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How can one buy bulk glucose to use as a sweetener instead of fructose or sucrose?

by wnoise 16y ago

Saavedro 16y ago
Karo corn syrup is mostly glucose, if you -really- want to go down that road.
rmobin 16y ago
Look for dextrose or corn sugar. Here's one link: http://www.nowfoods.com/Products/ProductsbyCategory/M004079.htm?cat=Sports%20Nutrition http://www.nowfoods.com/Products/ProductsbyCategory/M004079..... Personally, I just do my best to avoid anything that tastes sweet.
- shpxnvz 16y ago
  Careful, though, the Corn Refiner's Association wants to rename HFCS to "Corn Sugar".
stephen 16y ago
My amateur understanding is that excess glucose still leads to high blood sugar and so the resulting insulin spikes and fat storage. So it may be a lesser evil than fructose, but is not a panacea by any means. FWIW, I'm basing my current understanding on the book Body by Science. It has an explanation of metabolism similar to the Lustig video linked to in the NYT article. However, Body by Science wasn't as specifically anti-fructose, but more generally anti-blood sugar spikes.
- wnoise 16y ago
  Sure, but I'm still going to want to sweeten food in moderation, and it appears that tilting towards glucose in doing so is better. (Though glucose is less sweet, possibly meaning I'll use more, and that's worth watching out for.)
travisp 16y ago
There are online food places where you can buy pure glucose (it has value in certain gourmet foods because of its different properties from sucrose). However, if you read more of Taubes than just this, you'll see that he presents evidence that too much pure glucose would also likely cause problems if I understand it correctly. Spiking your blood glucose to consistently high levels isn't good for you either, even if you avoid all fructose.
JonnieCache 16y ago
If you're using it for coffee, my solution to that problem was to start drinking a better quality of coffee, then you won't want to add sugar.
Sapient 16y ago
Try Xylitol rather, my wife switched me over to this about a year ago, and I could barely tell the difference. Possessing approximately 40% less food energy, xylitol is a low-calorie alternative to table sugar. Absorbed more slowly than sugar, it does not contribute to high blood sugar levels or the resulting hyperglycemia caused by insufficient insulin response. This characteristic has also proven beneficial for people suffering from metabolic syndrome, a common disorder that includes insulin resistance, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and an increased risk for blood clots.
- neworbit 16y ago
  But be careful with table scraps, Xylitol can kill Fido. http://www.healthypet.com/petcare/PetCareArticle.aspx?art_key=8ca80d3f-69db-43e5-8838-f1010746fd0d http://www.healthypet.com/petcare/PetCareArticle.aspx?art_ke...
ciupicri 16y ago
You could also try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia
- gnosis 16y ago
  There's also Splenda: https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Splenda https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Splenda Of the artificial sweeteners I've tried, it tastes the most like table sugar to me.

How can one buy bulk glucose to use as a sweetener instead of fructose or sucrose?

by wnoise 16y ago

How can one buy bulk glucose to use as a sweetener instead of fructose or sucrose?

Saavedro 16y ago

Karo corn syrup is mostly glucose, if you -really- want to go down that road.

rmobin 16y ago

Look for dextrose or corn sugar. Here's one link: http://www.nowfoods.com/Products/ProductsbyCategory/M004079.htm?cat=Sports%20Nutrition http://www.nowfoods.com/Products/ProductsbyCategory/M004079..... Personally, I just do my best to avoid anything that tastes sweet.

shpxnvz 16y ago
Careful, though, the Corn Refiner's Association wants to rename HFCS to "Corn Sugar".

stephen 16y ago

My amateur understanding is that excess glucose still leads to high blood sugar and so the resulting insulin spikes and fat storage. So it may be a lesser evil than fructose, but is not a panacea by any means. FWIW, I'm basing my current understanding on the book Body by Science. It has an explanation of metabolism similar to the Lustig video linked to in the NYT article. However, Body by Science wasn't as specifically anti-fructose, but more generally anti-blood sugar spikes.

wnoise 16y ago
Sure, but I'm still going to want to sweeten food in moderation, and it appears that tilting towards glucose in doing so is better. (Though glucose is less sweet, possibly meaning I'll use more, and that's worth watching out for.)

travisp 16y ago

There are online food places where you can buy pure glucose (it has value in certain gourmet foods because of its different properties from sucrose). However, if you read more of Taubes than just this, you'll see that he presents evidence that too much pure glucose would also likely cause problems if I understand it correctly. Spiking your blood glucose to consistently high levels isn't good for you either, even if you avoid all fructose.

JonnieCache 16y ago

If you're using it for coffee, my solution to that problem was to start drinking a better quality of coffee, then you won't want to add sugar.

Sapient 16y ago

Try Xylitol rather, my wife switched me over to this about a year ago, and I could barely tell the difference. Possessing approximately 40% less food energy, xylitol is a low-calorie alternative to table sugar. Absorbed more slowly than sugar, it does not contribute to high blood sugar levels or the resulting hyperglycemia caused by insufficient insulin response. This characteristic has also proven beneficial for people suffering from metabolic syndrome, a common disorder that includes insulin resistance, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, and an increased risk for blood clots.

neworbit 16y ago
But be careful with table scraps, Xylitol can kill Fido. http://www.healthypet.com/petcare/PetCareArticle.aspx?art_key=8ca80d3f-69db-43e5-8838-f1010746fd0d http://www.healthypet.com/petcare/PetCareArticle.aspx?art_ke...

ciupicri 16y ago

You could also try http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stevia

gnosis 16y ago
There's also Splenda: https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Splenda https://secure.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/wiki/Splenda Of the artificial sweeteners I've tried, it tastes the most like table sugar to me.