More and more people are looking for a sugar substitute for industrial sugar. We present ten alternative sweeteners.
Sugar substitutes: These sweeteners exist
Sugar is not poison or fattening per se. It depends on the quantities we consume of it. But here's the problem: We usually don't know. Too many industrially processed foods contain hidden sugar. This increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cirrhosis of the liver, and gout. All the more important that there are sugar substitutes. We present ten alternative sweeteners.
1. agave syrup or agave syrup
This sugar substitute originates from Mexico and is made from agave juice. It is more liquid and even more intense than honey. Its advantage: agave syrup consists mainly of fructose (fruit sugar) and therefore has the lowest glycemic index among all available sweeteners. Vegans use it as a substitute for honey.
2. birch sugar (also: xucker or xylitol)
Originally, birch sugar was extracted from tree bark. Today it is made from corn. It has a slight minty taste, which explains its use in tooth-friendly chewing gums. In general, birch sugar is said to be good for oral and dental hygiene and even strengthens the body's own immune system. The sugar substitute is processed like normal household sugar. It has hardly any effect on blood sugar levels - ideal for diabetics.
3. fruit sugar (fructose)
Natural fructose, which occurs in high concentrations in apples, pears, berries, pomegranates and persimmons, for example, is quite healthy.
However, industrially produced foods contain a fructose-enriched syrup made from corn starch (high-fructose corn syrup or HFCS). This fructose has an unfavorable effect on our metabolism and promotes the storage of fats in our bodies. As a sugar substitute, it can promote the development of hypertension, obesity and cardiovascular diseases.
4. honey
Honey consists of 80 percent sugar (natural fructose - fruit sugar - and glucose - grape sugar -) and 20 percent water. This explains its high sweetening power, which is twice as strong as that of normal household sugar. Because of its high sugar content, this sugar substitute is not a slimming agent, and its sticky crystals, which push their way into the spaces between the teeth, are even worse for the teeth than refined sugar. The big difference: It is a natural product.
5. coconut blossom sugar
The UN Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) calls coconut blossom sugar the "most sustainable sugar in the world," thanks to resource-conserving cultivation and production methods. The sugar is extracted from the sap of the coconut blossom. This is boiled down to syrup, dried and then finely ground. Because of its very low glycemic index, this sugar substitute hardly raises blood sugar levels and even protects against cravings.
6. whole cane sugar
Whole cane sugar is obtained from the juice of the sugar cane, but not refined. Due to the natural extraction, trace elements and minerals contained in the sugar cane juice are preserved. Whole cane sugar consists of 95 percent sucrose (sugar cane), is less sweet than normal household sugar and tastes like caramel. Its disadvantage: it accelerates the rise in blood sugar levels and makes us hungry again quickly.
7. raw cane sugar
Raw cane sugar is a light sucrose sugar obtained from the juice of sugar cane. The juice is thickened and crystallized. Because it contains molasses, the crystals are still brown in their natural state. Industrial processing produces the light-colored, caramel-tasting granulated sugar.
In the natural trade, raw cane sugar is divided into three processing stages: Demerara, Muscovado and Syramena (or also called Cristallino). Like whole cane sugar, this sugar substitute causes blood sugar levels to rise rapidly, which promotes our sense of hunger.
8. stevia
Stevia rebaudiana, or stevia for short, is a South American plant with a strong sweetening effect. In Germany, the plant is still not approved as a food. The stevia available in this country is a sweetener made from stevioglycosides. It is obtained with the help of aluminum salts in a complex chemical process. This industrial product has nothing to do with a natural sugar substitute that is low in calories and good for the teeth.
9 Sukrin/Sucolin
Both sweeteners are based on erythritol - a fruity, sweet-tasting, natural sugar alcohol. It is found in foods such as fruit, wine and cheese. Its sweetening power is about 60 to 80 percent of that of normal household sugar. It is obtained by the fermentation of sugar by yeast fungi. Compared to other sugar alcohols, erythritol has a particularly high digestive tolerance. Therefore, side effects such as flatulence and diarrhea in the habituation phase are low with this sugar substitute.
10. sugar cane syrup
Sounds healthier somehow, but it's just conventional white sugar. In this country it is made from sugar beet, worldwide from sugar cane. Pressed sugar juice is boiled down to syrup, the sucrose contained is separated from the remaining sugar components, then bleached and crystallized. The result is an industrial product in which our health, teeth and figure suffer when consumed in excess.