To this we've come: sugar is the new "healthy" alternative

I often receive press releases announcing new books, products, and other nutrition-related news. Yesterday, for example, I received one with the headline: "Unique New Line Of Healthy Herbal Teas Feature Only Natural Sweeteners." Sounds promising.

Maybe, I thought, we're finally going to get beverages sweetened with stevia, an all-natural, sugar-free herb that's used around the world to sweeten beverages. Stevia has many advantages over artificial sweeteners that dominate the U.S. market. Unlike Splenda and Nutrasweet, both of which ironically have the G.R.A.S. (generally recognized as safe) designation that has been denied to stevia, there have never been any reports of adverse effects resulting from the use of stevia as a sweetener.  Stevia also has beneficial effects on blood sugar.  (See also this post on the fattening effects of diet sodas.)

Unfortunately, food manufacturers in the U.S. have been forbidden by the U.S.D.A. to use stevia in food products. (Many believe the nonsensical ban is due to heavy pressure from the makers of Nutrasweet and Splenda.) Stevia can be sold as a dietary supplement, however, even though distributors cannot label or promote it as a sweetener. Despite the regulatory issues, stevia has gained a loyal following among health-conscious consumers (like me), who use it "off-label" as a natural, low-calorie sugar alternative in beverages and baked goods.

I'd read in January that Coca-cola is planning to manufacture stevia-sweetened products for other countries and is petitioning the U.S.D.A. to remove the legal barriers to its use in the U.S.  If Coca-cola gets its way, its right to use stevia to sweeten beverages would also be protected by a patent which would bar other manufacturers from introducing stevia-sweetened soft drinks, at least for a while.

So, I thought, this press release might be the first word of new developments:

"When it comes to soft drink beverages on the market today, most are far from what would be considered healthy -- and even those that claim to be healthy are sweetened with high fructose corn syrup, believed to be one of the leading causes of the obesity epidemic in the country today."

So far, so good. (See also this post on high-fructose corn syrup and whether it's really the cause of the obesity epidemic in this country.) The release continued:

"A new line of healthy drinks from ABF Beverages is offering the best of both worlds – an herbal infused tea drink called Herbal Mist that is healthy, tasty, and naturally sweetened without the use of that dreaded high fructose corn syrup.

“Up to now, the beverage industry hasn’t done a great job of providing the more health-conscious consumer with a great bottled drink,” explains Doni Freundlich, president of ABF Beverage of Cedarhurst, New York. “People are becoming more aware of their health, and we’ve created a drink that matches their lifestyle.”

Finally, a drink that matches our lifestyle! But I was starting to get suspicious. The release nattered on about yerba mate and its purported health benefits. I was several paragraphs into it, and still no mention of stevia, which would surely be big news.  Finally, they got to the details of this healthy new drink:

"Herbal Mist is sweetened with natural cane sugar, as opposed to he unhealthy high-fructose corn syrup so many drinks rely upon today."

Then, just for good measure, they reminded me:

"High-fructose corn syrup, according to the Mayo Clinic, has been linked to such adverse health effects as diabetes and high cholesterol. Additionally, some experts believe that it has a lot to do with the current obesity epidemic."

Right.  So, given our current epidemic of obesity and diabetes, we're supposed to get excited about a healthy new drink sweetened with....sugar?

This is just one more in the ever-expanding line of costly soft-drinks masquerading as a healthier options. Vitamin waters, antioxidant waters, herbal "teas," diet sodas with added vitamins...I recommend that you steer clear of them all. 

If you're looking for a healthy beverage, try filtered water, mineral water, home-made sparkling water, or home-brewed iced tea (regular or herbal). If you want a bit of sweetness, add a small amount of fruit juice or stevia, available in the herbal supplement section of your health food store.