Oligofructose

Oligofructose is a powdered sweetener made from chicory root, ground to a very fine soluble fiber. It has 3 carbs per teaspoon and 3 grams of dietary fiber, so the net carbs are zero and the glycemic index is zero. The label claims it is safe for diabetics and will not cause insulin surges (though if you're diabetic, please test this out for yourself). At $21.95 a pound it is not cheap, but I actually think this is one of the better natural sweeteners. It is sold under the brand name Sweet Perfection.

Oligofructose is usually derived from a chicory (though it can also be derived from sucrose, so read the label) and consists of fructose chains. It is a "soluble dietary fiber", that is not absorbed in the small intestine. When it passes into the large intestine it is partly fermented, producing energy.

Oligofructose is used as a dietary supplement because it is a perfect substrate for bifidus bacteria, one of the "good bacteria" that are needed for digestion. Oligofructose can stimulate its activity by several hundred percent. Short chain fatty acids are produced, lowering pH levels and providing an energy source for the growth and maintenance of large intestine cells. Because the ideal environment for healthy bacteria is quite different from the environment preferred by disease-causing and putrative bacteria, the undesirable bacteria diminish in number as the healthy bacteria proliferate in the presence of oligofructose.

Oligofructose is also a oligosaccharides, which may be instrumental in modifying the risk of osteoporosis, heart disease, cancer and intestinal disorders. It may also increase calcium and magnesium absorption and improving fat metabolism.

The advertising says you can use this anywhere you'd use sugar and it is "100% guaranteed to taste and perform exactly like sugar." No. I've been doing "science experiments" on this sweetener and it's not as claimed. But it is a great sweetener, for what it is.

First, it does not, to my tongue, taste like refined white cane sugar. Very close, but not exactly. And it's not granulated. It's a powder. So you won't get that nice crunch of a granulated sugar if you sprinkle it on something. But it has a nice mellowness to it. And it has an aftertaste, but not unpleasant to me at all.

And it's not as sweet as sugar. Yes, you can substitute it cup for cup, but it's only about half as sweet.

The important thing to me is that you can NOT use it in every recipe just like sugar. It doesn't dissolve very well and tends to clump. The way to get around this is to sprinkle it in slowly while mixing, not all at once like you would with sugar. It's great for sweetening hot or cold drinks, or any cold recipe, like ice cream or cheesecake or whipped cream.

Another important characteristic of sweeteners is whether or not it will caramelize. Sugar is great for this, which is what makes cookies crisp and allows you to make hard candy. I tried making toffee with it, and an interesting thing occurred. It would not combine with the butter. It clumped up and turned brown and got hard and even made threads like sugar would, but it wouldn't mix with the butter. Then I tried melting it in a pan by itself. It got hard before it browned. So, no, it doesn't behave exactly like sugar, and you can't make everything with it that you can make with sugar. But you can use it for baking cakes and cookies, and that's worth doing.

Recipes made with Oligofructose: