Table sugar provides you almost nil nutritional value and adds empty calories to the plate. Recognizing this fact, more and more people are turning away from table sugar and going towards other sweeteners. At the same time, even artificial sweeteners have been found to have a number of disadvantages, one being increased craving for sweet foods. So, the best alternative in such a case comes out to be natural sugar substitutes. They usually have low glycemic index and, being sweeter than table sugar, are also consumed in less quantities. In the following lines, we have provided a list of natural substitutes for sugar.
Stevia with FOS
Stevia is one of the most popular substitutes used in place of sugar. It is native to South America and is available in the form of liquid as well as powder. FOS, on the other hand, stands for fruit ogiliosaccharides. It has been found to be beneficial for the growth of healthy intestinal bacteria, inside the body. Stevia with FOS is a nonnutritive powder, which can be easily used in place of sugar.
Single Blossom Honey
Single blossom honey is another natural substitute for sugar. It includes those forms of honey that are low-glycemic, like red clover honey and orange blossom honey. Even Agave nectar can be used for the purpose of sweetening beverages. However, since both of them are high in calories and carbohydrates, they shouldn’t be used in excess.
Xylitol
Xylitol is also known by the name of birch sugar and is mainly used for the purpose of baking and sweetening beverages. Amongst the best features of Xylitol is that it has a low-glycemic index and doesn’t lead to blood sugar imbalances or yeast overgrowth, unlike table sugar. At the same time, it is said to be good for bone health as well as dental health. However, excess consumption of Xylitol might lead to gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea.
Fructose
Fructose is a natural low-glycemic sugar that is extracted from fruits and made available in granulated form. Since it is much sweeter than table sugar, you need less of it to make a particular dish or beverage sweet. It is best used for the purpose of baking. At the same time, avoid using too much fructose as it might lead to an increase in your lipid count, creating trouble for heart.
Some Other Natural Sugar Substitutes
Stevia with FOS
Stevia is one of the most popular substitutes used in place of sugar. It is native to South America and is available in the form of liquid as well as powder. FOS, on the other hand, stands for fruit ogiliosaccharides. It has been found to be beneficial for the growth of healthy intestinal bacteria, inside the body. Stevia with FOS is a nonnutritive powder, which can be easily used in place of sugar.
Single Blossom Honey
Single blossom honey is another natural substitute for sugar. It includes those forms of honey that are low-glycemic, like red clover honey and orange blossom honey. Even Agave nectar can be used for the purpose of sweetening beverages. However, since both of them are high in calories and carbohydrates, they shouldn’t be used in excess.
Xylitol
Xylitol is also known by the name of birch sugar and is mainly used for the purpose of baking and sweetening beverages. Amongst the best features of Xylitol is that it has a low-glycemic index and doesn’t lead to blood sugar imbalances or yeast overgrowth, unlike table sugar. At the same time, it is said to be good for bone health as well as dental health. However, excess consumption of Xylitol might lead to gastrointestinal discomfort and diarrhea.
Fructose
Fructose is a natural low-glycemic sugar that is extracted from fruits and made available in granulated form. Since it is much sweeter than table sugar, you need less of it to make a particular dish or beverage sweet. It is best used for the purpose of baking. At the same time, avoid using too much fructose as it might lead to an increase in your lipid count, creating trouble for heart.
Some Other Natural Sugar Substitutes
- Brazzein
- Curculin
- Erythritol
- Glycerol
- Glycyrrhizin
- Hydrogenated starch hydrolysates
- Lactitol
- Lo Han Guo
- Mabinlin
- Maltitol
- Maltooligosaccharide
- Mannitol
- Miraculin
- Monellin
- Pentadin
- Sorbitol
- Tagatose
- Thaumatin
