You can satisfy your sweet tooth with some help from Mother Nature.(healthy sugar substitutes and analysis of sugar and substitutes)

Regarded at once as beloved friend and bitter enemy, few foods have created such controversy as white sugar. Its advocates argue that in reasonable amounts, it s harmless, satisfying a normal, even biological craving. Those who oppose it link it to various illnesses and nutritional deficiencies. But even its vilification hasn't dampened our passionate love affair with the sweetener: the average American still takes in the equivalent of about 20 teaspoons of sugar a day. Meanwhile, sales of artificial sweeteners grow, even as doubts about their safety remain. Ready to kick your sugar habit? Read on for the not-so-sweet details of white sugar.

WHAT'S WRONG WITH WHITE SUGAR?

Some say it's "natural," since it's derived from the sugar cane plant. But calling this refined white stuff "natural" is sugarcoating the facts. In modern sugar cane farming, chemical fertilizers and pesticides are used to grow the sugar cane plants. The mature sugar cane is harvested and sent to refining factories, where the cane's vitamins, minerals and other nutrients are separated from the sucrose. After further refining, the cane juice is dried, processed into crystals and bleached to remove its naturally dark color.

Refined white sugar has been linked to dental cavities, increased cholesterol levels, heart disease, hypoglycemia, diabetes, obesity, osteoporosis and nutritional deficiencies. Additionally, white sugar can create dramatic fluctuations in blood sugar which, over time, can wear down both the pancreas and the adrenal glands. And because it provides no nutrition, most dietitians agree that white sugar has no legitimate place in a healthy diet.

SUGAR SUBSTITUTES: THE NATURAL ALTERNATIVES

Any refined sweetener, whether it's white sugar, honey or another variation, is broken down by the body into glucose, and is associated with the same problems, like weight gain and cavities. Even so, natural sweeteners have their advantages. Most are less refined than white sugar, have a slightly higher nutritional value, and tend to be broken down more slowly in the body, creating less impact on blood sugar. Following are some sweet substitutes to try:

--Agave nectar. This liquid sweetener comes in light and dark varieties, and is a good substitute for corn syrup.