6 Natural Sugar Substitutes You Can Use Instead of Processed Sugar

With new research linking artificial sweeteners to heart health problems, you may be concerned about the amount of sugar you’re eating. Despite what some diet fads may claim, you don’t have to avoid sugar altogether, as your body needs it for energy. However, it’s important to remember that an ideal diet consists of no more than 10% of calories from added sugar, 12 teaspoons in an average 2,000-calorie diet.

That doesn’t mean your desserts have to be boring. Instead of cutting sugar out of your diet, focus on the types of sugar you consume.

Natural sugar substitutes are a great way to sweeten your favorite treats while adding health benefits. Making the substitute is easier than you think. Read on to see our top six natural sugar substitutes to try today. You might be surprised how many you already have in your pantry.

What are sugar substitutes?

Before we get into sugar substitutes, it’s important to clarify that sugar is not necessarily bad for you. It is vital to your health. Your body converts carbohydrates into glucose, a form of sugar, which is a primary source of energy to keep your body moving and your brain functioning. Despite what some popular diet fads may suggest, without carbohydrates and sugars, you may experience health problems and symptoms such as low energy, sleep problems, and brain fog.

The goal should not be to avoid sugar, but to consume the right sugars. species of sugar. Much of today’s American diet consists of added sugars, which are processed and refined to add intense sweetness without much substance. Ultra-refined white sugar and high-fructose corn syrup are common ingredients in soft drinks, baked goods, breads, and condiments. They are delivered quickly to your bloodstream without adding any other nutritional value. Excessive consumption of these sugars can lead to serious health complicationsincluding high blood pressure, diabetes and fatty liver disease.

You can find the amount of added sugars on the nutrition facts label and the ingredients list of each food product. The higher the added sugar is listed on the ingredients list, the more sugar there is in the product. Added sugars go by many names, including brown sugar, corn sweetener, corn syrup, dextrose, fructose, glucose, high-fructose corn syrup, malt syrup, maltose, and sucrose.

Natural sugars, on the other hand, are unrefined or only slightly processed and occur naturally in many foods. FruitFor example, they contain fructose, but they also contain a lot of fiber, which provides a balanced combination of nutrients for your body. Honey And maple syrup are naturally sweet, but rich in minerals, vitamins and antioxidants.

There are also several natural sweeteners and sugar substitutes that you can add to foods and drinks that provide sweetness without the drawbacks of refined sugars. Examples of these alternative sugars include sugar alcohols such as sorbitol, artificial sweeteners such as aspartame, and natural sweeteners such as stevia.

Best Natural Sugar Substitutes

Here’s the good news: If you’re trying to cut back on sugar, you still have plenty of options to keep it sweet. Below are six of the best natural sugar substitutes to add to your diet in place of refined sugars.

Honey

Honey has long been prized not only for its natural sweetness, but also for its nutritional value. Bees make it from plant nectar during the pollination process, and it contains a variety of beneficial plant compounds and antioxidants.

Raw and dark honey, which is minimally processed, is rich in flavonoids and phenolic acids in particular. These provide many advantagesincluding positive effects on cardiovascular, gastrointestinal and respiratory health. It has even been shown that reduce seasonal allergies.

Maple syrup

Another popular natural sweetener, maple syrup, has claimed its place on many pancakes. If you’re trying to cut down on sugar, you may want to skip the pancakes but save the syrup, which produced from the sap of sugar maples.

That’s because maple syrup, like honey, contains antioxidants and minerals that can be good for your health. Many of the unique compounds found in maple syrup have been shown to help fight cancer and diabetes. the darker the maple syrupthe less refined it is, the more of these benefits it can provide.

Stevia

If you’re not a fan of the taste of maple syrup or honey but still want a way to sweeten drinks and 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 then table sugar.

As a sugar substitute, stevia is non-nutritive, meaning it has almost no calories. It adds sweetness without much else, which may be just what you’re looking for if you’re trying to cut down on sugar. Stevia is also correlated with lowered blood sugar and cholesterolKeep in mind that many stevia products on the market contain other processed ingredients or sugar alcohols, so it’s important to do your research before using them.

Pureed fruit

If you’re looking for a more nutritionally balanced form of sugar, it’s hard to beat raw fruit. The dietary fiber present in raw fruit aids in digestion and slows down sugar metabolismwhich will help reduce the blood sugar spikes you may see from fruit juice or sugar additives. Eating fiber-rich foods can also help you reduce your total calorie intake and lower your risk of heart disease.

Pureed fruit gives you many of the same benefits and can serve as a sweetener to add to other foods. For example, applesauce works as an egg replacement in many recipes and pureed berries are a great addition to plain, unsweetened yogurt.

Monk fruit

Monk fruit is another plant-based alternative to sugar. It is derived from monk fruit, also known as luo han guo, a small round fruit that is common in Southeast Asia. Although monk fruit itself contains fructose and glucose, these are actually removed during extraction process that produces a non-nutritive sweetener that is approximately 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. Research into other non-nutritive sweeteners has shown promising results in terms of Weight management And ward off diabetesThe naturally sweet mogrosides in monk fruit contain antioxidantswhich may help with immune system health and cancer prevention.

Fruit juice

Fruit juice is a natural sweetener that you can drink on its own or add to other beverages or flavorings or even use in cooking. 100% fruit juice is a much better option than refined table sugar or high fructose corn syrup because fruit juice is natural and unprocessed. It contains many vitamins and nutrients.