To many food makers, added sugar is the ultimate flavor enhancer. To the body, it’s jet fuel that can reprogram the brain and feed cancer, mental illness, and autoimmune disease.
Refined added sugars are a menace to public health and their artificial zero-calorie replacements come with their own problems. Fortunately, there are alternative sweeteners that can satisfy a sweet craving without undermining health.
Stevia
Stevia is a cousin to the sunflower native to South America where indigenous people used it for centuries. You can grow it yourself if you like, as a friend of mine does.
“In addition to natural sweeteners and various trace elements, stevia contains terpenes, sterols, tannins, volatile acids, flavonoids, vitamins, enzymes, organic acids, and polysaccharides, all of which have biological activity,” writes Ms. Zhao.
Monk Fruit
Monk fruit grows on a vine and belongs to the gourd family. Unlike refined sugar, this sweetener can manage blood sugar and may have anti-viral and anti-cancer properties.Monk fruit can even help repair pancreatic beta cells, according to research. This means it can help the body improve insulin production and alleviate the effects of diabetes.
Honey
Honey is a miracle food created from the essence of countless plants. It has been used as a medicine for millennia. It has counterintuitive effects on our metabolism thanks to what are known as “rare sugars.”Honey is a complicated mixture of many different sugars with seemingly synergistic effects.
“Compared with regular sugar, honey can lower fasting blood sugar levels, reduce bad cholesterol, and raise good cholesterol,” writes Ms. Zhao. Honey can reduce the risk of problems with our heart and metabolism, help us eat less by feeling full longer, and even out our insulin and blood sugar levels.
