Pour a Little Sugar On It

Some Health Conscious Consumers are Curbing Their Sweet Cravings with a Natural No-Calorie Sweetener.

By Kristen LaVerghetta

Syracuse, NY - For years calorie counting consumers have been using artificial sweeteners, like Equal, Sweet'N Low, and Splenda, as a guilt free alternative to Sugar.

James Kallmerten, a Syracuse University chemistry professor, says that the artificial compounds used in these sweeteners have health hazards that are far worse than a few extra calories.

“The problem that you run into is if you encounter a compound that the liver can’t handle. Sometimes you can actually impair liver function and you can actually cause liver disease.”

Some health conscious consumers are now turning to Stevia. It's a natural no-calorie sweetener that is made from a plant. Stevia comes in several different forms, and is two to three hundred times sweeter than sugar.

Tracey Bowers, team leader for Nature's Marketplace at Wegmans in Dewitt, says, "Consumers really like Stevia because it’s all-natural, there are no side effects, it’s zero glycemic index, and it has a good taste"



Stevia is considered a dietary supplement, because the FDA hasn’t approved it. Currently, Coca cola is trying to get Stevia approved so they can use it in their diet sodas.

This no-calorie sugar alternative comes at no small cost. Consumers will pay between $8.00 and $20.00 for Stevia. Some consumers, like Faye Gambocarto, are turned off by the price. "It was kinda a little pricey, that’s why I didn’t get it."

Jodi Kearns, a dietitian, still warns against becoming too reliant on alternative sweeteners, even natural ones. Kearns says that when using any sugar replacement, people should be aware of what the acceptable daily intake, or ADI, of that product is. The ADI is the amount the FDA has determined a person can safely consumer.

Kearns says that life style changes may be more beneficial than simply eliminating natural sugar from your diet. “The bottom line is people need to eat better, drink less soda, less sweetened beverages, drink more water and just try to be healthier without using a lot of these things”

Kearns and Kallmerten agree that none of these products have been around long enough for anyone to really know what the long term side effects are. Kallmerten adds, “I think I’d just take sugar and go out and run three miles everyday.”

Although products like Stevia give consumers a natural – no calorie alternative to sugar, experts say that in moderation, a little bit of the real thing may not be that bad.