One lump or two?

In regards to your recent Your Health article ("Sugar or Sweetener?" March/ April 2006), I was surprised to see that you left out three of my favorite natural sweeteners. The first is stevia, which is plant derived. This sweetener has been around for some time and is a great substitute for artificial sweeteners commonly used by diabetics or those wanting to avoid sugar. It is heat stable and has zero calories. A good site for information is www.stevia.com.

Another common natural sweetener that I use frequently is organic brown rice syrup. It is made by cooking organic brown rice in pure filtered water then evaporating off most of the water. It has a much lower glycemic response than honey, maple syrup and other sweeteners. It is also gluten and wheat free. I use it in baking by substituting it for sugar and making an adjustment in other liquids or adding three to five tablespoons more flour per 3/4 cup of brown rice syrup. It's good on pancakes and waffles, too. I also use organic barley malt, but only with making gingerbread/molasses cookies, as it has a hearty molasses-like flavor.

Amazake is actually a thick shake-like beverage, but I use it as a substitute in sweet recipes calling for milk/soymilk or yogurt. It is made from cultured organic brown rice and xanthan gum. It is dairy and gluten free. I make "magical disappearing grain" vegan carob brownies using amazake and brown rice syrup. A great site for information is www .amazake.net.

It should be noted that when switching to these natural sweeteners, it takes time to adjust to a more subtle level of sweet taste. The sweetness of refined sugar or artificial sweeteners, to which most of the population is accustomed, is substantially higher.

Eileen Landies

via e-mail

Managing Editor Brian C. Howard responds: We decided not to mention stevia in this piece because we had written extensively on it in our November/December 2003 Eating Right section (www. emagazine.com/view/?1162&src).

The article "Sugar or Sweetener?" by Brian C. Howard unfortunately mischaracterizes high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), a natural product derived from U.S. cornfields. The article suggests that the body processes HFCS differently than other nutritive sweeteners and is a unique contributor to obesity.

Frequently the terms corn syrup and high-fructose corn syrup are used interchangeably. However, the two products have widely different compositions and perform distinctly different functions in foods. Corn syrup, which is primarily glucose, is used as a non-sweet thickener, while HFCS, comprised of almost equal portions fructose and glucose, is used as a sweetener. As noted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) in 1996, "The saccharide composition (glucose to fructose ratio) of HFCS is approximately the same as that of honey, invert sugar and sucrose (table sugar)."

While the corn used to produce corn syrup and HFCS may or may not be derived from genetically enhanced varieties, existing scientific literature and current testing results indicate that corn DNA cannot be detected in measurable amounts in either product.

Studies claiming that the body processes HFCS differently than other sugars due to the fructose content cannot be extrapolated to HFCS. That is because the studies looked at the effects of fructose independently (and also at very high doses). In HFCS, the glucose has a tempering effect on body metabolism.

HFCS can be enjoyed as part of a balanced diet, and is considered safe by the FDA. According to the American Dietetic Association, "Consumers can safely enjoy a range of nutritive and nonnutritive sweeteners when consumed in a diet that is guided by current federal nutrition recommendations ... as well as individual health goals."

Audrae Erickson

President, Corn Refiners Association

Washington, D.C.