7 Natural Sugar Substitutes You Are Probably Not Using - But Should Be

We all know that sugar is not something good for our health, but we’re still using it because it’s cheap and we’re used to it. Now, leaving aside the fact that most of the products in the supermarket contain sugar, the worst part is that we deliberately choose to add more sugar when we cook or in beverages like tea and coffee.

Sugar is compared to poison by scientists and there are so many things we can do about it only if we’d care enough about our health. Of course, the best would be to eliminate sugar from our life, but we don’t have to be so drastic, at least not from the beginning.

Anyway, the point is that the first step is to replace it with something healthier, and then you can decide if you want to be even healthier. Therefore, in today’s post, we’re presenting you our top 7 natural sugar substitutes that you are probably not using.

1. Honey

Honey is probably the most common sugar substitute but let us warn you that not all honey is good. Most honey you can find in supermarkets isn’t genuine and it can be as bad as sugar; best would be to find a local producer to make sure that you have quality honey.

Keep in mind that just because it is healthier it doesn’t mean that you can overuse it and still stay healthy. No, it will lead to the same illnesses but not as fast. Anyway, honey contains minerals and vitamins that are really good for our health and is much easier to digest than sugar.

2. Coconut Sugar

Coming from the coconut palm, coconut sugar contains important nutrients like potassium, zinc, calcium, and iron, but also antioxidants. Because it is still high in fructose, which is one of the main reasons why sugar is so bad for our health, coconut sugar shouldn’t be used too much.

3. Maple Syrup

Maple syrup is what most vegans use instead of sugar because it contains antioxidants, potassium, calcium, and iron, which, if used in the same proportion as sugar reduces 33 percent of the sugar consumption.

Keep in mind that maple syrup also has sugar in its recipe, so while it’s definitively better than sugar, you should still never overuse it.

4. Yacon Syrup

Yacon is a plant that can be found in South Africa and its extract is what we call yacon syrup. It is well known for a great supplement and sugar substitute for losing weight because our body can’t digest fructooligosaccharides. Yacon syrup has 66 percent fewer calories than sugar.

As well, yacon syrup is well known to feed healthy bacteria that keep us healthy, improve our immunity, and assure better brain function. Eating too much won’t do so much harm on your health like other substitutes, but your stomach may not won’t appreciate it.

Lastly, you should know that you can’t use it for cooking because at high temperature it gains another structure which is no longer healthy for the body.

5. Stevia

Stevia plant can be found in South America and its extract has become very popular amongst healthy sugar substitutes because it has absolutely no calories so you can say bye-bye to weight gain that was caused by sugar.

Even more, stevia has been found to have no link to any health issues but many health benefits, from which the best ones are lowering blood pressure up to 15 percent which means that it can help you overcome diabetes. All in all, stevia is probably the best sugar substitute that money can buy and it’s also pretty simple to make it yourself at home.

6. Xylitol

Xylitol is found in vegetables and fruits and is a sugar alcohol usually extracted from birch wood or corn. It has as little as 2.4 calories/gram, which is four percent less than sugar. Because it contains no fructose it comes with numerous health benefits like not raising blood sugar and insulin levels, improving dental health by reducing the risk of cavities, increasing calcium absorption, and protecting against osteoporosis. If you own a dog, there’s one crucial thing you should know about xylitol – that it is extremely toxic for dogs.

7. Erythritol

Another sugar alcohol, but with even fewer calories than xylitol – around 94 percent fewer calories than sugar - 0.24 calories/gram. Erythritol tastes very similar to sugar, which makes the replacement easy. Because our body doesn’t have the enzymes to process erythritol, it goes in our bloodstream and is eventually eliminated in the urine. Comparing it to sugar’s harmful effects, erythritol has no harmful effect as it doesn’t raise blood sugar, cholesterol, insulin or triglyceride levels.

Conclusion

There are so many options to replace sugar that all you need to do is to make a commitment to yourself that you won’t ever put refined sugar in your mouth. Remember, you are doing it for your own good and for having a healthier and therefore longer life.

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Written By:

Scott Mathews is a highly skilled freelance writer who has offered his paper writing service and Australian assignment help at BestEssay for four years now. He is also working for Essaymama reviews and Academized reviews. In his free time, Scott enjoys writing blog posts about personal growth and to experience extreme feelings through extreme sports.

Reviewed By:

Founder Ray Spotts has a passion for all things natural and has made a life study of nature as it relates to health and well-being. Ray became a forerunner bringing products to market that are extraordinarily effective and free from potentially harmful chemicals and additives. For this reason Ray formed Trusted Health Products, a company you can trust for clean, effective, and healthy products. Ray is an organic gardener, likes fishing, hiking, and teaching and mentoring people to start new businesses. You can get his book for free, “How To Succeed In Business Based On God’s Word,” at www.rayspotts.com.