It is well-known that consuming sugar, beyond a reasonable amount, isn't healthy. But, why exactly should you limit your sugar intake? And what are the best natural sweeteners to sub for sugar in your diet? Let's look at some answers to those questions.
Why You Should Avoid & Replace Sugar
There is enormous incentive to limit, or eliminate entirely, your sugar intake. The top reasons are that
regular sugar consumption has been strongly linked to heart disease, obesity, fatty liver disease, high blood pressure, and even depression. Frequent sugar consumption greatly increases the chances of being afflicted with one or more of these conditions.
It can seem difficult to avoid sugar, because it is such a common ingredient in the foods begging to be taken from grocery and supermarket shelves in the United States and placed in shopping carts. However, steering clear of sugar-laden grocery supplies really isn't that difficult. It is merely a matter of eliminating foods with processed sugars, and replacing them with healthy sugar substitutes, assuming you still want to enjoy some sweetness in your daily eating regimen. Who doesn't?
There is good news: Reducing or eliminating white sugar, corn starch, and other processed sugars doesn't mean eliminating all sweet foods, or even all types of sugar entirely. Following are four excellent products that are easy, tasty replacements for processed sugar.
4 Sweet, Natural Sugar Substitutes
All of these recommended substitutes are delicious, and easily added to foods. The healthiest sugar replacement on the market is stevia, technically known as
Stevia rebaudiana Bertoni. Stevia is offered in various forms. Each of these can be used in cooking or added to foods, in diverse ways. It works great as a replacement for processed sugar.
Stevia extract is the white, powdered form of stevia, and it is strong in terms of flavor. This most basic concentrate of
stevia leaves is 200-300 times as sweet as sucrose, one of the most common forms of processed sugar. There are various forms of raw stevia extract, and some are far sweeter than others. The most pure, raw powdered stevia extract should only be used by the pinch.
Stevia liquid concentrate is a form of stevia that is ideal to add to drinks, as well as to some food dishes. Stevia concentrate is usually made with powdered stevia concentrate combined with water, and it is
preserved with grape seed extract. Natural flavor additives are in some products, giving the stevia liquid a flavor such as vanilla or strawberry – take your pick.
Altered stevia blends consist of powdered stevia concentrate
combined with erythritol. This combination reduces the extreme potency of the stevia concentrate, and reduces the potency of the powdered solution, along with being easier to control when choosing the amount to use. A powdered stevia blend is sold in packets. It's probably the most versatile form of stevia.
Organic maple syrup is, in some ways, thankfully, very different from the processed sugars that dominate the American diet. Maple syrup has
multiple benefits over processed sugar. First of all, all maple sugar is mostly unprocessed. Organic maple syrup is the most natural type of maple sugar. Furthermore, maple syrup actually has nutritional value because it contains essential and trace minerals. It also has antioxidants, which have a variety of benefits. However, Maple syrup/sugar should still be consumed in moderation, and that takes willpower because it is very sweet and tasty.
Reducing processed sugar intake benefits your health in several ways, and replacing it with one or more of these awesome sugar substitutes goes a long way in that regard. Sweet, delicious foods are available to eat if you are using these much healthier sweeteners.
