We all enjoy a little treat once in a while, but our intake of refined sugars has increased dramatically over the past 50 years. According to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, the average adult consumes 17 teaspoons of added sugar each day, which is far above recommended levels. The ideal diet consists of 10% or less of calories from added sugars, which is the equivalent of 12 teaspoons for an average 2,000 calorie intake.
If you’re looking for ways to manage your health without cutting out sugar completely, learn about the best natural sugar alternatives. You may already have some in your pantry.
What are sugar substitutes?
Before we discuss sugar substitutes, it’s important to clarify that sugar is not inherently bad for you. In fact, it’s essential to your health. The body converts carbohydrates into glucose, a type of sugar. This is the main source of energy to keep your body moving and your brain functioning. Despite what some fad diets advocate, not eating carbohydrates and sugar can lead to health problems and symptoms such as low energy, sleep problems, and brain fog.
The goal is not to avoid sugar, but to consume it in the right amount. kinds sugar. Much of today’s American diet consists of added sugars. Added sugars are processed and refined to add a strong sweetness with little substance. Ultra-refined white sugar and high fructose corn syrup are common ingredients in sodas, pastries, breads, and condiments. These are immediately transported to the bloodstream without adding any other nutritional value along the way. Consuming too much of these sugars can lead to serious health complications such as high blood pressure, diabetes, and fatty liver disease.
You can check the amount of added sugar on a food’s nutrition label and ingredient list. The higher the amount of sugar listed in the ingredient list, the more sugar there will be in the product. Added sugars go by many names, including brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, glucose, fructose, dextrose, high fructose corn syrup, malt syrup, maltose, and sucrose.
In contrast, natural sugars are unrefined or lightly processed and occur naturally in many foods. For example, fruits contain fructose, but they are also rich in dietary fiber, providing your body with a balanced combination of nutrients. Honey and maple syrup are not only naturally sweet, but also rich in minerals, vitamins, and antioxidants.
There are also a variety of natural sweeteners and sugar substitutes that can be added to foods and beverages that provide sweetness without the drawbacks of refined sugar. Examples of these sugar substitutes include sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, and natural sweeteners such as stevia.
The best natural alternative to sugar
I have good news. Even if you want to cut back on sugar, there are still plenty of options to keep things sweet. Here are six of the best natural sugar alternatives you can add to your diet instead of refined sugar.
honey
Honey has long been valued not only for its natural sweetness but also for its nutritional value. Honey is made from plant nectar by bees during the pollination process, so it contains a variety of beneficial plant compounds and antioxidants.
Minimally processed raw honey or black honey is especially rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids. They offer many benefits, including positive effects on cardiovascular, gastrointestinal, and respiratory health. It has also been shown to reduce seasonal allergies.
Maple syrup
Maple syrup, another popular natural sweetener, has found its place on many pancakes. If you’re cutting back on sugar, you can skip the pancakes and stick to syrup made from sugar maple sap.
That’s because maple syrup, like honey, contains antioxidants and minerals that are beneficial to your health. Many of the unique compounds found in maple syrup have actually been proven to help treat cancer and diabetes. The darker the maple syrup, the less refined it is and the more of these benefits you may receive.
stevia
If you don’t like the flavor of maple syrup or honey, but need a way to sweeten your drinks or recipes, stevia is a great natural sugar alternative to try. This sweetener is made from the stevia plant and is 200 to 400 times sweeter than sugar.
Stevia, a sugar substitute, is non-nutritive and has almost no calories. It adds sweetness without doing anything else, so it might be exactly what you’re looking for when cutting back on sugar. Stevia is also correlated with lower blood sugar levels and cholesterol. Many commercially available stevia products contain other processed ingredients and sugar alcohols, so do your research before using.
fruit puree
If you’re looking for a more nutritionally balanced sugar option, nothing beats fresh fruit. The fiber in raw fruit aids digestion, slows sugar metabolism, and reduces the spike in blood sugar levels seen with fruit juices and added sugars. Eating fiber-rich foods can also help reduce your total calorie intake and lower your risk of heart disease.
Pureed fruit has many of the same benefits and can also serve as a sweetener to add to other foods. For example, applesauce acts as an egg substitute in many recipes, and pureed berries are a great addition to plain, unsweetened yogurt.
monk fruit
Monk fruit is also a plant-based sugar substitute. It is extracted from monk fruit, also called Luo Han Guo, a small round fruit commonly found in Southeast Asia. Monk fruit itself contains fructose and glucose, which are actually removed during the extraction process to produce a non-nutritive sweetener that is about 100 times sweeter than table sugar.
Monk fruit is relatively new to the market, so more research is needed to determine all of its potential health benefits. However, research on other non-nutritive sweeteners has shown promising results for weight management and diabetes prevention. The naturally sweet mogrosides found in monk fruit also contain antioxidants that can help with immune health and cancer prevention.
fruit juice
Fruit juice is a natural sweetener that can be drunk on its own, added to other drinks and seasonings, and used in cooking. Because fruit juice is natural and unprocessed, 100% fruit juice is a much better choice than refined sugar or high fructose corn syrup. It also contains plenty of vitamins and nutrients.
