Sorting Sweeteners: Agave, Corn Syrup, More

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Some hypothesize that fructose, one of the components of sucrose, is a particularly bad kind of sugar. It may not suppress hunger or stimulate the natural feeling of fullness, says Kathleen Melanson, an assistant professor of food and nutrition at the University of Rhode Island in Kingston. And there is also a concern that when it's consumed in very high amounts, fructose can't be properly processed by the body, which translates to a fatty liver or raised levels of triglycerides in the blood. It can also lead to higher levels of uric acid, which some believe raises the risk of cardiovascular disease and diabetes, among other woes.

But those hypotheses have not been proven, emphasizes Melanson, and there's no take-home message for people in terms of the form of sugar they eat. Sucrose is about half fructose and half glucose, while honey is about 40 to 45 percent fructose, and high-fructose corn syrup is about 55 percent. The amount of fructose in agave nectar can vary, with estimates starting at about 50 or 55 percent (some say it's much higher, depending on the processing method).

There are tiny differences in the minerals in some sweeteners; the less processed, the more trace minerals, says Blatner. (Honey, for example, has some magnesium and calcium.) And there is some evidence that the levels of antioxidants in sweeteners can vary. One study, published earlier this year in the Journal of the American Dietetic Association, found that among sweeteners, dark and blackstrap molasses had the most antioxidant activity. Maple syrup, brown sugar, and honey had a bit less, and refined sugar, corn syrup, and agave nectar had the least.

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http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/20090406/ts_usnews/sortingsweetenersagavecornsyrupmore

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usnews/20090406/ts_usnews/sortingsweetenersagavecornsyrupmore