Nutritive Sweeteners (NS) and CHART
SWEETENERS:
The "old fashioned" nutritive sweeteners
Sugar’s Building Blocks
Nutritive sweeteners consist of varying proportions of the 3 simple sugars, called monosaccharides:
- Galactose. Found in dairy products, sugar beets, gums, mucins, synthesized in body. Found in breast milk, a vital carbohydrate source for early brain growth and neurological development.
- Fructose. E.g. in fruit, table sugar, HFCS, honey, agave nectar
- Glucose (Dextrose). E.g. in table sugar, HFCS, honey, agave nectar. Glucose and dextrose are the same molecule, but
glucose is often obtainedfrom hydrolizing wheat, whereas dextrose is usually obtained from hydrolizing corn
Two simple sugars join to make disaccharides
- Fructose + Glucose = SUCROSE (sugar cane, table sugar)
- Galactose + Glucose = LACTOSE (mostly in cow’s milk)
- Glucose + Glucose = MALTOSE (malt sugar, formed during digestion of starches, found in germinating seeds)
Sugar (and starch) absorption and metabolism
To be able to make better sugar choices for health and weight control, it helps to know what happens to them after they enter your body.
Sugars are absorbed through the wall of the small intestine
- Dietary polysaccharides starch and glycogen are converted (hydrolyzed) into the disaccharide maltose via both salivary and pancreatic amylase.
- Dietary disaccharides sucrose (table sugar), lactose (milk sugar) and maltose are broken down into monosaccharides (glucose, galactose and fructose). This occurs as they come into contact with the hydrolase enzymes sucrase, lactase and maltase residing in the brush borders of the epithelial cells (enterocytes) covering the intestinal villi. Lactose (milk sugar) is the only dietary source of galactase (which is not found elsewhere in nature).
- The monosaccharides glucose and galactose are absorbed into the epithelial cells (enterocytes). Facilitated by the sodium and energy dependent active transport SGLT symporter in the luminal membrane. SGLT is also known as the sodium-dependent hexose transporter.
The monosaccharide fructose takes a different pathway, entering the epithelial cells by passive facilitated diffusion via the GLUT-5 symporter. Fructose is absorbed much slower than glucose and amounts are limited. Overconsuming fructose results in fructose malabsorption with associated bloating, diarrhea and GI discomfort. However, unknown mechanisms allow co-ingestion of glucose with fructose to improve fructose absorption.
All 3 monosaccharides exit the epithelial cell by passive facilitated diffusion via the GLUT-2 symporter.
Finally, the “3” (glucose, galactose and fructose) enter the capillaries to the portal vein for transport to the liver.
Metabolism of sugar for energy - Fate of the "3" monosaccharides
Glucose
Metabolized mainly through cellular respiration inside cells. It is vital for producing ATP (adenosine triphosphate) energy that powers muscle movement, nerve signals, and various cell functions. The brain has an especially high need for glucose, not only for energy but also for production of fat, protein and DNA. Blood glucose levels are therefore tightly controlled by the pancreatic hormones’ insulin and glucagon:
- Insulin – helps cells absorb glucose
- Glucagon – raises blood sugar by releasing stored glucose (glycogen) from the liver as needed.
In a fed state liver cells take up about 30-40% of glucose. In a fasting state, most glucose (body’s main fuel source) is transported in the blood to peripheral tissues, where ideally, Insulin enables it to be taken up by peripheral cells to produce energy. Glucose blood basal levels are maintained at about 4-5 mmol/L, since the brain requires a constant supply. Surplus glucose is first stored as glycogen in (a) the liver (holds about 3 ½oz) — used to maintain basal blood glucose level, and (b) in the muscles (about a pound) —- to be used for movement.
Too much sugar makes you fat. Any extra glucose is going into long-term storage as fat! – hence the need to control the number of incoming sugars and carbs if you don’t want to “pay” for storage 
Fructose
Most fructose is metabolized in the liver. It is converted into glucose, stored as glycogen, and about 25% is converted into lactate and sent to the bloodstream, where it can supply energy to muscles. A fraction is converted into fatty acids and uric acid. Unlike glucose, fructose does not stimulate insulin release or raise blood sugar and its conversion to glucose is not regulated by a feedback mechanism, and if glycogen stores are full, excess fructose is used for both lactate and fat production in the liver, setting the stage for non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and high triglycerides. Additionally, lactate production has uric acid as a by-product, which in excess can trigger inflammation.
