Strange ingredients in my sweet-tasting food
What's that strange ingredient in my sweet-tasting food?
As previously posted, I've been learning a ton in the couple weeks we've sworn off refined sugar. I've been reading the ingredients of everything (which I suppose we should always do). I needed to look up some things to find out what they are -- always a bad sign. Here are a few common ones:
Evaporated Cane Juice = sugar water with most of the water removed. It's a fancy name for "sugar". (See my previous post.) ECJ may be less refined, but it's still sugar .
Dextrose, Dextrin = industry names for a form of glucose, i.e. sugar.
Maltodextrin = short chains of glucose molecules. May not be sweet, but easily is broken down during digestion into glucose, and is definitely a refined product. Vivian and I won't be eating it this month.
Glycerol (pure form), also called Glycerin (impure commercial product) = a sugar alcohol. It has calories, and tastes sweet, but doesn't raise blood sugar. Used as a filler in low-fat, low-carb, and other processed foods, although there's disagreement about its overall health benefit. Glycerol is most definitely a refined product -- it's a by-product of biodiesel production. It's also used to make soap, toothpaste (it's in Tom's of Maine), pharmaceuticals and body care products. I'm thinking it's not just an excuse for sugar, but it sure fails the refined test! I'll pass, except for the toothpaste which I'm not swallowing.
Evaporated Cane Juice = sugar water with most of the water removed. It's a fancy name for "sugar". (See my previous post.) ECJ may be less refined, but it's still sugar .
Dextrose, Dextrin = industry names for a form of glucose, i.e. sugar.
Maltodextrin = short chains of glucose molecules. May not be sweet, but easily is broken down during digestion into glucose, and is definitely a refined product. Vivian and I won't be eating it this month.
Glycerol (pure form), also called Glycerin (impure commercial product) = a sugar alcohol. It has calories, and tastes sweet, but doesn't raise blood sugar. Used as a filler in low-fat, low-carb, and other processed foods, although there's disagreement about its overall health benefit. Glycerol is most definitely a refined product -- it's a by-product of biodiesel production. It's also used to make soap, toothpaste (it's in Tom's of Maine), pharmaceuticals and body care products. I'm thinking it's not just an excuse for sugar, but it sure fails the refined test! I'll pass, except for the toothpaste which I'm not swallowing.