whole foods and trader joes

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here. Again, I am trying to cut down on her *refined sugar* intake. I would like to occasionally give her a treat in the lollipop category, since she loves them passionately, but I want to get away from Tootsie Pops and Dum Dums and the like.

OK - back to basics, OP. Fructose is what makes sugar sweet. It's also what makes fruit juice sweet. Your body doesn't recognize a difference between cane sugar and fruit juice. Generally, we think of fruit juice as healthier than sugar water because it also contains some vitamins and minerals. But for the quanity in a lollipop, there wouldn't be any real difference between them.

I like the yummy earth ones for a very occasional treat because they don't have the artificial coloring of, for instance, Dum Dums, but I can't imagine that you'd be able to find a low-fructose or sucrose lollipop (whether its from fruit juice or cane sugar - again, your body doesn't know the difference). Maybe just try some other treats like whole fruit, which contains fiber and nutrient in addition to sugar.

"Fructose is what makes sugar sweet," and "Your body doesn't recognize a difference between cane sugar and fruit juice"? Where do you get your information? Fructose doesn't "make" sugar sweet, it IS sugar. And I'm afraid you're wrong that your body doesn't know the difference.

Fructose is one form of sugar. It is found in honey and fruit. Most lollipops use a combination of a few types. Other common types of sugar are sucrose (which breaks down into fructose and glucose in the body) and glucose. Glucose is what your body uses for fuel. Studies are beginning to show numerous adverse health effects (ie, inflammation) from fructose, so people who are eating high fruit diets and/or lots of honey are going to pay for that decision down the line. In moderation, I'm sure fruit and honey are fine. The bottom line is that you need to know what kind of sugar you're talking about.

As for Yummy Earth pops that tout various natural-sounding claims, they have lots of citric acid. Citric acid is being found in European studies to cause more tooth decay than sugar. It's bad for your body and many people react to it. It's almost impossible to find lollipops that don't have citric acid. It's an additive in many other food products as well, and is rarely derived from citrus fruit like it sounds. It usually comes from corn or a type of mold. If you read food labels, you will be amazed at how many foods have citric acid because it's used as a preservative. In lollipops, it's also used to add a tart flavor.

http://thechickncoop.blogspot.com/2012/03/homemade-honey-lollipops.html?m=1

Honey has lots of sugar in it, but this recipe sounds like the sort of thing you are looking for.