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Natural sweeteners: a healthy alternative to sugar
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Today more than ever, most people are consuming large amounts of sugar every day in everything they eat. Eating excess amounts of sugar can cause weight gain and other health issues. Many people opt for artificial sweeteners, such as Aspartame (NutraSweet® and Equal® ) Saccharin (Sweet’N Low® ), Sucralose, (Splenda® ), Acesulfame K (or acesulfame potassium), Neotame, (used in some diet soft drinks and low-calorie foods). All of these artificial sweeteners are approved by the FDA as safe. However, they are still being scrutinized and blamed for many illnesses from headaches to heart disease. Laboratory studies have shown some of those artificial sweeteners can be unhealthy. Studies performed on laboratory Rats link aspartame and saccharin to cancer, including a recent seven-year study conducted by a major nonprofit oncology lab in Italy. (1) With all the constant controversy about the safety of artificial sweeteners some may wonder what alternatives are out there.
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Natural sweeteners are a healthier choice and they are gentler than sugar, they don’t affect your health like refined sugar and artificial sweeteners can, and are gentler on the body and the body’s blood sugar. Below is a list natural sweeteners which are available in most health food stores.
- Agave Nectar: Agave nectar is a natural liquid sweetener made from the juice of the agave cactus. It is sweeter than refined sugar, but does not create a “sugar rush,” and is less disturbing to the body’s blood sugar levels than white sugar.
- Barley Malt: Half as sweet as sugar a strong molasses-like taste, barley malt can be substituted one to one for sugar. Barley malt can come in the form of powder or syrup.
- Birch Sugar: Also referred to as xylitol. This natural sweetener has 40% fewer calories than sugar Birch sugar is sweet, yet low on the glycemic index and can be used by those with diabetes and hypoglycemia.
- Brown Rice Sugar: Minimally refined from malted brown rice and various enzymes, brown rice syrup tastes like moderately sweet butterscotch and is delicious. It’s a great drizzle for waffles, pancakes and crepes.
- Date Sugar: If you like the taste of dates, you will love Date sugar. Date sugar can be used as a direct replacement for sugar, and comes in a granulated form.
- Honey: Honey is sweeter than sugar, one of the oldest natural sweeteners. Raw honey contains small amounts of enzymes, minerals, and vitamins.
- Maple Sugar: Is dehydrated maple syrup, this nutty flavored sweetener is about twice as sweet as standard granulated sugar, but much less refined.
- Maple Syrup: It adds a pleasant flavor to foods and is great for baking with. Be sure to buy 100% pure maple syrup, and not maple-flavored corn syrup.
- Molasses: Is a byproduct of sugarcane, Organic molasses is probably the most nutritious sweetener. It is made from the sugarcane or sugar beet. Blackstrap molasses, the most nutritious variety, is a good source of iron, calcium, magnesium, and potassium.
- Stevia: The extract from stevia is 100 to 300 times sweeter than white sugar. Stevia is available in a powder or liquid form. Use the green or brown liquids or powders, because the clear and white versions are highly refined.
- Sucanat: It has a grainy texture and can be used in place of white sugar. Consists of evaporated organic cane juice made through a mechanical rather than a chemical process, making it less refined, retaining many of sugarcane’s original vitamins and minerals. (2)
- Vegetable Glycerin: Vegetable Glycerin is a colorless, odorless liquid with a very sweet taste and the consistency of thick syrup. It is derived from coconut and palm oils. It is ideal for Candida patients because it does not contain sucrose. (3)
These natural Sweeteners can be found at your local health food store or whole foods supermarket and are a healthier choice in comparison to artificial sweeteners. Give one and try and see if you like it.
Resources: 1- “Lowdown on Sweet,” Article in The New York Times on February 2006. 2- 3Joshua Rosenthal, Institute of Integrative nutrition.
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