Sugar provides a quick source of energy but also has various side effects: diabetes, insulin resistance, inflammations, cardiovascular disease, and gastrointestinal troubles. That’s why sugar alternatives are becoming increasingly popular, so here is the ultimate list of the good, the bad, and the ugly sugar substitutes you can use!
The Good
Here are some sugar alternatives that are considered healthier options with minimal negative effects.
Stevia
Stevia is a nature’s sweetener derived from the leaves of the Stevia rebaudiana plant, a part of the sunflower family, which is native to South America. Its popularity skyrocketed because it has intense sweetness and minimal impact on blood sugar levels. However, stevia is not new but has a historical background.
Indigenous people in South America, particularly in Paraguay and Brazil, have used stevia for centuries but refer to it as a “sweet herb.” They used it to sweeten teas and medicines. In the late 19th century, stevia came to Europe, and Swiss botanist Moisés Santiago Bertoni was the first to document its sweetening properties.
The sweetness in question comes from natural compounds named steviol glycosides. These compounds are 200-300 times sweeter than sugar but contain NO calories. You will find it in various forms – liquid extracts, powdered extracts, and whole-leaf forms.
Rebaudioside A is the most refined form of stevia, and because of that, it is a staple in commercial products. A teaspoon of sugar contains about 16 calories and 4 grams of carbohydrates, while stevia has zero calories and no carbohydrates. Because of that, stevia is a fine option for lowering your calorie and carb intake.
Stevia does not disrupt appetite regulation, meaning it helps control cravings without leading to overeating. Its biggest perk is it doesn’t trigger a glycemic response but actually enhances insulin function. Unlike sugar, stevia doesn’t cause spikes or crashes in blood glucose levels.
It also doesn’t feed oral bacteria that cause plaque and tooth decay. Some compounds have vasodilatory effects, so they help reduce blood pressure. Stevia is packed with antioxidants that can reduce the risk of chronic diseases and has anti-inflammatory properties and prebiotic potential.
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Monk Fruit Sweetener
Monk fruit sweetener comes from the Siraitia grosvenorii plant, which is domestic in southern China and northern Thailand. It has been prevalent in traditional Chinese medicine for centuries but gaining more and more popularity worldwide as a natural, zero-calorie, and zero-carb sugar substitute. It is up to 250 times sweeter than sugar.
It is available in different forms – liquid, powder, and granules. Because of the calorie count, monk fruit can help you manage your weight. Its glycemic index is also zero, so it is diabetes-friendly and does not cause insulin spikes. It also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory effects.
You can use it to sweeten beverages, bake, cook, and prepare processed foods.
Yacon Syrup
Yacon syrup is another natural sweetener derived from the yacon plant, indigenous to the Andes mountains in South America. The primary sweet compounds in yacon syrup are fructooligosaccharides, a carbohydrate that the body cannot fully digest, giving a sweet taste but with fewer calories.
It contains about ⅓ of the calories of regular sugar, so it can aid in weight loss. The low glycemic index makes it a good alternative for people with diabetes and insulin resistance. The syrup can work as a prebiotic, as well, as it enhances nutrient absorption, boosts gut function, and alleviates constipation.
Because of its mild laxative effects, it fasteners metabolism and weight loss. You can use it in different recipes, but note that it doesn’t caramelize like sugar, so it thrives in non-bake recipes only.
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The Bad
These substitutes aren’t healthy, but they are still better than some others:
High Fructose Corn Syrup
This sweetener comes from processed cornstarch, where glucose converts into fructose. You will find it in processed foods and beverages—sodas, candies, baked goods, and condiments. These are all calorie-dense processed foods, so they inevitably contribute to excessive calorie intake, leading to weight gain and obesity.
Fructose can provoke leptin resistance, which interferes with the body’s ability to regulate appetite and satiety hormones, prompting overeating. It spikes insulin, leading to elevated blood sugar levels, causing the body to become less responsive to insulin. This initiates insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes later.
Fructose syrup elevates blood triglyceride levels, increases fat accumulation in the liver, contributes to tooth decay and cavities, and supports chronic inflammation.
Neotame
This artificial sweetener is chemically similar to aspartame, as it is actually derived from it. It is 7 thousand to 13 thousand times sweeter than table sugar. It is calorie-free, but even then, it can disrupt metabolic processes and prompt weight gain and insulin resistance. It works like a charm, though, in different recipes, even at high temperatures.
