We drink a lot of hot tea and coffees in this house. My husband likes to put Splenda in his drinks, and I like either sugar or pure natural honey. We had the opportunity to try out a natural sweetener recently. I had never heard of it before, but it is something that is becoming quite popular to use and has been featured on Dr. Oz. It is not a new idea to use Yacon syrup, as it has been used for years in its area of origin. It is called Yacon syrup and is derived from Peru. Yacon itself resembles a long potato, similar in appearance to a sweet potato. I think it tastes similar to molasses or a deep dark honey, with a fig or raisin like flavor. Yacon is a great option for diabetics and acts as a great alternative to low calorie sweeteners.
My husband is not diabetic, however, he uses Splenda as his main sweetener. I have never been fond of the idea. Splenda has been said to contain traces of formaldehyde. Yes, you read that right. In fact Splenda is only approximately 98% natural/pure. The other 2% is not reported to the FDA. Here is what I found from this website: "The FDA states in their Final Report on Splenda that sucralose (created in a lab with chemicals)is "produced at an approximate purity of ninety-eight percent." The remaining 2% contains these chemicals used to synthesize sucralose in the five-step process: (I do not know what more than half of these are, but I do know that my nail polish remover has acetone in it...scary. I am hoping to convince my husband that while a small packet of Splenda will not kill him, continued daily use over a few years could seriously cause harm. My husband uses 2-4 packets a day, depending on what he is adding the Splenda to.
The following chemicals are found in trace amounts in the remaining 2% of Splenda:
1. Acetone
2. Acetic acid
3. Acetyl alcohol
4. Acetic anhydride
5. Ammonium chloride
6. Benzene
7. Chlorinated sulfates
8. Ethyl alcohol
9. Isobutyl ketones
10. Formaldehyde
11. Hydrogen chloride
12. Lithium chloride
13. Methanol
14. Sodium methoxide
15. Sulfuryl chloride
16. Trityl chloride
17. Toluene
18. Thionyl chloride
Info above found at these 2 links:
Janet Hull Website Natural Medicine
NataJane Blog
I do not know a lot about Yacon sweetener, as I just recently learned about it, but I have done a little bit of research and it seems to have been tested as a safe option. I like how it is natural. Yacon syrup has shown to assist in weight management, by suppressing appetite and reducing cravings. It can lower blood sugar and increase fiber. It is an excellent source of prebiotics and probiotics, and is an antioxidant. This particular brand of Yacon syrup is organic and has no added preservatives. This is Gluten free, non-GMO, and organic. It is mentioned to use 1 teaspoon 3 times a day, preferably 30 minutes before meals in order to reduce appetite. It is often used as a method of detox and to relieve constipation, and increase fiber.
We both tried the syrup, each using 1 tsp. in our drinks. My husband did not like it in his coffee (tried it 3 times as a substitute to his regular sweetener), but he enjoyed it in his Earl Grey tea with a little milk. I think it will be a great option for him if I can get him to completely cut out his use of Splenda. I like to have my hot tea with pure local honey (and ice tea with regular sugar and lemon), I personally did not like this Yacon enough to make the switch permanently. It is a bit too sweet for me, and the taste resembles raisins or figs in my opinion, both of which I am not fond of. My husband will continue trying this in his tea until the bottle is finished, and may perhaps continue using this thereafter.
For more information on Yacon Syrup or to purchase, please visit their product page on Amazon Yacon Syrup by Life & Food
and their website here: Life & Food Pro Website.
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