The Ultimate Guide to Sugars and Sweeteners: Discover the Taste, Use, Nutrition, Science, and Lore of Everything from Agave Nectar to Xylitol - Paperback

by Alan Barclay (Author), Philippa Sandall (Author), Claudia Shwide-Slavin (Author)

Today, supermarkets and natural food stores feature a bewildering variety of sugars and alternative sweeteners. The deluge of conflicting information doesn't help. If choosing a sweetener leaves you scratching your head, this handy guide will answer all of your questions--even the ones you didn't know to ask:

• Which sweeteners perform well in baking?
• Will the kids notice if I sub in stevia?
• What's the best pick if I'm watching my waistline, blood sugar, or environmental impact?
• Are any of them really superfoods . . . or toxic?

Perfect for foodies, bakers, carb counters, parents, chefs, and clinicians, this delightfully readable book features more than 180 alphabetical entries on natural and artificial sweeteners, including the usual suspects (table sugar, honey), the controversial (aspartame, high-fructose corn syrup), the hyped (coconut sugar, monk fruit sweetener), and the unfamiliar (Chinese rock sugar, isomaltulose). You'll also find myth-busting Q&As, intriguing trivia, side-by-side comparisons of how sweeteners perform in classic baked goods, and info on food-additive regulations, dental health, the glycemic index, and more. Your sweet tooth is in for a real education!

Author Biography

Alan Barclay, PhD is a consultant dietitian who worked for Diabetes Australia (NSW) from 1998-2014. He is coauthor of The New Glucose Revolution for Diabetes and a member of the editorial boards of the Diabetes Australia's consumer magazine, Conquest, and health professional magazine, Diabetes Management Journal. Barclay is currently Chief Scientific Officer at the Glycemic Index Foundation.
Philippa Sandall is cocreator of the Seafurrers blog as well as coauthor of several books in the bestselling New Glucose Revolution series. She runs her own editorial consulting agency in New South Wales.

Claudia Shwide-Slavin, MS, RD, CDE, has been a registered dietitian and a certified diabetes educator for over 20 years. She runs a clinical private practice in New York City, prior to which she set up and coordinated three diabetes centers in the NYC area. Her writing on diabetes and sweeteners has appeared in various peer-reviewed journals.
Dr. Jennie Brand-Miller is a professor of human nutrition at the University of Sydney and a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science. She is acknowledged worldwide for her expertise on carbohydrates and health, as well as infant nutrition.