My experience and practice: First, I totally avoid aspartame because, for me, it triggers excruciating migraines. Also, Dr. Arlene Taylor, brain-function specialist, has published studies showing that aspartame is a brain toxin. Running a close second to what I totally avoid is xylitol because it can be fatal to small animals. Since I have a Chihuahua and many of my friends have small dogs, I *never* keep any products with xylitol in my house, my car, or my purse. I occasionally use a commercial product sweetened with sucralose (Splenda) but I don’t buy it by itself. My first go-to is usually Truvia Spoonable, a combo of stevia and erythritol. For cooking/baking, I generally use a combination of Swerve (erythritol) in granular and/or confectioners and pure liquid stevia. One word of caution: DO read the labels carefully to make sure your sweetener of choice (including stevia) is not mixed with sugar in any form, including maltodextrin. I would advise to avoid “baking blends” which are usually unabashedly mixed with sugar.

First, some general articles about sugar.

Artificial sweetener use among children: epidemiology, recommendations, metabolic outcomes, and future directions
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3220878/

HOW MUCH SUGAR IS IN A HEALTHY DIET?
https://www.ditchthecarbs.com/how-much-sugar-is-in-a-healthy-diet/

How Natural and Artificial Sweeteners Affect Your Blood Sugar
https://www.diabetesdaily.com/blog/how-natural-and-artificial-sweeteners-affect-your-blood-sugar-298225/

“Sugar,” Ellen White wrote, “when largely used, is more injurious than meat” (Testimonies for the Church, Vol. II).
https://m.egwwritings.org/en/book/120.1543

Sugar Industry Manipulated Heart Studies, Review Finds
https://www.nbcnews.com/health/health-news/sugar-industry-manipulated-heart-studies-review-finds-n646836?cid=sm_fb

The case against sugar
A potent toxin that alters hormones and metabolism, sugar sets the stage for epidemic levels of obesity and diabetes
https://aeon.co/essays/sugar-is-a-toxic-agent-that-creates-conditions-for-disease

The Sugar Free Revolution
https://thesugarfreerevolution.com/

What Is Dextrin?
Dextrins can be made from almost any starch source, like corn, wheat or potatoes. …A lot of dextrin in food is made from non-wheat sources, like tapioca, rice, or potatoes.
https://www.bobsredmill.com/blog/healthy-living/what-is-dextrin/

Specific Sweeteners

  • Agave Nectar
  • Artificial Sweeteners
    • Acesulfame Potassium
    • Aspartame (Equal, Nutrasweet)
    • Erythritol (Swerve, Truvia)
    • Monkfruit
    • Stevia
    • Sucralose (Splenda)
    • Sugar Alcohols (xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol)
  • Fructose
  • General Information About Sweeteners
  • High Fructose Corn Syrup
  • Honey
  • Maple Syrup
  • Molasses
  • Sugar (cane, beet)

Food Categories