your pancreas, (possibly causing diabetes in the long term) and this chemical signal will remain in your blood longer than the sugar it is supposed to get rid off. The consequence is the body cells take up sugar and store it, but the brain cells cannot do this, so the result is you feel fatigued. It is the "Sugar Crash".
Check out the web for videos like "Big Sugar" and "Sugar the bitter truth"

I copied this from somewhere, but can't recall the source
...Refined sugar is void of all nutrients, consequently it causes the body to deplete its own stores of various vitamins, minerals and enzymes. If sugar consumption is continued, an over-acid condition results, and more minerals are needed from deep in the body to correct the imbalance. If the body is lacking the nutrients used to metabolize sugar, it will not be able to properly handle and rid itself of the poisonous residues.

These wastes accumulate through the brain and nervous system, which speeds up cellular death. The bloodstream becomes over-loaded with waste products and symptoms of carbonic poisoning result.

...Sugar also makes the blood very thick and sticky, inhibiting much of the blood flow into the minute capillaries that supply our gums and teeth with vital nutrients. Therefore, we wind up with diseased gums and starving teeth. America and England, the two largest sugar consumers, have horrendous dental problems.