With these best Natural Sugar Alternatives, you can boost your health and balance your diet. The good news is that there are still plenty of sweet options if you want to cut down on sugar. These are six sugar substitutes that are natural and can be added to your diet instead of refined sugars.
The maple syrup
There are many pancake recipes that call for maple syrup as another natural sweetener. The syrup from sugar maple trees may be a better substitute for pancakes if you’re cutting back on sugar.
In addition to antioxidants and minerals, maple syrup can be beneficial to your health. In fact, maple syrup contains a number of unique compounds that may help prevent cancer and diabetes. As maple syrup gets darker, it becomes less refined, and may provide more health benefits.
Honey
In addition to its natural sweetness, honey has nutritional benefits as well. Honey contains an array of beneficial plant compounds and antioxidants since it is made by bees from plant nectar during pollination.
Flavonoids and phenolic acids are concentrated in raw or darker honey, which is minimally processed. The benefits of these include improving cardiovascular, digestive, and respiratory health. Seasonal allergies can even be reduced with it.
Plant Stevia
The natural sugar alternative stevia is great for sweetening beverages and recipes if you don’t prefer the taste of maple syrup or honey. Sugar can be 200 to 400 times sweeter than this sweetener, which is made from the Stevia plant.
The non-nutritive nature of stevia makes it ideal for sugar substitutes, since it contains very few calories. When cutting back on sugar, you may want something that adds sweetness without much else. Blood sugar and cholesterol levels have also been reduced by stevia. Before using stevia products, make sure that you research their ingredients and sugar alcohols because many of them contain other ingredients.
The monk fruit
An alternative sugar that is derived from plants is monk fruit. There is a supplement that contains monk fruit extract, which is also known as luo han guo and is commonly found in Southeast Asia. As well as containing fructose and glucose, monk fruit is also rich in sugar, but this is removed during its extraction process. This results in a nonnutritive sweetener that is around 100 times sweeter than table sugar.
In order to fully understand monk fruit’s health benefits, further research is needed. However, studies on non-nutritive sweeteners have demonstrated promising results when it comes to managing weight and preventing diabetes. A natural sugar found in monk fruit, mogrosides, can also help prevent cancer and improve immune function.
Fruit pureed
When it comes to sugar, raw fruits are an excellent choice for those looking for a more nutritionally balanced source. Fruit juices and sugar additives may spike your blood sugar, but raw fruits contain dietary fiber that aids digestion and slows down sugar metabolism. A diet rich in fiber can also reduce the amount of calories you consume and lower your risk of heart disease.
Natural Sugar Alternatives benefits of pureed fruits are similar to those of whole fruits, and they can also be used as sweeteners for other foods. Pureed berries make a great addition to plain, unsweetened yogurt, for instance, and applesauce can be substituted for eggs in many recipes.
Juice from fruits
Natural sweeteners such as fruit juice can be consumed on their own, added to other drinks or condiments, or even used in cooking. The natural and unprocessed nature of 100% fruit juice makes it a much better choice than refined table sugar or high-fructose corn syrup. As well as being loaded with nutrients and vitamins, it also contains a lot of fiber.
There is no intention to provide health or medical advice in this article about Natural Sugar Alternatives. It is only intended to educate and inform. Whenever you have questions about a medical condition or health objectives, consult a physician or other qualified health provider.Related: Sugar Substitutes