A current topic – some sugars o alternatives to sugar The ones you thought were good for you are now on the list of bad sugars, with no reprieve in sight. Consumers don't want to take any risks and are cutting these out of their diets. Ready for the list? We'll start with the list of good sweeteners.
The good sweeteners.
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Stevia (0 calories)
This herb, which comes from the Amazon rainforest, is 300 times sweeter than sugar. Interestingly, its leaves are small—and for good reason. With a leaf just the size of a pinhead, putting it in your mouth will give you a burst of sweetness. Soak about 10 leaves in water at room temperature for 24 hours, and you’ll get sweet water that you can use in recipes. This sweetener is available at stores specializing in natural products, in the form of a distilled water extract or an alcohol tincture.
Make sure it does not contain aspartame as an additive.
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Raw honey from local beekeepers(1 tablespoon – 64 calories)
A small amount of honey will last you quite a while. You don't need much to get a sweet taste. It's best to use it in teas, beverages, and baked goods like pancakes or waffles instead of other sweeteners. Honey has antimicrobial, anticancer, and even anti-allergic properties. Although its glycemic index is not nearly as high as that of sugar, it should be consumed in moderation. In large amounts, it can raise blood sugar levels because it is a carbohydrate.
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Molasses (1 tablespoon – 47 calories)
Not many people know that molasses is very rich in nutrients! It is high in calcium, iron, B vitamins, and potassium, one teaspoon a day can improve your health, especially if you're deficient in those minerals and vitamins. Molasses is a byproduct of the sugarcane processing, so don't go overboard with it. It’s great for adding to smoothies or baked goods—you don’t need to use large amounts. Try about a third of a cup per baked good recipe and a quarter teaspoon per smoothie.
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Coconut sugar(1 tablespoon – 45 calories)
Coconut is naturally sweet, and if you concentrate it, you can obtain a substance that crystallizes and can be used in baked goods. You won't need much—start by Add half the amount of coconut sugar called for in your recipe, and adjust from there. You'll probably use less than this amount. Coconut sugar has a low glycemic index.
5. Date (Half a date – 66 calories)
Although it is called “date sugar,” this sweetener is not a type of sugar. It is actually an extract from dried dates. Date sugar is widely used as a substitute for white sugar because it is a healthier alternative. It contains essential minerals such as iron, calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, zinc, and selenium. And it is effective in maintaining cognitive function, It helps maintain blood pressure levels, boosts the immune system, and relieves migraines, asthma, and muscle pain.
The 5 Worst Sweeteners
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Sugar
Sugar is now known to be the most addictive substance, more addictive than cocaine and heroin. This intensifies food cravings, causes a drop in blood sugar within an hour and a half, and contributes to obesity, diabetes, and prediabetes. When you try to stop consuming it, you’ll feel depressed, just like addicts do. You’ll be driven to consume more sugar—which is worse than crack since it became so widespread in our society, in restaurants, supermarkets, and all social gathering places.
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High-fructose corn syrup
It has been proven to be linked to gout, prediabetes, insulin resistance, metabolic syndrome, obesity, and liver disease. High-fructose corn syrup He's not your friend. There might even be small amounts of mercury in it!
Avoid it because it's cursed.
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Sugar alcohols
Xylitol, mannitol, and sorbitol (birch sugar) They are marketed as natural sweeteners that occur naturally in foods. The problem lies in the way they are extracted from foods; it involves a multi-step fermentation process that begins with the genetic engineering of corn or sugar.
Some recent scientific studies show that these foods can cause symptoms such as gas in the digestive tract, abdominal bloating, and abdominal pain. Nutritionists who specialize in the FODMAP diet (a diet that has beneficial effects for people with irritable bowel syndrome and other functional gastrointestinal disorders) say it is best to avoid these alternative sweeteners, as they are not good for your health.
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Aspartame
No chemical—whether sweet or not—that comes with a toll-free number due to the side effects it can cause deserves a place on your list of foods. Don’t take any chances with this. Aspartame breaks down or converts into formaldehyde in the brain, one of the most well-known causes of cancer. Brain tumors, headaches, dizziness, and other symptoms are linked to this artificial sweetener. And don’t expect to lose weight with aspartame, because it raises blood sugar levels, so you’ll actually gain weight.
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Splenda (Sucralose)
This artificial sweetener may be marketed as natural, but let’s see through the hype: once the chemical structure of any natural product is altered, the result is anything but natural. Chlorine is used in this process. Harmful to the environment, this chemical marvel can break down and accumulate in the biosphere, altering the microbiome (the Earth’s natural flora).
Just one last comment on a very popular sweetener that many consider to be as healthy as agave syrup. But the harmful effects of sugar have little to do with the glycemic index and everything to do with the high amount of fructose…. and agave is high in fructose. The fructose content will increase the insulin resistance in the long run. So don't rule out agave syrup when making healthy choices.
Try cooking and baking with these healthy alternatives to sugar, and let us know how it goes.
Sources: Benson, Jonathan. ‘Sugar Named ‘Most Addictive Dangerous Substance of Our Time,’ Worse Than Cigarettes or Alcohol.” Sept. 25, 2013. http://www.naturalnews.com/042209_sugar_addictive_substances_cigarettes.html Thomson, Dennis. "Sugar vs. High-Fructose Corn Syrup: Is One Sweetener Worse for Your Health?" Health Day, June 22, 2015. http://www.cbsnews.com/news/sugar-high-fructose-corn-syrup-worse-for-your-health/
