Using applesauce as one of your sugar substitutes means consuming fewer calories and taking in more fiber. Pssst… applesauce is also a great egg substitute! Fruits such as bananas, figs and dates can make excellent additions to a low-sugar diet.
Figs and dates provide minerals such as calcium and iron, and raisins are another good sugar substitute. If you love cold drinks, freeze your bananas and add them to your smoothies as a natural sweetener. Processing sugar results in molasses. Molasses is a bit less sweet than sugar and has some iron, calcium and vitamins. It also has a distinctive flavor that can enhance some baked goods. Cane sugar is sugar that has not been refined.
Since it has undergone less processing, it has more vitamins than its refined counterpart. Is sugar your dietary weakness? Many people crave it. Nearly everything contains added sugar — from soda and other sweetened drinks to almost all processed foods. Fortunately, a wide range of sugar substitutes and sweeteners — both natural and artificial — are available to help reduce the amount of table sugar in your diet.
Limiting sugar intake is especially important for older adults. Sugar sweetens, preserves, and enhances the flavor of food. This makes it hard to avoid and resist, but the health benefits of reducing your sugar intake are clear.
A diet high in sugar has been associated with a wide range of health conditions, either directly through its effect on the body or indirectly due to complications from obesity.
Excessive sugar consumption may lead to obesity, type 2 diabetes , and heart disease. Poor nutrition absorption, high triglyceride levels, and tooth decay are all related to high sugar intake. It has also been linked to poor cognitive function , affecting memory and increasing the risk of dementia. It may be difficult to sort through all the sugar alternatives on the market to decide which one is right for you.
Consider the following when making your decision:. There are four common types of sugar substitutes: artificial sweeteners, sugar alcohols, novel sweeteners, and natural sweeteners. Each has potential benefits and drawbacks depending on your goals. If you have diabetes, for instance, artificial sweeteners or sugar alcohols, like xylitol, could be a better choice when consumed in moderation.
Natural sweeteners, like honey, can still raise blood sugar. Whether sugar substitutes are a healthier choice for you depends on which type of sweetener you use, how much you use, and why you use it. Synthetic sugar substitutes are intense sweeteners, so you only need a little bit to enhance flavors in food.
Some add no calories and may help with weight control, although the benefits of artificial sweeteners on weight loss in the long term are still unclear. Some people have concerns about the safety of artificial sweeteners. The FDA provides consumption guidelines that outline the maximum quantity of artificial sweeteners you can safely have each day. Sugar alcohols can also help with weight control and diabetes management.
However, when consumed excessively, sugar alcohols can lead to digestive problems, such as diarrhea and bloating. These sweeteners are more difficult to categorize, but they generally derive from natural sources that are highly refined. Stevia is one of the most researched novel sweeteners. Although more research is needed, some studies have shown Stevia may have health benefits , such as lowering blood pressure, controlling diabetes, and helping with weight management.
You may like the taste of natural sweeteners better than that of table sugar. They also tend to be high in calories. As with table sugar, natural sweeteners can cause health problems — such as tooth decay, weight gain, and poor nutrition — when consumed excessively. Moderation is key. Use our list below as a handy guide to some of the most common sugar substitutes.
Finally, xylitol is highly toxic to dogs. If you live with a dog, you may want to keep xylitol out of reach or avoid it completely Monk fruit extract is obtained from the Siraitia grosvenorii plant, which is native to China This sweetness comes from compounds called mogrosides, primarily mogroside V Keep in mind that monk fruit extract is often mixed with other sweeteners, so be sure to read the label before consuming it. Allulose, also known as D-allulose, is a monosaccharide or sugar that exists naturally in certain fruits Unlike many other zero and low calorie sweeteners, allulose closely mimics the taste of regular sugar.
Plus — while more research is needed — human studies suggest that allulose may help reduce blood sugar and insulin levels in people with and without diabetes 19 , Keep in mind that large doses may lead to symptoms like bloating, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, so you should stick to a maximum single dose of 0.
Stevia, monk fruit, certain sugar alcohols, and allulose are much lower in calories than table sugar and do not significantly affect blood sugar levels, making them a smart alternative to refined sugar. Dates are the dried fruits of the date palm tree. These sweet, chewy fruits are an excellent alternative to refined sugar and offer several health benefits. Unlike refined sugar and many other sweeteners, dates are a good source of nutrients, including fiber, potassium, magnesium, manganese, vitamin B6, and carotenoid and polyphenol antioxidants 22 , Because of their sweet taste, you can use dates in place of sugar in recipes for energy bars, cakes, and cookies.
Furthermore, you can blend them to flavor homemade nut milks and smoothies. Some people make dates into a thick paste, which can be used as a 1-to-1 replacement for refined sugar. In a week study in people with type 2 diabetes, one group ate 3 dates daily while the other ate none. The date group had significant reductions in total and LDL bad cholesterol, while their HbA1c — a marker of long-term blood sugar control — remained unchanged Consider this swap in recipes for cakes, cookies, muffins, and breads.
All fruits offer health benefits due to their nutrients. For example, mashed bananas are high in folate, manganese, magnesium, and vitamins B6 and C But with these sugar substitutes, you can bake cakes, cupcakes and more for everyone to enjoy! Use any of these convenient hacks in your next baking project. And to get baking, check out our complete collection of dessert recipes.
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