- Excess fructose consumption leads to metabolic syndrome. It increases your insulin levels (hyperinsulinemia), not by direct stimulation of the pancreas, but as a consequence of insulin resistance (IR). As the body’s cells become insensitive to insulin, the pancreas is forced to produce more insulin, which leads to chronic hyperinsulinemia, type 2 diabetes and communication breakdown between the hunger hormone leptin and your brain’s hypothalamus, preventing you from feeling satisfied after eating, and prompting you to eat more – which translates to weight gain and blood sugar issues.
- High levels of fructose are consumed in sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup added to many beverages and products, but is also in most other sweeteners, which have an equally high fructose content E.g. Table sugar (Sucrose) is 50% glucose / 50% fructose.
Too much fructose will make you fat and wreck your health. Eaten in moderate quantities, such as in usual fruit consumption, most fructose is taken up by the liver and converted to glucose, glycogen and lactate. If the liver gets over-loaded it turns fructose into fat! The American diet typically includes excessive amounts of fructose consumption, usually from added sweeteners such as high fructose corn syrup which can lead to metabolic syndrome – including non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, hyperinsulinemia, high triglycerides, high blood sugar, type 2 diabetes and weight gain.
Too much fructose wreaks havoc with your health
Galactose
Uses a different metabolic process to glucose. Galactose compels the mitochondria (the cell’s power plants) to use fat and oxygen to produce glucose for energy. This conversion is an inefficient way to produce energy, but is useful on a ketogenic diet since it encourages the body to burn fat. Also, galactose provides an even supply of energy to cells, without spikes or dips in blood sugar – benefitting those with high blood sugar.
Taken up by liver cells (hepatocytes) and primarily converted into glucose and stored as glycogen.
All nutritive sugars can be harmful to teeth and cause health problems if consumed to excess. They should therefore be used in moderation.
Cane sugar is preferable to sugars produced from GMO crops such as corn and beet. Around 95% of corn and sugar beets grown in N. America is GMO.
Is table sugar a less harmful sweetener choice than high fructose corn syrup?
All nutritive sugars can be harmful to teeth and cause health problems if consumed to excess. They should therefore be used in moderation. A 2022 study found that both HFCS and sucrose have the same effect on insulin response, feeling full, the hormone leptin (appetite suppressor), or body weight when consumed in equal quantities. The only main difference was that HFCS raised an inflammation marker (CRP)
Cane sugar sources are preferable to sugars produced from GMO crops such as corn and beet. Around 95% of corn and sugar beets grown in N. America is GMO.
CHART of Nutritive Sweeteners
Calculations in chart
This chart enables you to compare sugars based on their glycemic index (GI) / glycemic load (GL) and how many calories are consumed compared to 1 metric teaspoon of table sugar (sucrose)to obtain the equivalent amout of sweetness. (Table sugar has 15 calories and a Sweetness Index (SI) of 1)- Equivalent calories to equal 1 metric tsp. of sucrose sweetness is calculated as:
Cals./ tsp. (i.e. g/tsp * cals / g) divided by Food’s sweetness index (SI)
E.g. Equiv. cals for honey = 7.1 g/tsp. * 3 cals /g divided by .94 = 21.3 cals / tsp divided by .94 = 23
- Equivalent # of teaspoons to equal 1 tsp. of sucrose sweetness is calculated as:
Equiv. cals. to equal sweetness of 1 tsp sucrose divided by Cals. / tsp
E.g. Equiv. # of tsps. of honey = 23 equiv. cals. divided by 21.3 cals / tsp. = 1 “good” tsp. 
- Glycemic Load (GL) is calculated as:
Food’s GI * Grams of carbohydrates / serving size divided by 100
E.g. GL of sucrose = 65 * 4g / 100 = 2.6
“Sugars” in last column gives the percentage of total sugars in the specific sweetener, not including moisture content.| Sweetness Index |
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Sucrose is the standard to which all other sweeteners are compared.
How is SI determined? The simplest method uses the discrimination method , which asks the tester to choose the sweetest between two samples (2-alternative forced choice or 2-AFC). This has not unexpectedly yielded different results from different test sources. The following chart lists the average findings.