You will find it in a wide range of products, from soft drinks to baked goods, dairy, confections, and more. It tastes clean and sweet, without any bitter or metallic aftertaste. But, being an artificial ingredient, it has some potential negative health effects!
It is especially harmful to individuals with a rare genetic disorder – phenylketonuria, as the body cannot properly process the amino acid phenylalanine, which is in the composition of neonatane. This leads to a buildup of the acid in the body and causes serious health consequences.
Some studies suggest that neonatane can influence the integrity of the intestine barrier, leading to IBS (irritable bowel syndrome). Allergies and sensitives to neonatane are rare but can cause headaches, migraines, nausea, dizziness, and even skin reactions.
Saccharin
Saccharin is another artificial sweetener and super popular sugar substitute. It is a common ingredient of different products – diet sodas, sugar-free candies, and other low-calorie processed foods.
There are early but controversial studies that link saccharin with bladder cancer. Even though these studies were disproved, scientists encourage its limitation in infants, children, and pregnant women. Saccharine is a part of sulfonamides, which can provoke allergic reactions: headaches, migraines, skin rashes, or gastrointestinal discomfort.
When consuming large quantities of saccharine, you may experience bloating, gas, or diarrhea, because excessive consumption disrupts gut microbiome. Metallic or bitter aftertaste is not uncommon, at all, making it unpalatable. Too much of this artificial sweetener can desensitize taste receptors and make you crave super sweet-tasting foods and drinks.
In the end, it could result in weight gain and other sugar-related health troubles.
The Ugly
These are by far the worst sugar substitutes you should avoid as much as you can:
Aspartame
Artificial aspartame is a frequent sugar substitute in “diet” or “sugar–free” products. It is much sweeter than regular sugar, about 200 times! In its composition, it has two amino acids: aspartic and phenylalanine. The body metabolizes aspartame into those two acids plus a small amount of methanol.
As mentioned above, individuals with phenylketonuria must avoid phenylalanine. When ingested in excessive amounts, it could trigger headaches and migraines, but also dizziness, vertigo, or mood changes. Individuals with sensitive immune systems may encounter some allergic reactions.
Those include itching, hives, swelling, and breathing difficulties. The same stands for gastrointestinal distress – bloating, gas, or diarrhoea. Just note that the established acceptable daily intake of aspartame is 0-40 mg/kg a day. That would be 9-14 cans of diet soda for a 70 kg adult, considering this is the only source of aspartame.
Be aware of this limit, as you will find this sweetener in soft drinks, chewing gum, yoghurt, desserts, candies, and even pharmaceuticals like cough drops or chewable vitamins.
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Acesulfame K
Acesulfame potassium, acesulfame K, or Ace-K, is an artificial sugar swap found in many different foods and beverages. It is about 200 times sweeter than sugar, calorie-less, and clean-tasting. It undoubtedly sounds good, but there are some safety concerns that aren’t 100% proven but are still important to consider.
Ace-L is never metabolized, it just passes through body, and excretes unchanged in the urine. Surely, being non-nutritive makes it suitable for low-calorie and sugar-free products, as it doesn’t affect blood sugar levels. Established acceptable daily intake of Ace-L is 9 mg per kilogram of body weight, according to European Union consumer protection agency.
Products with higher concentration of the sweetener will probably have bitter aftertaste, you will detect it easiest in soft drinks. Former researches and tests are done on animals only, but they are pretty disturbing.
They consider cancer, hormone disbalance, thyroid damage, change in brain function, and risk to pregnant women. Still, better safe than sorry!
Sucralose
Sucralose is extracted from regular sugar, but it is 600 times sweeter! Splenda is the most popular sucralose-based product on the market, especially in the USA. The acceptable daily sucralose intake is five milligrams per kilogram of body weight.
Similar to Ace-K, the body doesn’t break it down – it passes through untouched and comes out in feces; only about 15% is absorbed in the organism. Unexpectedly, sucralose is a triggering factor for diabetes and insulin resistance because it changes the insulin response.
Splenda has a great impact on gut microbiota, reducing beneficial bacteria which links it to irritable bowel syndrome and Crohn’s disease. There is a clear connection between the quantity of consumed sucralose and gastric inflammations. Hand in hand with these issues, goes the leaky gut, as well.
And lastly, it could turn carcinogenic when heated, but it is still a frequent ingredient in baked goods.
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