10 Alternatives to Refined Sugar

Natural sweeteners can be used as alternatives to refined sugar. The most common substitutes for refined sugar are dates, maple syrup, and stevia. If you don’t like refined sugar and want to add a touch of sweetness to your drinks and edibles, you may try these alternatives to refined sugar. However, you must choose the one that suits your health. 

According to studies, people are using too much refined sugar in the name of added sugar, including fructose, corn syrup and white sugar. Almost all types of desserts, sweets, beverages, snacks, and sugary cereals contain these refined or added sugar. If you’re fond of sweet taste, you must know that too much consumption of added sugar may take a toll on your health. 

In addition, studies show that too much refined sugar present in your foods and drinks are associated with several medical conditions like diabetes, obesity, fatty liver disease, and heart disease. But it doesn’t mean that you can’t eat sweet foods at all. It just means you should use sugar in your foods and drinks without care. A small amount of sugar cannot harm your health. You can also use a small amount of added sugar occasionally. You can lower the risk of several health conditions by keeping your total sugar intake to a minimum. It also helps improve your overall health.

Moreover, you can replace refined sugar i.e white sugar and HFCS with alternative sugar. Some alternatives to refined sugar contain a few or even zero calories. 

The most authentic alternatives to refined sugar are listed here.

1. Dates

Date palm trees produce dried fruits called dates. Dates are chewy, sweet fruits that are used as an excellent alternative to refined sugar and considered beneficial for your overall health. 

Studies show that dates are also a good source of many  nutrients, including carotenoids, manganese, magnesium, potassium, polyphenol antioxidants, and fiber. Their sweet taste makes them an excellent choice to replace added sugar in many recipes, including cookies, energy drinks, energy bars, cakes and chocolates. These are also added to smoothies and nut milk to add a sweet touch. A thick paste of dates is the best alternative to refined sugar. People use it as a 1-to-1 replacement of refined sugar.

In addition, dates are a rich source of natural sugars and high calories. They do not affect your blood sugar level even among diabetic people. It doesn’t increase your blood sugar like white sugar. It is safe to use for all. Several studies suggested that eating 5 dates daily can reduce the levels of LDL (Bad Cholesterol) leading to control blood sugar level.

2. Honey

Honey bees produce a golden, sweet, thick liquid known as honey. Honey is a rich source of many antioxidants and anti-inflammatory compounds. In addition, it also contains traces of minerals and vitamins.

However, the type of flower the bee was feeding on and the type of bee play a role in defining the types of plant compounds in honey. Honey compounds play crucial roles in reducing the risk of several diseases like polyphenols help reduce inflammation in your body. Its glycemic index is also lower than refined or white sugar. That’s why researchers declared honey healthier than refined sugar. However, more research is needed to verify such benefits of honey. One thing to remember while using joinery, always use it in moderation because it is high in calories and sweetness.

3. Maple Syrup

Sap of Maple trees are converted to Maple syrup by cooking it. This compound syrup is a great reservoir of phenolic compounds such as coumarins and lignans that are considered rich in antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In addition, it also contains traces of minerals like zinc, calcium, manganese, iron, and potassium. Although food and nutrition authorities have confirmed that maple syrup has many beneficial nutrients, it is still high in sugar. There is not much difference between the GI of maple syrup and white sugar. That’s why experts suggest using it in moderation.

4. Stevia

Stevia rebaudiana is a shrub that usually grows in South America. Stevia is a sweet extract of leaves of the shrub. The shrub contains many compounds but glycosides is one of them, which is extracted as a sweetener. The most known compounds are stevioside and rebaudioside A, which do not contain many calories but are 500 times more sweet than added sugar. Its taste is also different from refined or table sugar. Many researchers have declared that stevia is a great replacement to added sugar as it can help reduce blood sugar levels and prevent weight gain. These researches include both human and animal studies. This stevia is considered safe to use but some studies claim that it can destroy your gut microbiota. However, more studies are needed to reveal the reality of beneficial and harmful effects of stevia.

5. Molasses

Sugarcane juice or sugar beet juice are used to form molasses. These juices are boiled at high temperature for sometime. After boiling the juices convert to a thick, sweet, and brown liquid called molasses. Enough quantity of minerals and vitamins are present in this mixture. Molasses are also enriched in antioxidants. Some beneficial minerals like iron, calcium, and potassium are also found in  it. These minerals are essential to maintain your overall health.

Therefore, it is said that molasses is a great replacement for refined sugar. However, you should still use it in moderation because it has high amounts of sugar.

6. Sugar Alcohols

These are naturally occurring carbohydrates usually found in vegetables and fruits. They are also named as polyols. Maltitol, erythritol, and xylitol are common examples of sugar alcohols. Studies show that sugar alcohols are safer than regular sugar as they don’t damage your teeth the way refined sugar does because the bacteria in your mouth can’t ferment sugar alcohols. In addition, sugar alcohols don’t affect blood sugar level and have lower amounts of calories as well. This property makes them suitable for diabetic people.

