Sugar substitutes are the solution to enjoying desserts and sweet dishes on a daily basis while looking after your health. Discover 3 sugar substitutes worth having in your kitchen.

According to a WHO report, the problem of being overweight affected as many as 1.9 billion adults worldwide in 2016, with 650 million of them suffering from obesity. The WHO cites excessive consumption of fat and sugar as one of the two main causes of obesity development. Fortunately, more and more substitutes are available on the market. Thanks to them, we can not give up the pleasure of eating dessert after dinner, but improve it so that it still tastes good, but does not harm us. Let’s explore 3 sugar substitutes that are worth having in your kitchen.

Erythritol

Erythritol is classified chemically as a polyol. It is a substance whose sweetness relative to sucrose is at a level of 60-80%. The energy value of erythritol is 0.2 kcal, which makes it considered calorie-free. In the daily diet, it can be successfully used in baked goods, smoothies or simply coffee and tea. In food products, it can often be found in drinks, chewing gum or confectionery. In the human body, it is absorbed into the bloodstream from the small intestine, while approx. 90% is excreted in the urine.

Xylitol

Xylitol, also known as birch sugar, like erythritol is classified as a polyol. Due to its similarity to white sugar – crystalline structure, odourlessness, and almost identical sweetness – it can be used as a sugar substitute at a ratio of 1:1. Birch sugar is not calorie-free, as it contains 250 kcal per 100 g of product, but nevertheless has approximately 40 % fewer calories than white sugar and a 9 times lower glycaemic index. In large quantities, xylitol can irritate the digestive tract and cause diarrhea, so it is recommended not to exceed a single dose of 15 g of xylitol.

Stevia

Stevia reubadiana is a plant native to South America. The leaves of this plant contain steviol glycosides, a group of compounds responsible for the sweet taste. Only two of the steviol glycosides are used for the production of sweeteners for the catering and food industry, stevioside and rebaudioside A. Stevioside is 300 times sweeter than white sugar but has a bitter aftertaste, which in turn is far less noticeable in rebaudioside A. Stevia is calorie-free, stable at temperatures up to 200 degrees C., stable regardless of pH and dissolves well in both warm and cold liquids. It also has antiseptic properties which is why it is used in toothpaste.

Other sugar substitutes

Honey or agave syrup is also often considered a good substitute for sugar. However, this is not the best choice, as these products are based on fructose, which, although it does not raise blood sugar levels in the same way as glucose, when consumed in excess, also contributes to the development of obesity and cardiovascular disease.

Why use sugar substitutes?

Increased sugar consumption can contribute to the development of overweight or obesity, and unfortunately, this is already the first step in increasing the risk of other chronic diseases such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, dyslipidemia or even cancer. The use of sugar substitutes is supposed to help reduce excessive calorie intake and also have a positive effect on carbohydrate metabolism by limiting the consumption of simple sugars, which have the effect of raising blood sugar levels and producing insulin. There is a perception that sugar substitutes are a bad thing because they are not ‘natural’. However, they should not be feared, but only used in moderation like anything else. 

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Bibliography:

https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/obesity-and-overweight