This is a question I received on www.foodpicker.org :
What is the best sugar substitute to use for baking and daily use for diabetics?
Stevia is the best choice for a sugar substitute for baking and daily use. Stevia is very natural because it is derived from a perennial shrub with leaves 30-times sweeter than sugar and it is available in powdered, liquid, concentrate, tea or tablet form. However, in order to substitute sugar with stevia you will have to follow the directions on the stevia product label to get the results you want. This product can be found in most health food stores. * Interesting fact: it has not been approved by the FDA as a food additive because American sugar corporations would lobby against it because it could substitute sugar in all processed foods which would result in billions of dollars lost for these corporations that control the sugar market.
Here are some other natural sweeteners to check out that are lower on the glycemic index (index that measure rise in blood sugar) : xylitol, Agave, Barley Malt Syrup, Brown rice syrup, Date sugar, frozen juice concentrate, honey, maple syrup, and molasses.
However, sugar free baking can be a challenge especially in high sugar products such as cakes which require sugar to increase the temperature that starch gelatinizes at. Sugar has many other functions in leavening, a fine even texture, and caramelization. So you may have to have experiement and search online for recipes or baked goods using natural sweeteners
I have suggested many of the natural sweeteners that are safe to consume, but there are some man made ”alternative sweeters” that people recommend to people with diabetes and are approved by the FDA, but they should be avoided when possible (please read labels!). These sugars are referred to as sugar alcohols because they are derived from sugar but their chemical structure is altered. Gastric distress is a symptom is they are consumed in excess. : Sucralose (Splenda) , Aspartame (Equal, NutraSweet), Saccharin (Sweet N’ Low), Acelsulfame-K, Neotame, Sorbital, and Cyclamates. Please look at this website because it shows how many of these sweetners have been inadequately tested and even though animal testing has shown thyroid problems and tumors the FDA still has approved them! http://www.purestevia.info/
In the end, it really is best to avoid baked goods as much as possible if you have diabetes, but when you need a baked good for a special occasion try to use the natural sweetners I mentioned above. Happy Baking!