Humans can recognize sweetness in about 1 or 2% sucrose solution. Coffee is typically sweetened to about the level of 5% sucrose. Soft drinks are usually about as sweet as 10% sucrose. |
| Calories and teaspoons |
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| There are 4.02 grams (nutrition facts generally round this down to 4 g / tsp.) in 1 U.S. / metric teaspoon (5cc or 5 ml) of granulated table sugar. BTW – the Brits’ definition of a teaspoon is whatever comes out of the cutlery drawer to stir their tea 🙂 A web search reveals varying figures for amounts of calories in sugar comparisons. This is mainly because (1) people have different ideas on teaspoon size, (2) do not account for different densities of sugars (which determines calories / teaspoon), and (3) also round off numbers. Here, the calculations are specified. The “Calorie” mentioned on a food package is actually a kilocalorie, or 1,000 calories. A Calorie (really kcal) is the amount of energy needed to raise the temperature of 1 kilogram of water 1 degree Celsius. |
CHART of NUTRITIVE SWEETENERS | ||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Mono- and disaccharide sugars | ||||||||
| SWEETENER | Equiv cals. to = 1 tsp. of sucrose sweetness | g/ tsp | Cal /g | Sweetness Index (SI): Sucrose = 1 | Glyc. Index (GI) | Glyc. Load (GL) | Notes | Sugar Source / Production |
| Glucose (Dextrose; Grape sugar) | 18 cals ( ~1 1/3 tsp) | 4 | 3.33 3.8 | 0.74 | 100 | 5.2 | Adds sweetness and texture to food; Used in hospital drips, vit C prod. | Monosaccharide; C6H12O6 ; Body’s main fuel; |
| Fructose (fruit sugar) | 10 cals (~2/3 tsp) | 4 | 3.66 | 1.5 | 19 | 0.5 | In fruit/veg, HFCS; used in relatively minor amounts; | Monosaccharide; Digested differently to other sugars (excessive intake linked to several health problems); mostly From modified corn starch; |
| Galactose | 38 cals (2 1/4 tsp) | 4 | 4.2 | 0.44 0.3 .35 .6 .4-.6 | 25 | In milk and dairy | Monosaccharide; | |
| Lactose (milk sugar) | 88 cals | 4 | 4.2 | 0.19 0.15 .2 .16 .2-.3 | 45 | In milk (but almost none in butter, cheese and yogurt) | Disaccharide; (glycosidic bond: glucose+galactose) | |
| Maltose | 56 (1/3 tsp) | 4 | 4.2 | 0.3 .3-.5 .5 .32 .3-.4 | 105 | In beer; used in bread-making; sold as syrup; | Disaccharide; glycosidic bond: (glucose+glucose) from germinated barley; | |
| Trehalose (glucose+glucose) | 37 cals (~ 1/2 tsp) | 4 | 4.2 | 0.45 | 70 | In mushrooms, honey, bread, beer, wine, 20% in shiitake mushrooms and baker’s yeast; cocoon of the beetle Trehala manna (likely source of manna in OT); | ||
NATURAL Nutritive Sweeteners | ||||||||
| SWEETENER | Equiv cals. to = 1 tsp. of sucrose sweetness | g/ tsp | Cal /g | Sweetness Index (SI): Sucrose = 1 | Glyc. Index (GI) | Glyc. Load (GL) | Notes | Sugar Source / Production |
Nutritive sweeteners derived from natural sources other than sugar cane or beets | ||||||||
| Raw Honey – “Natural antibiotic”  | 23 cals (~1 tsp) ( 7.1g/tsp * 3 cals/g =21.3 cals/tsp then ÷ 0.94 = 23) | 7.1 | 3 | 0.94 | 55 +/-3 | 4 | Natural sugar; Produced by bees from nectar; sugars: 43% glucose / 49% fructose /5% disaccharides (sucrose, maltose, isomaltose, maltulose, turanose and kojibiose) | |
| Maple syrup | 13 cals (1 tsp) | 5 | 2.6 | 1 0.6 | 54 | Natural sugar; boiled/evaporated maple sap; ~ 50% glucose /50% fructose | ||
| Coconut sugar | ||||||||
| Blackstrap Molasses | 17 cals (1 1/4 tsp) | 7.1 | 2 | 0.85 | 55 | Sugar extract | ||
| Barley malt syrup | 40.6 (2 tsp) | 7.1 | 2.86 3.2 | 0.5 | 45 42 | Sugar extract from germinated barley | ||
| Date sugar | 4.56 | 3.3 | Natural sugar | |||||
Nutritive sweeteners derived from sugar cane or beets | ||||||||
| Blackstrap Molasses | 17 cals (1 1/4 tsp) | 7.1 | 2 | 0.85 | 55 | Syrup remaining after 3rd boiling of sugar cane (occasioanally beet) .juice after sucrose crystals removed. Not very sweet but one of the more nutritious sweeteners, containing several minerals and antioxidant polyphenols. | ||
| Demerara sugar | Crunchy grains; Toffee flavor | Boiled / dehydrated first-pressed sugar cane juice; retains some molasses | ||||||
