Healthy sugar substitutes - is there such a thing? Which sugar alternatives are the best? Here you'll find important information about sweeteners, their production and their use in the kitchen.
It's only half as good without sugar. Or is it? If you have a sweet tooth like me, sometimes there's no other way.
Something sweet is needed and the mood is better again. But since sugar is said to have anything but positive properties, I did some research.
You will learn in this post,
- why you should reduce your sugar consumption
- what the glycemic index is
- What xylitol is suitable for as a sugar substitute
- why you better not heat honey
- why agave syrup is not a good sugar alternative
- what speaks for and against coconut blossom sugar
- why stevia is not a natural sugar substitute
Sugar provides plenty of calories. But otherwise no important minerals. So with every bite, you're eating empty calories.
Since people prefer to stick to a sweet diet, just about everything is sugared. From the very obvious foods like cakes to the less obvious ones like bread, ready-made pizzas or even spice mixes.
The list, Why you should increase should reconsider today is long. Very long.
Table of contents
Why you should give up sugar:
- Sugar makes us fat and changes our taste buds
- It has negative effects on the immune system
- Sugar makes us hungry and the skin bad
- High sugar consumption promotes diabetes and makes us addicted
- Sugar is said to negatively affect fertility
- It overacidifies the body
- Sugar is mainly responsible for caries
But because we simply can't do without it, we need a sugar substitute. If you're thinking of substitutes from light drinks (sorbitol, aspertame, etc.), you're wrong. Here are only natural sugar alternatives.
What I want to say is: It's time for healthy sugar substitutes. Preferably with few calories and of course without chemicals. The selection of alternatives for household sugar is not as small as you might think.
Natural and healthy sugar substitutes have the advantage that they can be metabolized naturally by our bodies. This is not the case with artificial - i.e. chemically produced - alternatives for sugar from the laboratory.
Have you ever wondered that after a meal you have a bloated abdomen have? This is very often due to the sugar substitutes that are in light drinks or the chewing gum afterwards.
Did you know that 80% of all packaged foods Sugar is added?
On average, every German eats around 36 kilograms of sugar annually. That's three kilos per month! Most of this we consume through processed foods.
With a small strawberry yogurt you already cover 25% of your daily sugar requirement. According to the World Health Organization, this should not exceed 50 g of sugar per day.
Tip: Have a look at the Goodbye Sugar Recipe Book in. You'll find lots of sugar-free and healthy recipes. You can order it at Amazon.
13 delicious sweets without sugar that you will love!
The glycemic index
The higher the glycemic index, the greater the increase in blood glucose levels after ingestion.
Glucose is absorbed most quickly by the body. It increases the glycemic index. As a result, our body releases insulin. And that is very bad for fat burning.
Food with a low-glycemic index promote our well-being. This is because they cause our blood sugar levels to rise slowly.
With plant-based sugar alternatives, the sugar level in the blood rises much more slowly than with conventional sugar.
Normal household sugar has a glycemic index of 70. Coconut blossom sugar* is only 35.
But why is Coconut blossom sugar* healthy? Or is it not at all? When and why is it better to use stevia or Birch sugar*? Now there's light in the sugar substitute jungle :)
Healthy sugar substitute: sugar alternatives in the online check
The same applies to all sugar alternatives as to normal sugar: the dose makes the difference. Just because plant-based sweeteners are often described as a healthy sugar substitute, they should only be enjoyed in moderation.
Of course, there are also some things to consider with healthy sugar substitutes.
I have purchased all sugar alternatives online and have provided you with a link. All ingredients that are marked with a *, you can order directly from Amazon.
Xylitol (birch sugar) as a sugar substitute
Birch sugar* is a healthy sugar substitute that has been really trendy for a few years now. Xylitol* belongs to the sugar substitutes. It is also known as xylitol and is a purely plant-based raw material.
With the birch tree has Birch sugar* very often nothing more to do. Because often Xylitol* made from the remains of corn on the cob. Some traders make Xylitol* but still made from birch wood. Whether made from corn or the birch tree, the result is the same.
By the way, our body produces up to 15 grams Xylitol* itself. Namely during energy metabolism.
Why is xylitol better than sugar?
Birch sugar* does not cause a noticeable rise in blood sugar or insulin levels. Xylitol* has an anti-inflammatory effect and has a positive influence on dental health.
There are plenty of studies that show that Birch sugar* can inhibit tooth decay, plaque and gum problems.
Xylitol has 240 kcal per 100 grams 40% fewer calories than sugar.
Replace sugar with xylitol
If you want to replace sugar with xylitol, just do it 1:1. Whereas in our recipes usually less Birch sugar* lands. Because most recipes are completely oversweetened.
Birch sugar is healthy sugar substitute for:
Tea, cooking, baking and recipes of all kinds. But also Mouthwashes can be made with birch sugar. With us you will find xylitol in many sweet recipes like in the No Bake Cheesecake, Coconut muffins, Elderflower syrup and more.
Notice:
Too much xylitol can have a laxative effect. If your healthy sugar substitute is birch sugar, you should approach it slowly as a beginner. A bloated belly can also be promoted by xylitol.
Take care of your dog and cat! Birch sugar can cause very severe liver damage in animals.
That's how bad sugar withdrawal really feels!
Honey as a sugar substitute
Whether in tea, for a sore throat or on buttered bread: Honey* is simply incredibly delicious. Bees are responsible for the production of honey, they extract the sweetness from flowers, enrich it with endogenous substances and store the honey in honeycombs.
Honey is the oldest sweetener in the world. It is free of fat or risky substances such as cholesterol. By the way, honey is now also produced in the middle of cities like Berlin. Here, the bees have a large and varied food supply thanks to many plants.
