The Coconut Diet: The Secret Ingredient for Effortless Weight Loss. Cherie Calbom

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       Birch sugar (xylitol) is a sugar alcohol. The healthiest xylitol is derived from birch bark. It has fewer calories than sugar with about the same sweetness. It has not been shown to promote tooth decay, and it is metabolized slowly, which helps prevent the sugar “highs” and “lows” often experienced with other sweeteners. Keep in mind that not all xylitol may be derived from birch bark and may not be as healthy.Sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, manitol, malitol, and xylitol are sugar alcohols that are derived from dextrose or glucose, or in the case of xylitol, from birch trees. On gum and candy labels they are often termed “sugar free,” but this is somewhat misleading because when broken down, they act similarly to other forms of sugar. None are free of calories, and only xylitol does not promote cavities. Sugar alcohols tend to ferment in the digestive tract, causing cramping and diarrhea. (See Resource Guide for more information.)

       Lo-Han Guo comes from the Chinese plant Lo Han Guo Siraitia grosvenorii, a perennial vine in the cucumber or melon family that grows in China. Lo Han fruits contain triterpene glycoside sweeteners known as mogrosides. When processed into a fine powder, this natural sweetener is soluble in water. It is about 300 times sweeter than sugar, so very little is needed to sweeten foods and beverages. It is also very low in calories.

       Stevia is extracted from a herbal leaf of a plant that grows in South America. Like Lo Han Guo, it is about 200-300 times sweeter than sugar, so you need only a small amount in comparison to sugar. It has virtually no calories. There is no evidence that it is harmful to the body in any way. The FDA does not allow it to be marketed as a sweetener, rather it is labeled as a nutritional supplement. Stevia comes in powdered or liquid form and can be found at most health food stores.

       Brown rice syrup is a naturally fermented sweetener in which enzymes convert carbohydrates to maltose. Maltose may be tolerated somewhat better than other natural sweeteners by people with blood sugar metabolism disorders. It is made from whole-grain brown rice (malt barley syrup from barley) and contains some B vitamins and minerals. The consistency is similar to honey, but it is less sweet and more delicate and subtle. It can be found in most health food stores.

       Date sugar is made of ground, dehydrated dates. It has a higher fiber (pectin) content than many other sweeteners and some vitamins and minerals. It can be found at most health food stores.

       Honey (raw is best) is composed of simple sugars, and it is both sweeter and slightly higher in carbs and calories than white sugar. When preparing recipes, you need less honey than white sugar. Its composition, color, and flavor are as varied as the blossoms that feed the honeybees. Most raw honey has been lightly heated and filtered, and retains some of the enzymes and traces of vitamins and minerals. Most commercial honey has been highly processed, and therefore, is less nutritional. Raw honey is usually available in health food stores and from private growers.

       Pure maple syrup is made from boiling the sap of sugar maple trees. It is less sweet than honey but sweeter than brown rice syrup. It comes in different grades according to how long and at what temperature it is boiled. The purest maple syrup may be imported from Canada as some U.S. producers use formaldehyde pellets to keep tapholes open. Look for labels that indicate the syrup has no added salt, chemical preservatives, or defoamers.

       Molasses is a by-product of the sugarcane refining process. Blackstrap molasses has a strong, bittersweet taste while sweet molasses is sweeter than blackstrap, but less sweet than white sugar. Blackstrap molasses is the final excretion of sugarcane and has some calcium, iron, and other minerals. A more nutritious purchase is unsulphured molasses, which is most readily found in health food stores.

       Raw sugarcane is the product that exists before the bleaching stages of making refined sugar. To prepare this sugar for market, it is steam-cleaned; it retains a fraction of the dark molasses produced in sugar refining. Raw sugar is not subjected to the same chemical whitening, as white sugar. Raw sugar may go by the names Turbinado or Succanat, which can be found at most health food stores.

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