Xylose
GI: 7
Xylose, or wood sugar or coconut sugar, is made from woody substances such as straw, corn cobs, pecan shells and coconut shells. It is a sweet substitute for sugars that has zero calories and a GI of 7. It is beneficial in that diabetics can safely use it, it prevents cancer in the digestive tract, promotes good colon health, is anti-bacterial and anti-fungal. Xylotol is the sugar alcohol derived from xylose.
Xylitol
GI: 12
Maltitol, maltitol syrup, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, lakantol, erythritol, and isomalt are all sugar alcohols. These products are often used in “sugar free” products although they are not entirely calorie free. They often cause digestive distress such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
Treacle
GI: 55
Treacle is the British word for molasses.
Syrup
GI: 64
Sugar Cane
GI: 43
Sugar cane is a perennial grass that grows in tropical areas. When listed as an ingredient it is the equivalent of refined sugar with no nutritional value.
Sucrose
GI: 64
Sucrose is refined white sugar with no nutritional value.
Stevia
GI: 0
Stevia is a calorie-free sweetener made from the stevia plant. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar but does not raise the blood sugar level or have any adverse side effects. The stevia leaf extract (rebaudioside) is the only legitimate source of stevia and should be the only ingredient listed. Stevia has been consumed by humans in South America for 100s of years. There are many stevia products produced that are highly refined and have added ingredients.
Sorghum Syrup
GI: 50
Sorghum syrup is made from the sweet sorghum plant which is a grass. It contains calcium, iron, potassium, magnesium, zinc and protein.
Sorbitol
GI: 4
Maltitol, maltitol syrup, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, lakantol, erythritol, and isomalt are all sugar alcohols. These products are often used in “sugar free” products although they are not entirely calorie free. They often cause digestive distress such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
Saccharose
GI: 64
Saccharose is a technical name for sugar.
Raw Sugar
GI: 65
Raw sugar, turbinado sugar and sucanat are all the same. This sugar is the result of the first step in processing sugar cane into refined sugar. It maintains some of the molasses which accounts for its color. It has no nutritional value.
Raisin Syrup
GI: 64
Raisin syrup is made by soaking raisins in water and then pureeing in a food processor. It is used as a natural sweetener or topping. Raisin syrup is a good source of antioxidants, fiber, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, copper, fluoride, zinc, potassium, and B complex.
Raisin Juice
GI: 64
Raisin juice is made by soaking raisins in water to leach the flavor, vitamins and minerals. The liquid is then allowed to evaporate to create a concentrate. It is used as a natural source of color in commercial foods and as a preservative in breads by companies that desire to use natural products. It is also used as a sweetener. Raisin juice is a good source of antioxidants, fiber, calcium, iron, manganese, magnesium, copper, fluoride, zinc, potassium, and B complex.
Polydextrose
GI: 0
Polydextrose is a food additive that replaces the bulk of sugar in low calorie foods. It can cause gas, bloating and diarrhea.
Honey
GI: 75
Pasteurized honey (Sue Bee) has been heated so that the honey will not granulate. This process kills all nutrients and it becomes the equivalent of refined sugar. Raw honey has not been heated above 116º F. Nutritionally it has trace amounts of protein, calcium, iron, vitamin C, folate, choline and potassium. It is anti-bacterial, anti-fungal and anti-viral.
Molasses
GI: 55
Molasses is the by-product of sugar refinement. It is the dark liquid that settles to the bottom as the sugar cane is boiled. There are 3 types. Unsulphured molasses is the finest quality and is made from ripe sugar cane. Sulphured (to be avoided) molasses is made from green sugar cane and requires the addition of sulphur fumes to process. Blackstrap molasses is the result of the third boiling of sugar cane and is the most nutrient dense. It contains calcium, magnesium, potassium and iron.
Microcrystalline
GI: na
Microcrystalline cellulose is refined wood pulp, or the indigestible part of a plant. It is used as a texturizer, anti-caking agent, fat-substitute (no calorie replacement for fat), emulsifier (keeps water and oils mixed), and bulking agent (instead of flour, sugar or fat). It causes sauces, soups, desserts and frozen foods to maintain their appearance (stability) no matter what heat they are subjected to.
Maple Sugar
GI: 54
Maple sugar and maple syrup are whole foods derived from the sap of maple trees, most often the sugar maple. They are processed with heat to concentrate. Contains the minerals iron, calcium, zinc, manganese, potassium, magnesium, and phosphorous and has trace amounts of vitamins.
Mannitol
GI: 2
Maltitol, maltitol syrup, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, lakantol, erythritol, and isomalt are all sugar alcohols. These products are often used in “sugar free” products although they are not entirely calorie free. They often cause digestive distress such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
Maltodextrin
GI: 130
Maltodextrin is a food additive made from rice, corn or potato. It is used as a filler, to create a fat-like texture in processed foods and increases shelf life. It is digested very quickly thus, the sugar content is stored as fat.
Maltitol
GI: 4
Maltitol, maltitol syrup, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, lakantol, erythritol, and isomalt are all sugar alcohols. These products are often used in “sugar free” products although they are not entirely calorie free. They often cause digestive distress such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
Lactose
GI: 45
Lactose is a sugar that is found in milk.
Lactitol
GI: 3
Maltitol, maltitol syrup, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, lakantol, erythritol, and isomalt are all sugar alcohols. These products are often used in “sugar free” products although they are not entirely calorie free. They often cause digestive distress such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
Isomalt
GI: 2
Maltitol, maltitol syrup, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, lakantol, erythritol, and isomalt are all sugar alcohols. These products are often used in “sugar free” products although they are not entirely calorie free. They often cause digestive distress such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
Invert Sugar
GI: 60
Invert sugar is created by processing equal parts of glucose and fructose. The end result is a liquid that does not crystalize as easily as sucrose with the results being a smoother textured baked good. It adds to the shelf-life and has not nutritional value.