Why is honey better than sugar?
In honey there are many antioxidants such as phenols, enzymes and phytochemicals. All this ensures that blood pressure is lowered. Honey also has an anti-inflammatory and antibacterial effect.
But beware: The healthy substances in honey are very sensitive to heat. Therefore, for example, in case of sore throat is better to take the honey pure than to heat it too much.
Honey contains 300 kcal per 100 grams. This means that it is certainly not a slimming product. But at least it is still below the 400 calories contained in the same amount of sugar.
Replace sugar with honey:
In tea, honey tastes even better than conventional sugar. But I have also tested it in coffee. My conclusion: coffee and honey - that does not go at all :)
But also in baking you can replace sugar with honey. Honey has a higher sweetening power than sugar, so you don't need as much of it.
100 grams of sugar are replaced with 75 grams of honey.
Honey is healthy sugar substitute for:
All sweet recipes or as a topping on pancakes. We pack honey in our Sweet potato brownies, in Cough syrup, Carrots muffins and Coconut flour cookies.
Notice:
Honey can be caries-promoting because its sticky nature makes it stick well to teeth.
Agave syrup as a sugar substitute
Especially vegans like to reach for Agave syrup*. It is mostly used as a substitute for honey and also tastes quite similar. But unlike honey, agave syrup is more liquid.
The thick juice is extracted from the agave plant, filtered and thickened at 50°.
This sugar substitute is produced in Mexico and extracted from the agave plant. So that we can eat it here, it is shipped halfway around the world.
Agave thick juice is often promoted as the healthy panacea. But like conventional household sugar, it is also Agave syrup* low in vitamins and minerals.
Why is agave syrup better than sugar?
First of all, the syrup tastes better. The darker the Agave syrup* the more intense its caramel note.
Among natural sweeteners, agave syrup has one of the lowest values for glycemic index.
100 gram Agave syrup* have 300 calories.
Replace sugar with agave syrup:
The sweetening power of Agave syrup* is stronger than that of sugar. Instead of 100 grams of sugar, 75 g Agave syrup* replaced.
Agave syrup is healthy sugar substitute for:
With agave syrup you can sweeten cold and warm liquids such as tea, coffee, cocoa. But also yogurt, muesli, desserts and cakes can be prepared with it.
Notice:
Attention applies to all who suffer from fructose intolerance. Because agave syrup consists of almost 100% fructose.
Agave syrup can have an appetizing effect due to its high fructose content.
Coconut blossom sugar as a sugar substitute
Coconut sugar* has a really delicious caramel note. This gives dishes of all kinds that certain something. With us ends up Coconut blossom sugar* in many recipes.
This type of sugar is made from the nectar of the coconut palm. When the flower bud is cut open, coconut nectar emerges. This juice is either boiled or processed at low temperature in a vacuum steam stove until sugar crystals are formed.
Why is coconut blossom sugar better than sugar?
Coconut blossom sugar* is the star among the low-glycemic sweeteners.
Unlike household sugar is Coconut sugar* a very nutritious sweetener. It is rich in magnesium, potassium, iron, zinc, copper and sulphur.
Overall delivers Coconut blossom sugar* 16 important amino acids. It contains the most glutamine. This plays an important role in heart function and is involved in several metabolic processes - such as acid-base balance.
The glycemic index of coconut blossom sugar is 35.
Replace sugar with coconut blossom sugar:
In recipes you can replace sugar with coconut blossom sugar 1:1.
Coconut blossom sugar is healthy sugar substitute for:
Hot and cold drinks of all kinds. But also for baking and cooking coconut blossom sugar is well suited. Especially in recipes that can tolerate a slight caramel note.
For us, coconut blossom sugar ends up in our Coconut sponge cake, Pancakes or in the Chocolate cake.
Notice:
The disadvantage, however, is that the sugar from coconut flowers is quite expensive. Like agave syrup also has Coconut sugar* high fructose content.
Finally live sugar-free! These tricks will help you!
Stevia as a sugar substitute
Stevia* is 400x sweeter than normal household sugar. It is extracted from sweet herb, also known as honey herb. In the EU, stevia has only been allowed to be used as a food since 2011. Before that, it was only commercially available as a bath additive.
Since the sweet herb is added to foods only in chemically extracted form, it no longer contains any valuable ingredients.
Anyone who has ever had a stevia plant at home knows that the leaves taste very sweet, but at the same time have a bitter aftertaste.
Stevia is available for purchase in many forms. From liquid to very fine powder, everything is there.
Why is stevia better than sugar?
The very biggest advantage with stevia is that it provides no calories and does not attack the teeth.
Stevia leaves the blood sugar level completely unaffected. It is therefore ideal for diabetics.
Replace sugar with stevia:
In hot and cold drinks Stevia brings sweetness very quickly with just a few drops. It is ideal for teas, smoothies, coffee, shakes or mate.
However, it is very difficult to dose in cakes, pies and the like. That is why in many stevia products other sugar substitutes such as Erythritol* mixed.
Notice:
Stevia itself is a completely natural herb. Chemical processes are used to extract the sweetness from it.
Our conclusion:
Sweeteners of all kinds are called healthy sugar substitutes. But as you can see, there is more appearance than reality behind many of them. Many sugar alternatives are advertised as much healthier than they actually are. We therefore advise you to use sugar substitutes just as sparingly as conventional sugar.
Observe yourself. Does the tea really need to be sweetened for it to taste good? When baking, you can enrich your recipes with homemade applesauce or sweeten with a ripe banana.
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