Natural sweeteners such as stevia sweetener or xylitol sweetener are an alternative to chemical sugar substitutes. A natural sweetener is usually a much better choice for your health than artificial sugar substitutes.
Unless you are a diabetic, when it comes to sweetening your foods and drinks, its usually safer and healthier to use a naturally produced product than a chemical sugar substitute. Although the search goes on for the perfect natural sugar substitute, there are several that come close.
Natural Sugar Substitutes
There are two things to consider when you are choosing what kind of sugar substitute to use.
Taste or sweetness – sweetening power and taste as compared to sugar
Glycemic index – whether a sweetener raises blood sugar and how fast
Even if you are not a diabetic, you should give some thought about how different kinds of sweeteners can affect your health. Not all sugar substitutes are the same, even the healthy ones!
The Most Common Natural Sweeteners
Stevia sweetener – a very sweet South American herb with a slight licorice aftertaste but no glycemic response
Agave sweetener – made from cactus this has a very low glycemic index but is somewhat high in calories and carbohydrates
Xylitol sweetener – extracted from birch trees and some fruits this is a sugar alcohol that fights tooth decay but can also cause diarrhea if overused
Sugar alcohols – very low glycemic index but will upset the gastrointestinal tract
Fructose – fruit sugar which has a low glycemic index but too much will raise triglycerides levels
Single blossom honey – low glycemic index but high in calories and carbohydrates
Use Common Sense
Even a natural sugar substitute needs to be used sparingly. Some are healthier than others, but anything overdone can be a problem. One way to know for certain is to use a glucose meter to measure your glycemic response to these various sweeteners.
Don’t pay too much attention to the marketing of these natural sugar substitutes because the companies that make them have a vested interest in encouraging you to use their product. Assume that the information these companies put out is biased and not necessarily accurate.
Even if you are not a diabetic, you should use the sweetener that has the smallest elevation in blood sugar. Remember that when your blood sugar spikes, insulin does as well, and since insulin is a “pro-inflammatory” hormone, you want to minimize the levels in your body. You do this by keeping your sugar intake low!
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