As more people are realizing that refined sugars are bad for them, the hunt for a healthier option has left us with a dearth of options to pick from. Right from natural to artificial sweeteners, the market is flooded with various options to pick and choose from. In today's article, we will rate these sugar substitutes on a scale of 5.
Honey:
For years we've been told that honey is a healthy option when compared to sugar. But when you get into the details, you will notice that honey is nothing but sugar itself with a few traces of minerals. While honey is slightly healthier than refined sugar, it's not out and out healthy and by no means is a low-calorie substitute. Honey gets a 2.5/5 on the HYP health scale.
Jaggery:
Whether purified or unpurified, jaggery is nothing but sugar. If it's unprocessed, then just like honey, it will have a small number of minerals, but nothing significant to call it a healthy alternative. Just like refined sugar, it's made up of empty calories, therefore, jaggery also gets a 2.5/5 on the HYP health scale.
Aspartame:
Usually found in health drinks, low or zero-calorie beverages, and aerated drinks, aspartame is highly controversial, as studies have indicated that consumption of this sweetener can cause health problems such as cancer, cardiovascular disease, Alzheimer's disease, seizures, stroke, and dementia. Aspartame, therefore, gets a 1/5 on the HYP health scale.
Sucralose:
Sucralose is another popular sugar substitute that has zero calorific value and is synthesized artificially. In addition to this companies that sell artificial sweeteners found in supermarkets usually fill them up with cheap bulking agents such as maltodextrin. Sucralose is not very far from aspartame or other artificial sweeteners on our health scale and we score it the same 1/5 on our scale.
Stevia:
A sweetener that is made from stevia leaves also referred to as sweet tulsi, stevia is by far the healthiest option as it is a natural sweetener and contains close to zero calories. But just like sucralose, you need to read the ingredients, as fillers such as maltodextrin and lactose are added to increase the volume of the sweetener. If possible, try to get a hold of dried stevia leaves and add them to your tea or coffee. Pure Stevia gets a 5/5 on the HYP health scale.
Erythritol:
One of the most popular sweeteners found in lot of snacks today, Erythritol is low on calories and does not affect your blood sugar levels. Erythritol is also known to be tooth-friendly as its consumption does not lead to tooth decay, plus, it's easy on the body's digestive system, making it one of the healthiest sugar alternatives in the market. It, therefore scores a 4.5/5 on the HYP health scale.
Questions?