Sugar Substitute: What Makes the Grade?
We are all born with a sweet tooth. Sweetness tells our body that the food is calorie-dense. In times of starvation or food scarcity, consuming such foods would be a self-preservation mechanism. For most of us, food is not that scarce. Most processed foods are unnaturally sweet. Taking in sweet foods adds empty calories, causes weight gain, provokes excessive insulin, promotes diabetes, hormone imbalance and inflammation. The best sweetener is no sweetener, but if you must have something sweet, here are the pros and cons of the various sugar substitute options.
Cane sugar, cane sugar juice, dehydrated cane syrup etc.
Grade = D – often found in “natural”, “healthy” treats
Pros: All of the above retain a few trace minerals that may help your body metabolize the sugar better, but at the end of the day, they’re just sugar
Cons: Still very high glycemic index, causes excessive insulin release, promotes insulin resistance and diabetes
High Fructose Corn Syrup
Grade = F – often found in pop and processed foods
Pros: None
Cons: Promotes obesity, insulin resistance, fatty liver disease and diabetes
Agave Nectar
Grade = F – often found in “natural”, “healthy” treats
Pros: None really, just benefits from good marketing
Cons: Contains more fructose than high fructose corn syrup, therefore can promote obesity, insulin resistance, fatty liver disease and diabetes
Stevia
Grade = B – natural extract from the plant Stevia rebaudiana
Pros: natural sugar substitute, intensely sweet, doesn’t elevate blood sugar, and does increase insulin sensitivity
Cons: Does cause insulin release which can disrupt hormone balance however that may be offset by the improved insulin sensitivity, slightly bitter aftertaste
Aspartame
Grade = F – artificial sweetener
Pros: None
Cons: Can cause various neurological problems in susceptible people, despite no increase in blood sugar it increases insulin levels which can aggravate hypoglycemia, lead to excessive appetite and sugar cravings, hormone imbalances, infertility, fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS
Molasses
Grade = C – is the dark liquid byproduct of the process of refining sugar cane into table sugar. It is made from the third boiling of the sugar syrup.
Pros: somewhat natural, an excellent source of manganese, copper and iron and a good source of calcium, magnesium and potassium
Cons: not good for blood sugar, insulin levels, hormone balance
Maple Syrup
Grade = C – is the amber liquid that remains after evaporating most of the water off the sap of the maple tree. It takes 40 gallons of sap to make 1 gallon of syrup, so the natural sugar present in sap has to be concentrated 40 times to make syrup
Pros: Excellent source of manganese, good source of zinc
Cons: not good for blood sugar, insulin levels, hormone balance
Splenda/ Sucralose
Grade = F – artificially made by replacing three hydrogen-oxygen groups on the sugar molecule with three chlorine atoms
Pros: Low-calorie sweetener
Cons: Side effects may include bloating, rash, decreased coordination, dulled senses, headaches, insomnia, irritability, stomach cramps, despite no increase in blood sugar it increases insulin levels which can aggravate hypoglycemia, lead to excessive appetite, hormone imbalances, infertility, fibroids, endometriosis, PCOS
Xylitol/Erythritol
Grade = B+ – naturally occurring sugar substitute, wood alcohols
Pros: has anti-bacterial (against Strep) and anti-fungal properties, lower calorie, safe, has been shown to improve bone density in rats, tastes good, measures like sugar
Cons: can have somewhat of a laxative effect and if consumed in large quantities may cause bloating and abdominal pain, TOXIC for dogs
Honey
Grade = B+ – naturally occurring sugar substitute, no need to concentrate it
Pros: has antibiotic properties, contains vitamins and minerals, not as high glycemic index as sugar
Cons: does still increase blood sugar and requires the production of insulin
Coconut Sugar
Grade = C – made from concentrating the sap from the flower buds of the coconut palm
Pros: Lower glycemic index than table sugar (according to the manufacturer)
Cons: Other than the above, not much different or better than consuming table sugar
Using No Sugar or Sugar Substitutes and just enjoying the natural sweetness of whole foods – A+++
Authored by Dr. Pamela Frank, BSc(Hons), Naturopathic Doctor