It is tasty and sweet and it captivates all of your taste buds, but it’s bad for you. Got the answer yet. Yes, I’m talking about sugar, the sweetest poison on Earth.
Even though you are aware of the bad effects sugar has on your health, you find it hard sometimes to resist the urge to put a teaspoon or two into your cup of coffee or to treat yourself with a chocolate-covered doughnut. Aside from the fact that sugar makes you more prone to stress and anxiety, it also increases your chances of being diagnosed with one or more serious diseases. Let me put it to you bluntly – sugar is bad for your health .
This does not mean you should ditch sugar all together, instead you can choose some natural sugar alternative.
Stevia
Stevia is a natural sweetener that is derived from the leafy plant Stevia rebaudiana native to Brazil and Paraguay. It comes in two forms: powder and liquid drops and beside being a sugar alternative, it can also be used for treating skin burns and digestive issues. Furthermore, Stevia has been proven to help lower blood pressure, lower blood sugar level, lower cholesterol, prevent yeast infections such as candida, prevent dental issues and more.
Stevia is about 200 times sweeter than sugar and is calorie-free. Although it seems like an impossible combination, it is true. You can use Stevia for baking your favourite cookies, cakes, sweet pastries and even cocktails. But the small price to pay for its greatness is that you cannot use it for making crème brûlée.
Xylitol
Xylitol is a natural sugar alternative that is best known as the teeth-friendly sweetener. It is a natural substance found in many fruits and vegetables. Also, this substance is produced in our bodies as a result of the carbohydrate metabolic processes. According to the general classification, Xylitol is also known as a sugar alcohol.
Unlike sugar, which is a reliable food source for the acid-fermenting bacteria that are usually harbored in the mouth, Xylitol provides demilitarization of the environment that is ideal for their thriving. In this way, this natural sugar alternative significantly reduces the number of such harmful bacteria and prevents the formation of cavities and tooth decay as well.
In addition, it eliminates the acids that demilitarize and damage the teeth enamel. Demilitarization is not only important for preventing bacteria plaque formation, but for blocking the acids that harm the tooth enamel and for preventing and reducing gingival infection.
Low calorie content and low glycemic level – These are two important features that make Xylitol the perfect sweetener for diabetics. In fact, this natural sugar alternative has 40% less calories that granulated white sugar and a glycemic level of only 7.
Manuka Honey
Manuka Honey is a natural product that enjoys high reputation among the nutrition-minded consumers not only in New Zealand (the country of its origin) and Australia, but in many countries world wide. It is best known for its strong antibacterial, antimicrobial and anti-inflammatory features. Moreover, Manuka honey in its raw form makes a valuable natural sugar alternative. Two of its most important features are the glymecil index and the nutritional value.
Healthier Glycemic Index – Honey in general contains a special enzyme added by the bees. That enzyme breaks down its structure to glucose and fructose, which are two simple sugars that are directly absorbed in the intestine. This is not the case with white sugar, which is a complex sugar called sucrose. Namely, your stomach has to secrete special enzymes to break down the complex sugar to simpler molecules to be absorbed in by your body. All this translates into lower glycemic index.
Higher Nutritional Value – Honey has a more concentrated structure than sugar, thus more calories. For comparison, one tablespoon of honey has around 64 calories while the same amount of white sugar contains 46 six calories. But, to get the same level of sweetness as of one tablespoon sugar you need to use significantly lower amount of honey – about 1/2 – 3/4 cup of honey for each cup of sugar. In the long run, when consuming honey you also provide your body with essential nutrients such as minerals and vitamins , which is not the case with white, processed sugar that can only offer you a great amount of empty calories.
Whichever natural sugar substitute suits you best, one thing is for sure – your whole metabolism will benefit from not having to waste precious energy on restoring what has been damaged by the misleadingly sweet white substance.