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#GNN - 7 Best Natural Sweeteners: Artificial sweeteners may not have any calories, but that's about all they have going for them.
Many have a hollow, saccharine taste, and they play havoc with your weight, appetite, and general wellbeing, making them just as bad as the sugar you're trying to replace.
So now's the time to ditch them completely, and turn to nature instead, with these seven amazingly tasty and surprisingly healthy natural sweeteners.
You don't have to rely on artificial sweeteners in your coffee to give up sugar (REX)
In its powdered form stevia is extremely sweet so you need far smaller quantities than sugar. If you find the taste to be over the top look for the extract in its milder liquid offering.
Stevia plants are being cultivated for its use to replace sugar
In a study published in Clinical Nutrition, Yacon syrup was shown to accelerate weight loss, reduce constipation, and lower cholesterol. The health secret behind Yacon syrup is its high level of fructooligosaccharides, which boost the development of good bacteria in your intestine.
A single serving of Rapadura on your cereal in the morning will provide up to 1,000mg of potassium and 110mg of calcium, which both improve bone health and cardiovascular functionality.
Rapadura also retains a healthy balance of fructose, sucrose and glucose, which means it’s much easier for the body to digest it and use it as energy compared to regular sugar.
Date sugar, a powder made from dehydrated dates, ranked highest, with 600 times the antioxidant level of sugar. Date sugar is also packed with essential minerals including iron and calcium, and because it’s so sweet you can get away with using around half the amount when compared to sugar.
Blackstrap molasses
While date sugar came out on top as the undisputed antioxidant king in the Virginia Tech study, blackstrap molasses came in at a close second, providing nearly 30 per cent of your daily recommended amount of antioxidants in one tablespoon.
As a by-product of the sugarcane refinement process, blackstrap molasses retains the majority of the nutritional content removed by refinement, including high levels of iron, calcium, selenium and vitamin B6.
The extract form of monk fruit has only recently been popularised, so make sure you opt for the 100 per cent natural version, as there are some brand name versions that combine the extract with artificial sweeteners.
That’s not to say it’s just a good choice because of its taste though. Research published in the Journal of Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism found that tagatose helps to balance blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes, and increase weight loss and levels of high-density lipoprotein (‘good cholesterol’) amongst obese people.
So now's the time to ditch them completely, and turn to nature instead, with these seven amazingly tasty and surprisingly healthy natural sweeteners.
You don't have to rely on artificial sweeteners in your coffee to give up sugar (REX)Stevia
The latest sugar-free saviour, this 100 per cent natural, zero calorie sweetener made from a South American plant seems to have it all. Far from being just another healthy alternative to sugar, it can lead to reduced blood pressure, improved heart health, and a generally improved quality of life, according to a Chinese study published in Clinical Therapeutics.In its powdered form stevia is extremely sweet so you need far smaller quantities than sugar. If you find the taste to be over the top look for the extract in its milder liquid offering.
Stevia plants are being cultivated for its use to replace sugarYacon syrup
South Americans have been using the Yacon plant for its medicinal purposes for centuries, and now scientists have discovered that the plant’s syrup is one of the healthiest natural sweeteners out there.In a study published in Clinical Nutrition, Yacon syrup was shown to accelerate weight loss, reduce constipation, and lower cholesterol. The health secret behind Yacon syrup is its high level of fructooligosaccharides, which boost the development of good bacteria in your intestine.
Rapadura sugar
When you hear that it’s the pure juice extracted from sugarcane, you could be forgiven for thinking that Rapadura sugar would be bad for you. Thankfully for the sweet-tooths amongst you, the opposite is true.A single serving of Rapadura on your cereal in the morning will provide up to 1,000mg of potassium and 110mg of calcium, which both improve bone health and cardiovascular functionality.
Rapadura also retains a healthy balance of fructose, sucrose and glucose, which means it’s much easier for the body to digest it and use it as energy compared to regular sugar.
Date sugar
Most healthy sweeteners out there claim to have antioxidant qualities, but a 2009 study at the Biochemistry Department of Virginia Tech found that wasn’t quite the case, with only two of twelve observed sweeteners displaying antioxidant levels higher than regular sugar.Date sugar, a powder made from dehydrated dates, ranked highest, with 600 times the antioxidant level of sugar. Date sugar is also packed with essential minerals including iron and calcium, and because it’s so sweet you can get away with using around half the amount when compared to sugar.
Blackstrap molasses
Blackstrap molasses can offer an alternative to sugar (REX)
While date sugar came out on top as the undisputed antioxidant king in the Virginia Tech study, blackstrap molasses came in at a close second, providing nearly 30 per cent of your daily recommended amount of antioxidants in one tablespoon.As a by-product of the sugarcane refinement process, blackstrap molasses retains the majority of the nutritional content removed by refinement, including high levels of iron, calcium, selenium and vitamin B6.
Monk fruit extract
As the name suggests, monk fruit was originally cultivated by holy men in China and Thailand around 800 years ago, who used it for its healing powers. Monk fruit is unique in that its sweetness is not actually caused by sugars, but instead by a rare type of antioxidant compound called mogroside that gives a sweet taste and the added bonus of strengthening the immune system.The extract form of monk fruit has only recently been popularised, so make sure you opt for the 100 per cent natural version, as there are some brand name versions that combine the extract with artificial sweeteners.
Tagatose
Found in milk and some cheeses, tagatose is a natural sweetener with half the calories of sugar, and practically the same levels of sweetness. One of the newer sweeteners on the scene, tagatose has become increasingly popular in health food circles because it doesn’t leave an unpleasant aftertaste like many natural sweeteners do.That’s not to say it’s just a good choice because of its taste though. Research published in the Journal of Diabetes, Obesity & Metabolism found that tagatose helps to balance blood sugar levels in people with type 2 diabetes, and increase weight loss and levels of high-density lipoprotein (‘good cholesterol’) amongst obese people.