| Dehydrated / Evaporated natural sugar cane juice | 16 cals (1 tsp) | 4 | 1 | 43 | Rapidura®;Sucanat® (contraction of sugar cane natural); burnt caramel taste; | Unrefined, crystallized cane sugar; | ||
| Muscovado Sugar | Moist; strong molasses flavor | Unrefined cane sugar w/ high molasses content | ||||||
| Demerara sugar | Crunchy grains; Toffee flavor | Boiled / dehydrated first-pressed sugar cane juice; retains some molasses | ||||||
| Turbinado cane sugar | Light caramel flavor | Mostly sugar cane. Juice extracted, boiled and crystallized. Crystals spun to remove molasses (retains 1-3%). Marketed as raw, but contains minimal nutrients from molasses. | ||||||
| Golden syrup | 1.1 | 60 | Tate and Lyles Golden Syrup | Converts part of sucrose into 45-55% invert sugars (glucose + fructose (unbound), the rest is sucrose | ||||
Highly-refined / MODIFIED sugar (Enzyme-converted | ||||||||
| SWEETENER | Equiv cals to =1 tsp. of sugar’s sweetness | g / tsp | Cal / g | Sweetness Index (SI): Sucrose = 1 | Glyc. Index (GI) | Glyc. Load (GL) | Found / Used in | Sugar source / Production |
Nutritive sweeteners derived from sugar cane or beets | ||||||||
| Sucrose (Table sugar) (Domino’s granulated; demerara brown) | 15 cals (1 tsp. or 5ml) | 4 | 3.75 | 1 | 65 +/-4 | 2.6 | In honey, maple syrup, fruit, veg; Used in candies, desserts | Glycosidic / covalent bond links glucose and fructose molecules 50% glucose / 50% fructose; from sugar cane or beet (almost all GMO); |
| Confectioners sugar | 16 cals | 2.54 | 3.99 | Used in candies, cakes etc. | ||||
| Brown sugar | Brown sugar is refined white sugar w/ molasses added back in; | |||||||
| Invert sugar | 50 | Used in food industry; soft centers of candies, marzipan, liqueurs; helps preserves foods; prevents crystallization /drying out; | Highly refined. Sucrose from sugar cane or beet split into glucose and fructose using acid or enzyme invertase. Draws water; 45% glucose /45% fructose (unbound) / 10% other | |||||
Nutritive sweeteners derived from natural sources other than sugar cane or beets | ||||||||
| High fructose corn syrup | 1 | Made from corn starch | ||||||
| HFCS-42 42% fructose | 27 | 6.75 | 4 | 1 | 58 | Beverages, processed foods, cereals, baked goods | 42% fructose / 52% glucose | |
| HFCS-55 55% fructose | 24 | 6.75 | 4 | 1.1 | 68 | soft drinks | 55% fructose / 41% glucose | |
| Corn syrup /glucose syrup | 30-40 | 100 | Glucose + oligoglucose (short chains of glucose) | |||||
| Corn syrup solids | 23-40 | 100 | Dehydrated corn syrup | |||||
| Agave syrup / nectar | 13.5 (1/2+ tsp) | 7.1 | 2.86 | 1.5 | 12.5 | From agave plant. Up to 92% fructose; highly refined | ||
| Brown rice syrup | 32 | 4 2.6 | 0.5 | 25-98 | Enzymes used to breakdown starch in cooked brown rice; metabolizes to 100% glucose | |||
| Maltodextrin | 6-21 | 100 | Additive in processed foods | Longer glucose chains than corn syrup; Made from corn, potato starch, rice, wheat | ||||
References
https://www.aqua-calc.com/calculate/food-volume-to-weighThe National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES 2009-2012)
Sylvetsky, A.C.; Jin, Y.; Clark, E.J.; Welsh, J.A.; Rother, K.I.; Talegawkar (2017) S.A. Consumption of Low-Calorie Sweeteners among Children and Adults in the United States. J. Acad. Nutr. Diet. 117, 441-448. PubMed
Malik, V.S.; Li, Y.; Pan, A.; De Koning, L.; Schernhammer, E.; Willett, W.C.; Hu, F.B. Long-Term Consumption of Sugar-Sweetened and Artificially Sweetened Beverages and Risk of Mortality in US Adults. Circulation 2019, 139, 2113-2125. PubMed
Nutrientsreview.com – Sweeteners.html
Pereira, M.A. Diet beverages and the risk of obesity, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease: A review of evidence. Nutr. Rev. 2013, 71, 433-440. PubMed
Vyas, A.; Rubenstein, L.; Robinson, J.; Seguin, R.A.; Vitolins, M.Z.; Kazlauskaite, R.; Shikany, J.M.; Johnson, K.C.; Snetselaar, L.; Wallace, R. Diet drink consumption and the risk of cardiovascular events: A report from the Women’sHealth Initiative. J. Gen. Intern. Med. 2015, 30, 462-468. PubMed
http://www.sugar-and-sweetener-guide.com/sweetener-values.html
