Are Natural Sweeteners Healthy
If you have a sweet tooth and constantly feel the need to get your sugar fix, you’re not alone. It’s estimated that the average American consumes 17 teaspoons of sugar every day!
Now, that’s a lot of sugar when you consider that the American Heart Association recommends that women should have no more than six teaspoons of sugar a day and men no more than nine teaspoons. While many of us are not directly ingesting the sugar by the heaping spoonful, we’re having foods and drinks that contain sugar, so any way you look at it, it’s still sugar.
Some people may think it’s not so bad if they’re using natural sweeteners, after all, the term natural has to count for something, right? Well, not to make you sour, but not necessarily. If you’re a natural sweetener lover, you’re going to want to read on to see if natural sweeteners are really healthy.
What are natural sweeteners?
Natural sweeteners are looked at as being less processed than table sugar. But, they’re still considered added sugars. Many of them also undergo some sort of processing before they’re sold.
Many people think natural sweeteners are healthier than processed sugar because some contain small amounts of vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. But, the thing to keep in mind is that there are no health advantages to consuming any type of sugar.
When you have too much sugar, even if it falls under the natural sweetener umbrella, it can lead to weight gain, tooth decay, and increased triglycerides.
Natural sweeteners examples
Examples of natural sweeteners include:
Honey
Dates
Coconut sugar
Pure maple syrup
Molasses
Agave nectar
Balsamic glaze
Banana puree
Monk fruit
Stevia
These are just a few examples of natural sweeteners that may be a part of your regular menu. We’re going to take a closer look at a few of these to see what they’re really made of.
Natural sweeteners up close and personal
Stevia
Stevia is extracted from the leaves of a plant called Stevia rebaudiana. It has zero calories and is one of the more popular kids when it comes to sweeteners. People who eat Stevia report the fewest digestive issues. Some studies also suggest that Stevia has health benefits, like lowering high blood pressure by 6-14% in people with hypertension.
But, some people don’t like Stevia’s taste because they say it can taste fake. Some people also get a slight metallic aftertaste.
Monk Fruit Sweetener
Monk fruit sweetener is extracted from monk fruit, a small round fruit grown in Southeast Asia. It contains natural sugars like fructose and glucose but gets its sweetness from antioxidants called mogrosides. Although monk fruit sweetener has zero calories, it’s 100-250 times sweeter than sugar. During processing, mogrosides are separated from the fresh-pressed juice, removing fructose and glucose from monk fruit sweeteners
Mogrosides give monk fruit juice antioxidants and anti-inflammatory properties. One study even showed that it can inhibit cancer growth.
Dates
Dates come from the date palm tree and are easily digested. They help to metabolize proteins, fats, and carbohydrates. Dates are a good natural sweetener because they provide potassium, copper, iron, manganese, and vitamin B6. There is also some evidence to suggest that dates can help reduce LDL cholesterol.
Honey
Raw honey has plenty of vitamins and minerals like iron, zinc, riboflavin, and more. You always want to look for raw honey because when honey is pasteurized, it loses many of its health benefits like promoting the growth of healthy bacteria in the digestive tract. The darker the honey, the richer the flavor and the more nutrition benefits it has. You never want to have honey that’s too hot because the heat changes the honey’s composition, resulting in poor quality.
Pure Maple Syrup
Maple syrup is a great source of manganese and also contains calcium, potassium, and zinc. It comes in grades A & B. You want to look for darker, grade B maple syrups because they have more beneficial antioxidants than the lighter syrups. Pure maple syrup is also packed with antioxidants.
Pros and cons of matural sweeteners
As you look down the list of natural sweeteners, you’ll notice plenty of yummy choices. But it’s not all candy and rainbows. Take a look at the pros and cons of natural sweeteners:
Pros:
Can be organic
Contain small amount of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants
Cons:
Can be processed
Source of empty calories
While there are some pluses, in the end, it’s still a sweetener, so you should keep track of how much you’re consuming.
The bottom line
The bottom line is that although some sweeteners are labeled as healthy, they can still negatively affect your health. Being conscious of what you’re putting in your body and adhering to the “everything in moderation” motto can help you stay healthy while still enjoying the sweet things in life.