Hi Researchers,

I recently got a vegan cookbook that claims refined (white) sugar is
about as close to pure evil as it's possible to get.  The recipes in
the book use maple syrup (at significant extra cost), date sugar (ever
seen that in the supermarket?) and Sucanat.  Shape magazine had a
feature on sugar in April 2003 which states the complete opposite:
'"Whether you eat white table sugar or fruit juice, it all turns into
glucose in your body," says ...Jeanette Jordan, R.D., a spokeswoman
for the American Dietetic Association'.

Which is right?  Is it worth the hassle (and cost) of using
alternatives to white sugar?  And while I'm at it, what about sugar in
fruit?  Is there any way eating strawberries could cause my blood
sugar to spike like eating cookies does, or would I have to eat a ton
of berries to make that happen?

Hi statestraveller~

If you want to avoid sugar in your diet, then you must avoid all
sugars and carbohydrates. That would include syrups.

All carbs turn into sugar after you eat them. SHAPE is right; this is
a readily acknowledged scientific fact.

“There is a big difference between simple carbohydrates and complex
carbohydrates,” says Dr. Ornish of WebMD. “When you eat a diet high in
simple carbohydrates such as sugar, white flour, white rice, and
alcohol, your body absorbs these very quickly. This causes your blood
sugar to rise rapidly which, in turn, causes your body to produce
insulin to bring down your blood sugar.  In addition to lowering your
blood sugar, however, insulin accelerates the conversion of calories
to triglycerides, which is how your body stores fat. As a result, you
gain weight and your triglyceride levels may increase.

"Complex carbohydrates are metabolized very differently. Fruits,
vegetables, beans, and grains in their natural forms (such as whole
wheat flour and brown rice) are rich in fiber. Fiber slows the
absorption of these foods, so your blood sugar doesn't rise rapidly,
and you don't provoke an insulin response. As a result, you may lose
weight and your triglyceride level decreases, sometimes dramatically.”
( http://my.webmd.com/content/pages/1/3079_1490.htm?lastselectedguid={5FE84E90-BC77-4056-A91C-9531713CA348}
}

The controversy comes in when you begin discussing just how low carb
(especially complex carb) intake should be. For example, the famous
Dr. Atkin’s diet severely limits even complex carbs at first, and
gradually adds more into the diet. Other doctors and diets prefer not
to be so strict with complex carbs.

Examples of simple carbohydrates include fructose (fruit sugar),
sucrose (table sugar), and lactose (milk sugar), and glucose. (That
means white sugar, brown sugar, confectioner's sugar, corn syrup,
honey, maple syrup, fruit juice, milk, yogurt, candy, etc.) Foods rich
in complex carbohydrates include vegetables, whole grains, peas, and
beans.

For more information on this topic, you might check out “Simple vs.
Complex Carbohydrates” by Lynn Grieger, iVillage:
http://www.ivillage.co.uk/dietandfitness/nutrition/carbs/qas/0,,267_156580,00.html

Kriswrite

Keywords Used:
carbs turn sugar
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=carbs+turn+sugar&btnG=Google+Search

simple carbohydrates
://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=ISO-8859-1&q=simple+carbohydrates&btnG=Google+Search

Just what I asked for - thanks.

I know this is an old question, but as I stumbled upon this while
searching for sugar info, I'm sure others will, too.

A vegan cookbook may recommend alternatives to traditional white sugar
for some sort of health reason, but it's main (if not only) purpose in
doing so is an extension of vegan ethics. Sugar is often refined using
animal bone char to whiten the natural brown to the pure white you see
at the store. From a vegan standpoint, in order to lessen the amount
of harm inflicted on other sentient beings, refined sugar should be
avoided. Most of the vegan cookbooks I have phrase their ingredients
as "wet sweetener" or "dry sweetener" so the cook makes the choice of
from the many vegan options available.

Unbleached sugar (anything from a beet instead of cane source will be
OK, along with "evaporated cane juice" or just "unbleached sugar")
therefore is considered vegan, but it's not "healthy" by any means.