3 Best Sugar Substitutes for Diabetics
There are numerous queries about the best sugar substitutes for diabetes available in the market especially from those who unfortunately are starving their sweet tooth and are very conscious about their health. So in this post we have come up with the best sugar substitutes available in the market which is considered as the best alternative of refined sugar.
- STEVIA:
Starting with our first and the most lovable
contender- Stevia, we will first talk about what stevia actually
is?
Stevia is a completely natural sweetener which
is simply an extract from the godly plant Stevia rebaudiana bert. which has
almost zero effect on the blood sugar levels. Stevia is available in the market in
different forms as a powder, an extract, or as flavored drops.
So, what is Stevia? Stevia is a complete
natural sweetener since it’s simply an extract from the leaves of the plant
species Stevia rebaudiana. Most grocery stores carry it and you can
purchase it as a powder, extract, or as flavored drops. Stevia its pure
processed form is about 300 times
sweeter than regular sugar but the product available in the market have
varying degrees of sweetness so that’s why it’s important to know the sweetness
of the product you use.
Stevia Powder: Stevia powder is a nice option for all the health-conscious people but not much recommended for the people suffering from diabetes as the companies sometimes mix it will fillers to make it behave more like sugar. It won’t affect your blood sugar level until unless taken in large amounts.
All that being said, according to FDA stevia in powdered form can be taken as a sugar replacement for baking as it reacts well to heat. Brand like Stevia in the Raw is the perfect choice when it comes to consuming stevia as one-to-one alternative to sugar.
Stevia extract: If in case you are diagnosed with an ailment like diabetes, Stevia extract is the perfect match for your health requirements, as it is pure stevia without anything added. The best part of using stevia in its extracted form is that it has a more intense sweetening effect but won’t impact your blood sugar level at all.
It is best used as a sweetener in coffee,
oatmeal, etc. Stevia Extract from HerbVeda is the perfect
choice for all your stevia needs.
Flavored Stevia drops: If you are fed up of drinking plain water or you just want to make your water drinking habit fun, just squirt some drops off into your water and it will taste like lemonade (shikanji), without effecting your blood sugar level. Zevic Stevia Drops is much recommended.
- Xylitol:
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol and have sweetness similar to sugar,
its extracted from corn or sometimes birch wood. Xylitol is our next
recommendation for the people suffering from diabetes as it contains only 2.4
calories per gram, which is way less than that of sugar, i.e. 40% less than sugar due
to which it doesn’t affect the blood sugar level or insulin(Source) making
it one of the best natural sugar substitutes for refined sugar.
Adding to its benefits, Xylitol has some medicinal properties also,
it improves dental health by reducing cavities and tooth decay. (Source).
Also xylitol increases the body’s calcium absorbing capacity which is good for
both teeth and bones.
- Monk fruit:
If somebody is wanting a change of taste in
their sweeteners or they are bored using stevia as the only sugar alternative,
so there is one good choice available in the market, THE MONK FRUIT. It is the
best choice for diabetics since it is a natural sweetener that will not impact
your blood sugar level. It has a fruity aftertaste which is not liked by the majority
is gradually acquired. It’s a good alternative if you are looking for a natural
sweetener but don’t like the taste of Stevia.
Some brands cheat the buyers by combining the
monk fruit with sweeteners like Erythritol or even sugar or molasses. Monk Fruit in the Raw can be your
first choice if you want to add monk fruit sweetener in your diet.
- AVOID! substituting these sweeteners with sugar:
Many time we
forget to keep a watch on the ingredients being used in our primary sweetening
source we use as our “so-called” substitute to sugar, neglecting this can lead
too many dangerous problems:
- Agave nectar is produced by the agave plant. Marketers generally fool people by marketing this sweetener as a healthy plant-based alternative to sugar but unfortunately the truth is just of opposite taste which the sweetener promises to provide.
It is sad to know that the
sweetener these marketers claim is good for diabetes contains 85% of Fructose, which is higher than
the regular sugar. This can lead to
obesity and heart-related problems. So keep a safe distance from this
sweetener.
- High-fructose corn syrup : It is made from corn syrup and is mostly used to provide sweet taste in processed foods and beverages. As the name itself indicates, this sweetener is high in Fructose content which is the reason for the spike in the insulin levels in the bloodstream, hence leading to diabetes. It can also make one suffer from other health problems like excessive weight gain, obesity, and even cancer. (Source)
"We recommend you to avoid these
sweeteners the best way possible".
What’s the Takeaway?
The endless search for the Best Sugar substitutes for diabetics is just the result of our modern way of
living, eating junk and no exercise is leading to serious health problems. We
can’t just stop this happening in one single day but we can start inculcating
good food habits which will ultimately lead to our good health.
Stevia
is the best natural sweetener and the strongest competition to the refined
sugar available in the market, but we should take care of the dosage of stevia
in our diet.
The ADI or
Acceptable Daily Intake of stevia as recommended by the FDA is of 4 mg or less of stevia per kilogram of body
weight per day. (Source)
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Related Posts:
Stevia: Nature's Gift to Mankind
Stevia: Health benefits and Side effects
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