There are two sugar substitutes that I can beat my chest about their benefits and their zero-calorie status. They are stevia and monk fruit. I will talk about them later. This week, I would like us to familiarize ourselves with the various sugar substitutes that people use. I will give my thoughts about them.
There are a few reasons that sugar substitutes may be a healthier choice than regular sugar:
Some are low-calorie or calorie-free, which can be helpful for people who want to lose weight.
Most have a lower glycaemic index, which helps reduce blood sugar spikes and provides the body with a lower and steadier sugar load.
If the substitute is a whole fruit, it can be a source of fibre.
They can provide a depth of flavour that you do not get with refined sugar.
Let us see some of these substitutes:
Allulose
It is promoted as a natural sweetener because it is found in nature in jackfruit, figs, raisins, kiwis, dried fruits, maple syrup, and molasses. It is considered a rare sugar because it is found in very small quantities. It is added to many packaged foods. However, to be produced allulose is not isolated from those sources, most commercially available allulose is synthetically made from corn.
Certain sugar alcohols
Sugar alcohols do not contain ethanol. Currently, eight sugar alcohols are approved for human consumption, they are erythritol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, isomalt, lactitol, mannitol, maltitol, sorbitol, and xylitol. Of these, xylitol, erythritol, and maltitol are the most widely used in the food industry.
Some sugar alcohols can be found in whole foods. Pineapples, olives, asparagus, sweet potatoes, and carrots are natural sources of mannitol; cereals, mushrooms, and some fruits and vegetables contain xylitol; and various fruits like apples, pears, blackberries, peaches, and prunes contain sorbitol. But the sugar alcohols often present in packaged products like sugar-free candies, gums, chocolate, energy bars, cookies, energy drinks, cough syrups, throat lozenges, and toothpaste are synthetically produced.
Agave
Agave syrup comes from the sap of the agave plant. The plant is first cut and pressed to extract the sugary sap. While this sap is high in sugar, it also contains healthy fibres like fructans, which are linked to beneficial effects on metabolism and insulin.
Honey
Honey is one of the oldest natural sweeteners and has been used for medicinal purposes since ancient times. Honey, like all carbohydrates, raises blood sugar quickly, but not quite as fast as sugar. As with any sweetener, honey is best consumed in moderation.
Syrups
Syrups are thick liquid sweeteners often made from plants or fruits. Maple and date syrups are popular varieties. They have about the same amount of calories as sugar and will increase blood sugar by about the same amount.
Blackstrap molasses
Molasses is thick, dark syrup made by processing sugarcane. Blackstrap molasses is especially thick and contains more nutrients than regular molasses or sugar. It is high in calories and slightly less sweet than sugar.
Jaggery
Typically used in Asia and Africa, jaggery is a sweetener made from the juices of sugarcane. It is an unrefined form of sugar, so it retains vitamins, minerals, and amino acids. It is used in Ayurvedic medicine to help with cough, digestion issues, and other illnesses.
Coconut sugar
Coconut sugar is also called coconut palm sugar. A cut is made on the flower of the coconut palm, and the liquid sap is collected into containers. The sap is placed under heat until most of the water has evaporated. The end product is brown and granulated. Its colour is similar to that of raw cane sugar, but the particle size is typically smaller or more variable.
Applesauce
Apple cooked into a puree makes applesauce. Compared to sugar, applesauce is a low-calorie alternative. It contains fibre, vitamins, and minerals. Applesauce will not increase blood sugar as much as regular sugar does.
Bananas and other whole fruits
Fruits are nature’s candy. You can use them as a sweetener in foods like plain yogurt, pancakes, and baked goods. They also blend nicely into smoothies and juices. Along with their sweetness and flavour, fruits pack in vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. If you use whole fruit, you will also benefit from a healthy fibre load. The fibre content can help curb blood sugar spikes compared to regular sugar.
An NIH-funded research team led by Dr. Stanley Hazen at the Cleveland Clinic examined the relationship between erythritol and heart attacks and stroke. According to Dr. Stanley Hazen, “sweeteners like erythritol have rapidly increased in popularity in recent years, but there needs to be more in-depth research into their long-term effects. Cardiovascular disease builds over time and heart disease is the leading cause of death globally. We need to make sure the foods we eat aren’t hidden contributors.”
According to Francesco Branca, WHO Director for Nutrition and Food Safety “Replacing free sugars with NSS (non-sugar sweeteners) does not help with weight control in the long term. People need to consider other ways to reduce free sugar intake, such as consuming food with naturally occurring sugars, like fruit, or unsweetened food and beverages. NSS are not essential dietary factors and have no nutritional value. People should reduce the sweetness of the diet altogether, starting early in life, to improve their health”
I would like to give my thoughts on these sweeteners. Let me use agave nectar/syrup as an example. It is produced from the sap of a plant that has been used medicinally in Mexico for generations. Although all-natural agave sweeteners may be healthier for you than regular sugar, most of the agave you buy in stores is highly processed. When processed into a syrup, the fructans are extracted and broken down into fructose by exposing the sap to heat and/or enzymes. This process, which is similar to how other unhealthy sweeteners like high fructose corn syrup are made, destroys all of the health-promoting properties of the agave plant.
Therefore, it is not atypical that a bottle of agave has more high fructose corn syrup in it than any other commercial sweetener including high fructose corn syrup itself. Because agave syrup is much higher in fructose( not the fructose in whole fruits) than plain sugar, it has a greater potential to cause adverse health effects, such as increased belly fat and fatty liver disease.
Let us see another shocking revelation. There is a big difference between the stevia you buy at the grocery store and the stevia you may grow at home. Stevia products found on grocery store shelves, such as Truvia and Stevia in the Raw, do not contain whole stevia leaf. They are made from a highly refined stevia leaf extract called rebaudioside A (Reb-A). Many stevia products have very little stevia in them at all.
So, you can now see that processing is a major problem, it can turn a natural and safe sweetener to diseases- causing one. So, let your sugar substitutes be naturally occurring sugars in fruits and veggies and they must be prepared in your home and not store-bought.
