Non-processed:

• Raw sugar is granulated, solid, or coarse, and is brown in color. It forms when the moisture from the juice of the sugar cane evaporates.
• Brown sugar is made from the sugar crystals obtained from molasses syrup.
• Fructose is the naturally occurring sugar in all fruits. It is also called levulose or fruit sugar.
• Glucose is found in fruits but in limited amounts. It is also a syrup made from corn starch.
• Honey is a combination of fructose, glucose, and water, produced by bees.
• Lactose (milk sugar) is the carbohydrate that is in milk. It is made up of glucose and galactose.
• Maltose (malt sugar) is produced during the process of fermentation. It is found in beer and in breads.
• Mannitol is a byproduct of alcohol production but does not contain any alcohol. It may have a laxative effect when eaten in large quantities. It is used in dietetic food products because it has half the calories of sugar and is not well absorbed by the body.
• Maple sugar is obtained from the sap of maple trees. It is made up of sucrose, fructose, and glucose.
• Molasses is obtained from the residue of sugar cane processing.
• Sorbitol is used in many dietetic food products. It is produced from glucose and it is also found naturally in certain berries and fruits. It is absorbed by the body at a much slower rate than sugar.

NONCALORIC SWEETENERS

• Aspartame is a combination of phenylalanine and aspartic acid, which are two amino acids. It is also known by the brand names Equal and Nutrasweet. It is 220 times sweeter than sugar.
• Acesulfame K is an artificial sweetener, also known as Sunett. It is heat stable and can be used in cooking and baking. It is also available as a tabletop sweetener, marketed under the name Sweet One. It is FDA approved and is used in combination with other sweeteners such as saccharin in carbonated low-calorie beverages and other products.
• Cyclamates are 30 times sweeter than sugar. They are banned in the United States because in 1970 they were shown to have caused bladder cancer in animals.
• Saccharin is 200 - 700 times sweeter than sugar. It is used in many dietetic food and beverage products.
• Sucralose (Splenda) is an artificial sweetener made from sugar. It is 600 times sweeter than sugar. It is heat stable and can be used in baking. It is used in many dietetic food and beverage products.

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Review Date: 05/03/2009
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)