7 Sugar substitute sweet food ingredients & bull; hello healthy

Sugar is a food ingredient that cannot be avoided in our daily lives. Making sugary drinks such as tea, juice, or milk also requires sugar. There are also dishes that require sugar-based ingredients even though the amount of sugar needed is not much. When we get bored of using sugar, we also wonder about other ingredients to replace sugar. There are such things as artificial sweeteners. You may have heard of it as one of the basic ingredients of sugar in packaged foods. There are also some natural ingredients such as honey that can be used as an alternative. But is it true that artificial sweeteners and natural ingredients are healthier than sugar?

The pros and cons of artificial sweeteners

Artificial sweeteners are usually sweeter than regular sugar and are made from natural substances and the sugar itself. This artificial sweetener can also be called a synthetic sugar substitute. The claim of this artificial sweetener is that it contains no calories, which is the reason we often encounter various products that claim to be 'sugar free' or 'zero sugar'. Artificial sweeteners are usually used for household ingredients as well, such as for cooking and baking. When going to use artificial sweeteners, you should first check the label on the artificial sweetener so that the dosage is right, because the dosage of sugar with artificial sweeteners is different. You only need a little bit compared to sugar, to make food taste sweet.

Benefits of artificial sweeteners

Apart from not causing cavities, artificial sweeteners have several benefits, such as:

1. Stable body weight, because as already explained, there are no calories found in artificial sweeteners. But you need to underline, artificial sweeteners also do not nourish the body. Unlike sugar which has calories, you can imagine that one 12 ounce soft drink contains about 10 teaspoons of added sugar, so that's roughly 150 calories. If you want to prevent weight gain or are losing weight, it's best to replace your sugar. However, this method is not completely effective, because there are several researchers based on the Mayo Clinic website, that it is precisely artificial sweeteners that can increase your weight.
2. Sugar alternative for diabetics. This is because artificial sweeteners are not carbohydrates so they do not increase blood sugar levels. But you need to consult your doctor about the category of artificial sweeteners that will be used.

The risks of using artificial sweeteners

However, artificial sweeteners are thought to cause serious problems with your health, such as triggering cancer. In 1970, saccharin (a type of artificial sweetener) was suspected of having a link to bladder cancer found in a mouse research laboratory. As a result of this, saccharin was warned "not good for health". However, different opinions expressed by the National Cancer Institute cited by the Mayo Clinic, found no scientific evidence that licensed artificial sweeteners can cause cancer or other serious health problems.

What about natural sweeteners?

Natural sweeteners are believed to be healthier than sugar, but in fact there is no significant difference in the content of vitamins and minerals. When digested in the body, they become glucose and fructose. Usually natural sweeteners are combined with drinks such as tea with the assumption that it is healthier, and as a toppings food. Apart from the same nutritional problems, the problems that arise are no different. Natural sweeteners can also cause cavities, gain weight, and even increase triglycerides.

An ingredient that is often used as a substitute for sugar

After knowing the explanation of natural and artificial sweeteners, here is a list of other sweeteners besides sugar:

1. Potassium sulfuric acid

Found on soft drinks, gelatin, chewing gum, frozen dessert. No nutrients can be taken from the potassium sulfate acid. However, this artificial sweetener was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) from 1988 to the present, which means that it indicates no problem has been caused. Asamsulfate potassium is included in artificial sweeteners.

2. Honey

Honey is obtained from bees that take the juice from the flowers and carry it to the beehive, which is converted into a thick syrup for the food of the colony. One of the advantages of honey compared to sugar is that honey does not increase blood sugar in a fast time, but the calories in honey are greater than regular sugar. Another plus is that honey offers about 132 mg of potassium which works to help reduce sore throats. Meanwhile, raw honey is rich in vitamins B and C which are good for body immunity.

3. Agave nectar

Has the advantage of being low on the glycemic index. In addition, it can also reduce insulin sensitivity - does not increase blood sugar drastically - because it contains more fructose than sugar. The manufacturing process also takes a long time, produced from the same plants tequila. Then, the leaves are cut and the sap is taken from the core of the plant which is called pina. After going through a filtering and heating process, the carbohydrates finally break down into sugar. The calories are almost the same as honey, the difference is that agave nectar does not contain antioxidants.

4. Fructose corn syrup

The fructose and glucose obtained come from processed corn syrup. Usually a substitute for sucrose (artificial sweeteners), because it is considered healthier to consume than sucrose. However, the calories can increase the risk of obesity.

5. Stevia

The sweetness that is produced comes from the leaves which are called glycosides. The leaves are placed in hot water, so that the glycosides can be collected. Stevia is thought to reduce blood pressure and blood sugar levels, another advantage is that it is calorie free so it is very helpful in weight loss.

6. Exercise

The sugar cane is extracted and heated to dry, crystallizing and creating dark brown grains. Besides that, it also contains calcium, vitamins A and B6, potassium and chromium.

7. Sucralose

One of the studies cited by Health.com mentioned that Sucralose can react negatively to body immunity, but other studies have not found such a correlation. This sweetener is also one that is not sensitive to heat. In addition, sucralose is also good for consumption by diabetics or those who are undergoing a diet program, because there are no carbohydrate calories.