Sugar consumption is significant for the generation of energy in the body. But its overconsumption can be detrimental to your health. Too much sugar intake can interfere with your hormones that are known to regulate satiety and hunger. This will eventually lead to excessive calorie counts and obesity. Having sugar more than required can impact your overall metabolism, cause fat storage and increase the insulin level in the body. Sugar is addictive and hard to resist. When you consume sugar, it leads to dopamine production in the reward center of your brain. The same response is activated in your brain when you have drugs you are addicted to. Considering the harmful effects of eating table sugar, we must look for healthy alternatives that can satisfy your sweet tooth without hampering your health.
Stevia
This natural sweetener is extracted from the leaves of a shrub called Stevia rebaudiana. This plant-based sweetener contains zero calories but is around 350 times sweeter than sugar. Also, stevia is packed with essential nutrients and phytochemicals, says a study published in the Journal of Nutrition. The sweetener contains a compound called stevioside that has been scientifically proven to reduce blood sugar levels, insulin levels, and blood pressure.
Xylitol
Xylitol is extracted from corn or birch wood and contains 2.4 calories per gram. Though its sweetness is similar to sugar, xylitol contains 40 per cent fewer calories than sugar. Also, this natural sugar alternative doesn’t contain fructose, which is associated with various harmful effects. Moreover, unlike table sugar, its consumption doesn’t raise your blood sugar and insulin levels, says a research published in the journal Nutrients.
Erythritol
This is a sugar alcohol that contains only 6 per cent of the calories of table sugar. Erythritol tastes just like table sugar and doesn’t bring any change to your cholesterol, insulin, and blood sugar level as it is not absorbed by your body. Erythritol directly enters your bloodstream and is excreted through urine.
Yacon Syrup
Native to South America, yacon syrup has a thick consistency and it contains around 40-50 per cent fructooligosaccharides, which is a type of sugar molecule the human body cannot digest. According to the journal Nutrients, fructooligosaccharides are the reason yacon syrup is considered healthy. The sugar molecule has been proven to reduce your glycemic index, risk of colon cancer, and body fat.
