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Sweet Solutions: Navigating Sugar Alternatives & Debunking Myths of Natural vs Artificial Sugars.

What is natural sugar?

Stevia – drawn out from the leaves of a South American shrub, is a natural sweetener also known as Stevia Rebaudiana. It is an artificial sweetener used by diabetic patients. It can be extracted from one of two compounds – Stevioside and Rebaudioside A. Each of these components contains 0 calories and can be up to 350 times sweeter than sugar and it may also taste slightly different than sugar.

The leaves of this artificial sweetener used by diabetic patients are packed with nutrients and phytochemicals. And hence it is also linked to some health benefits. This sweet compound has been shown to lower blood pressure and insulin levels.

Foods within Natural Sugar.

As we all know, fruit and dairy products contain natural sugar. Artificial sugar comes from sugar cane and is processed to extract the sugar. The sweet taste comes usually in the form of sucrose – a combination of glucose and fructose.

Research shows that sugar is used to sweeten a lot of desserts, coffee, cereals and even fruits. Manufacturers add chemicals and high-fructose corn syrup to eatables.

Low-fat foods are the biggest enemies. Manufacturers use sugar to add flavour. Most of the packed foods increase calories and sugar in your diet.

Fruits and unsweetened milk have vitamins and minerals. Milk also has protein and fruit has fibre. Both of these keep you away from hunger for a longer time and hence must be added to your diabetes meal plan.

What is an Artificial Sweetener?

Sugar substitutes are chemicals added to foods and drinks to make them taste sweet. Also known as sweeteners. This is because they provide a taste similar to natural sugars but in reality, are artificial.

It is said that most sweeteners contain calories but they don’t affect you because the amount needed to sweeten products is very small.

How this works is called a play of the tongue. The sweetener sits on your tongue and manipulates your taste buds. It then reacts with them and detects different flavours and when you eat, your taste encounters different food particles. For example, the sugar fits perfectly into your taste buds for sweetness and then allows your nerves to identify the sweet taste.

Benefits of Sweeteners.

Sweeteners are usually synthetic sugar substitutes but they can be made from natural substances. Herbs and sugar plants are the base of these substances. Now, since they are sweeteners than actual sugar they are preferred by many.

Artificial sweeteners are found in processed foods. They react similarly as sugar does and helps during the baking, canning or packaging process, it does not react differently. You will find artificial sweeteners in candies, baked goods, jams and jellies too. Some products that contain these sweeteners are listed as diet products.

Some of these sweeteners can help:

• Control Your Weight – These have no calories to them. A can of soda has 10 teaspoons of sugar and artificial sweetener is not even half of that. Hence it has long-term benefits.

• Manage sugar levels in people with diabetes – Unlike traditional sugar, artificial sweeteners are not carbohydrates. They do not raise your blood sugar levels during consumption. Replacing sugar with an artificial sweetener is a step towards better health and wellness.

• Reduce Chemical Exposure – These do not contain pesticides. If you purchase organic sugar products at a grocery store you will understand your benefits.

What are the Other Sugar Alternatives?

While Stevia is considered the safest sweetener for people with diabetes, here is a list of the other alternatives:

• Tagatose – It is beneficial for people with diabetes. Especially those who are following a low-GI diet. But please note that this sugar substitute is more expensive than other low-calorie sweeteners. Also, sometimes harder to find at stores.

• Sucralose – It sweetener is heat-stable in comparison to others that lose their flavour at high temperatures. Hence sucralose is a popular choice for sugar-free baking and sweetening hot drinks.

• Aspartame – It is not a good sugar substitute because it breaks down at high temperatures and hence it is not preferred to use as a tabletop sweetener.

• Acesulfame Potassium – It is also known as acesulfame K and Ace-K. To combat its bitter taste manufacturers combine acesulfame potassium with other sweeteners.

• Saccharin – It is widely available under the tag of Sweet Twin, Sweet’N Low and Necta Sweet. It is a zero-calorie sweetener that is 200 – 700 times more trusted than natural sugar.

• Neotame – It is a low-calorie artificial sweetener. It can tolerate high temperatures, making it suitable for baking

 Zero calorie Sweeteners

It’s tempting to want to replace added sugars with artificial ones, but it’s not necessarily the best move. Though these sweeteners like sucralose, aspartame and saccharin are deemed safe by the FDA — meaning there is no clear evidence of cancer risk — questions remain. For one, some studies have observed that use of these products is linked with weight gain. Whether that means that sweeteners cause weight gain, or that people who gain weight turn to these sweeteners remains unknown.

But there are also other causes for concern, according to Christopher Gardner, PhD, Professor Medicine at Stanford Prevention Research Center. Dr. Gardner explains that it’s possible that these zero-calorie sweeteners prime us to prefer sugary foods and drinks or make naturally sweet foods, like fruit, less appealing. It’s also possible that sugar substitutes can alter your feelings of hunger and fullness, prompting you to eat more. And they may lead to calorie confusion — reducing awareness of your intake or giving you a false sense of security that leads to overconsuming other foods since you’re sparing calories in the first place. One thing is clear: These are obviously not good scenarios for your body.