Natural Sweeteners on the Rise (Sweets for the Sweet)

More consumers are also reading ingredient labels and understanding the compounds used. “Health- and wellness-seeking consumers usually have a holistic view of what they consume and want to know the ingredients used and how the product was manufactured,” said Pauline McKee, vice president of marketing at Wholesome Sweeteners.

Sweet Alternatives

Siraitia grosvenorii or Momordica grosvenori, also known as Luo Han Guo, is a fruit native to the Southern People’s Republic of China and Northern Thailand. It is 300 times sweeter than sugar and has antioxidant properties. It has been used for cancer prevention as an anti-tumor promoter(1) and as a remedy for diabetes. A Chinese study examined the effects of Luo Han Guo in diabetic mice.(2) After eight weeks, 150 mg/kg of Luo Han Guo improved hyperglycemia, and inhibited the oxidative markers heme oxygenase-1 and manganese superoxide dismutase mRNA expression, as well as partially attenuated diabetic nephropathy symptoms, among other benefits.

Purpose Foods created SweetFiber, a natural sweetener made with Luo Han Guo and fiber. “Consumers are highly interested in an innovative sweetener, not just another sweetener that is natural, organic or zero calories,” Taylor said. “People are seeking functional benefits in their foods and like the idea of combining the benefits of fiber with their sweetener.”

Stevia, originating in South and Central America, is an herb in the sunflower family; it is derived from the plant Stevia rebaudiana. It is 300 times sweeter than sugar, calorie-free and has a negligible effect on blood glucose and positive effects on diabetes. “As a dietary supplement, stevia can be used to reduce the amount of other sweeteners in your diet. This will help maintain healthier blood sugar levels,” said Warren Sablosky, CEO of NuNaturals Inc.

Jim May, founder of Wisdom Natural Brands, started selling stevia in the United States in the early 1980s. He recalled, “I originally learned about it directly from the natives in Paraguay, and I have since been involved for 26 years. Stevia, in its true form, has no calories, no carbs and a glycemic index of zero.”

It also has positive health effects. A study published in Metabolism found stevioside, extracted from stevia, lowered blood glucose and decreased systolic blood pressure.(3) A combination of stevioside and a dietary supplement of soy protein was potentially an effective treatment for hyperglycemia, hypertension and dyslipidemia.

“The worldwide science is absolutely conclusive that using stevia, as a part of daily diet, will lower high blood sugar; it will raise low blood sugar, but not affect normal blood sugar,” May said. “It appears that somehow it’s nourishing the pancreas and normalizing pancreatic function. Stevia is really having an effect upon the primary conditions on the body, which effect health and well-being.” Sablosky added: “Among the alternatives, stevia remains the most attractive. The problem with stevia in the past, and in many current products, is the taste profile. Stevia is extremely sweet but can have a bitter aftertaste or other unpleasant off tastes. Some of the ingredients mixed as fillers with stevia can also present off tastes that most consumers will not tolerate. From the standpoint of cost, stevia remains the most cost effective alternative depending on the brand.”

NuNaturals created MoreFiber™ Baking Blend, a sweetener that uses soluble and insoluble fibers, gums and stevia. “You can take a conventional recipe that uses sugar and substitute the exact amount of MoreFiber and get fantastic results. Beyond the health benefits of fiber, which is widely recognized as deficient in the American diet, the ingredients in MoreFiber also have prebiotic effects,” Sablosky said. “Prebiotic ingredients help support the growth of healthy bacteria in the digestive tract.”

In another study at the University of Arizona, Tucson, researchers found stevioside increased whole-body insulin sensitivity and “low concentrates of stevia modestly improved in vitro insulin action on skeletal muscle glucose transport in both lean and obese Zucker rats.”(4) One study showed stevia as a potential source of natural antioxidants.(5)