High Fructose Corn Syrup
GI: 87
High fructose corn syrup is sugar made from corn and also wheat and rice. It is modified to contain a higher concentration of fructose because fructose has a lower GI. Fructose is metabolized as fat which is why HFCS is blamed for the obesity epidemic. HFCS is processed through the liver which means there is less of a sugar spike and no insulin is released. The negative to this is that without the insulin, the hormone for satiety is also not released and over-eating increases. The results are obesity, diabetes and heart disease among many others. It is used in abundance because corn is a subsidized crop in the US and thus, it is cheap. It is also highly addictive (as are all of these sweeteners) which draws the customer back to the product. There is no nutritional value.
Granulated Sugar
GI: 65
Granulated sugar, refined white sugar, is highly processed cane sugar that has no nutritional value.
Glucose
GI: 100
Glucose is a light colored syrup made from cornstarch. It has not nutritional value.
Galactose
GI: 25
Galactose is a sugar that is comprised of glucose and lactose. It is used in baked goods. It tones down acidic and tart tastes. It produces a lot of sweetness in very little product.
Fructose
GI: 25
Although fructose is the type of sugar found naturally in honey, fruit, berries and melons, it is not necessarily what is meant by the word on an ingredients list. This word is a product that is produced from corn or sucrose. Some say that a benefit of fructose is that it is processed in the liver and does not cause spikes in insulin production but what happens instead is that it is stored as fat in the belly. Another negative of fructose is that because no insulin is produced, the hormone that signals satiety is not released and the potential for over-eating increases. Fructose consumed separate from the fruit itself has no nutritional value.
Fructooligosaccharide
GI: 0-40
Fructooligosaccharide (inulin, scFOS) is an additive that is a low calorie, non-digestible carbohydrate sweetener that improves food taste and texture. It occurs naturally in chicory, onions, asparagus, wheat, tomatoes, and other fruits and vegetables. The additive has been taken from its natural form and then added into foods as a low calorie sweetener and as a prebiotic. Prebiotics go into the large intestine and feed good bacteria. One reason it is added to yogurts is to give another marketing angle. It is also used in supplements as a prebiotic. It has been questioned as to whether it also feeds bad bacteria. It can cause flatulence, bloating, cramps, abdominal pain and diarrhea.
Evaporated Cane Juice
GI: 55
Evaporated cane juice, or just 'cane juice', is basically refined white sugar but has a little more molasses in it which adds the brown coloring. Refined white sugar goes through one more process to make it white. It has a small amount of nutritional value compared to white sugar but not enough to say it has nutritional value. Pure Organic Cane Syrup is another thing entirely. This would be the actual juice from the sugar cane stalk, which is a grass. It is only 15% sugar and is full of calcium, chromium, cobalt, copper, magnesium, manganese, phosphorous, potassium, zinc, Vitamins A, C, B1, B2, B3, B5, & B6. Because it's a plant it has a high concentration of phytonutrients, antioxidants, proteins and soluble fiber. This is not a product that is cooked with in the United States.
Erythritol
GI: 1
Maltitol, maltitol syrup, sorbitol, mannitol, xylitol, lactitol, lakantol, erythritol, and isomalt are all sugar alcohols. These products are often used in “sugar free” products although they are not entirely calorie free. They often cause digestive distress such as gas, bloating, and diarrhea.
Dextrose
GI: 96
Dextrose is another name for glucose which is the main energy source for the body. It is produced naturally in the body. It is made from corn. It is used because it browns when heated, feeds yeast in baked goods, extends shelf-life and helps keep processed foods from losing their color.
Dextrin
GI: 55
Dextrin is a soluble, gummy substance that is made from corn, potato, arrowroot, rice or tapioca. It is used in foods as a binder, as a thickener and as a fat substitute. Because of its binding qualities, it acts like fiber (not digested) in the body promoting the growth of good bacteria and cleansing the colon of toxins. It is also used in many other products.
Date Sugar
GI: 63*
Date sugar is a whole food derived from dried dates that are ground into a powder. Dates are the fruit of the Date Palm. They provide nutrition in the form of potassium, copper, manganese, magnesium, vitamin B6, calcium, fiber as well as others. Date sugar is very sweet. It does not dissolve in liquids when baking.
Confectioner’s Sugar
GI: 96
Confectioner’s Sugar (powdered sugar) is refined white sugar that has been ground into a powder. It has not nutritional value.
Brown Sugar
GI: 64
Brown Sugar is refined white sugar with molasses added. It has no nutritional value.
Brown Rice Syrup
GI: 64
Brown Rice Syrup is sometimes made from a barley and rice mixture and sometimes just rice. It is highly refined and concentrated but does include a few trace minerals: magnesium, manganese and zinc.
Beet Sugar
GI: 98
Beet sugar is exactly the same as refined white sugar. Refined sugar is made from beets or sugar cane. It has no nutritional value.
Barley Malt
GI: 64
Barley Malt (malted barley or maltose) is made from sprouted barley or grain. It is half as sweet as refined sugar. It contains B vitamins, minerals, some fiber and protein.
Agave Nectar
GI: 15
Agave nectar is derived from the blue agave plant. It has a lower GI than sugar so it does not spike the blood sugar as some do. The label must state 100% agave or hydrolyzed inulin syrup (the FDA says this is true agave) otherwise you may be getting a highly refined product that is full of HFCS. It has no nutritional value but because it is sweeter than honey–less can be used.