According to analytical studies, refined sugar contains approximately 4 packs of calories per gram whereas xylitol and erythritol contain 3.4 and 1.2 calories per gram, respectively. No doubt, studies recommended the use of sugar alcohols safely but still they have larger amounts of sweetness that may cause digestive issues. Therefore, it is suggested to consume them in moderation. Sorbitol is a type of sugar alcohol that triggers the laxative effects in humans if used in excess. Similarly erythritol causes stomach upset if used in large amounts. Last but not least, xylitol is the most dangerous of all because it is highly toxic for dogs. Try to keep xylitol out of reach from dogs, especially if you’re a pet lover.

7. Monk Fruit Sweetener

A Monk Fruit Extract of China’s native plant, Siraitia grosvenorii, is also used as an alternative of refined sugar. Monk fruit is several hundred times sweeter than refined sugar but the good thing is it doesn’t have any calories. It has certain compounds, such as mogroside and mogrosides that give it a sweet taste. 

In addition, monk fruit doesn’t affect your blood sugar level. Instead it helps in weight loss and improves blood cholesterol levels if used in place of table sugar. Research showed that there’s not enough human-based studies to support beneficial effects of monk fruit on human health. Whenever you buy a monk fruit from the market, always check the label because most monk fruit extract is often mixed with other sweeteners that are considered harmful for human health.

8. Allulose

A monosaccharide sugar, known as Allulose is naturally found in certain fruits. 70-80% of sweetness in allulose comes from added sugar but it still contains just 0.3 calories per gram. One more amazing property of allulose is, unlike many other zero or low calories sweeteners, the taste of allulose is more similar to refined sugar. 

In addition, certain human studies have confirmed that allulose also helps reduce blood sugar levels and insulin levels in people with or without diabetes. 

However, excess consumption of allulose may cause digestive issues, including abdominal pain, diarrhea, and bloating. Therefore, it is good to use small quantities of this alternative form of sugar. According to studies the best amount of cellulose for a single dose is approximately 0.20 grams per pound of your body weight. Exceeding this limit can cause severe health conditions. 

9. Applesauce and Other Fruit Purees

Purees of some fruits like bananas, strawberries and blueberries along with applesauce are excellent alternatives to refined sugar. You can use these alternatives in different recipes including muffins, cakes, breads and cookies. All fruits are rich in essential nutrients. Therefore, all fruit purees are considered beneficial for your health. For example, if you consume banana puree, you may obtain high amounts of vitamins B6, C, manganese folate and magnesium. However, the sweetness of fruits is not as dangerous as refined sugar. It always proves beneficial for you in different ways. Fruit purees are also an effective way to reduce risk of chronic diseases. Try to make applesauce or fruit purees on your own at home but if you need to buy them from stores, be sure to choose products that have no added sugar or are labeled as unsweetened.

10. Yacon Syrup

The Yacon plant (scientific name: Smallanthus sonchifolius) is used to extract sweet juice. The juice is thick, sweet and dark colored. Its consistency resembles molasses. This juice is rich in fructooligosaccharides. This type of sugar molecule is best known for its indigestible property. The human body cannot digest this sugar molecule. In addition, yacon syrup sugar also contains one-third of the calories of table sugar. But the yacon syrup is less sweet than regular white sugar. You have to use it in large quantities to make it equal sweet to refined sugar. 

Moreover, fructooligosaccharide sugar also offers many health benefits. This sugar helps to feed beneficial bacteria in your gut like prebiotics. This syrup is also considered good to increase the feelings of fullness. Although studies are not enough. But nutritionists suggest consuming 20-25 grams of yacon syrup per day. Exceeding this limit may cause stomach pain, gas, bloating or diarrhea.

Why is it Necessary to keep Sugar Intake Lower?

It is obvious from the above discussion that taking sugar as a food additive in uncontrolled or unchecked quantities can cause harm to your physical as well as mental health. Diets rich in sugar are the major cause of several life-threatening diseases like heart disease, diabetes, obesity and cholesterol. 

In addition, if you take high amounts of sugars in your diet regularly, it increases the risk of anxiety and depression. You will be at greater risk of mental disorders especially panic disorder. Moreover, diets high in added sugar often lead to dental and oral diseases like gingivitis or cavities. This happens because the sugar in your food feeds bacteria in your mouth that cause damage to your oral hygiene. But this doesn’t mean that you stop using sugar at all. This information is just to inform you about the hazards of foods that are high in added or simple sugar. Several alternatives to added sugar are easily available in the market. You can try one of them according to your needs and taste. 

So if you want to prevent any loss of your health due to use of sugary foods, you just need to skip highly added sugar containing foods. Instead of sugary foods you can use the alternatives to sugar that can give you a sweet taste but do not harm your physical and mental health. Fresh vegetables and fruits are natural sources of sugar. Other nutrient-dense foods like whole foods are also good for nutrition and energy purposes.

Conclusion

Minimizing sugar intake can help lower the risk of many life-threatening diseases. Your physical and mental health is greatly disturbed by the consumption of added sugar in the form of sugary snacks or beverages. So the best way to limit the sugar is to avoid eating foods containing added sugar. 

Therefore, it is best to replace refined sugar with some alternatives of refined sugar that cut back your calories and lower the risk of diseases like obesity, diabetes and fatty liver.