Excessive sugar consumption results in lowered immunity and can lead to increased rates of obesity, Type II diabetes, heart disease, atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries), osteoporosis, candida, and a host of other degenerative conditions. Given these results, no wonder sugar substitutes are so popular! Artificial sweeteners can be just as unhealthy, but there are many natural, healthier, alternatives you can use.

Honey

This is bees’ unique contribution to human happiness. Three times sweeter than sugar, pure, raw (unpasteurized) honey maintains its natural bacteria-fighting enzymes, is anti-fungal and anti-microbial, and offers many nutrients absent in processed honey. It’s a source of B-vitamins, iron, and manganese, and has recently been shown to contain a variety of antioxidants, substances that help the body fight cancer and degenerative diseases. Honey is also easily digested by most people. (In fact, it’s the only sweetener recommended by Elaine Gottschall, MD, in her landmark book, Breaking the Vicious Cycle, for sufferers of irritable bowel diseases). Honey has also been known to aid liver functioning, ease dryness and sore throat, and help heal stomach ulcers.

Molasses

Molasses is the residual product after sugar cane has been processed into cane (granulated) sugar. As a result, molasses actually retains all the nutrients which are removed when sugar is made; and the darker (or less sweet), the more minerals it contains. Blackstrap molasses is the most nutritious form, with excellent levels of iron and calcium (a single tablespoon contains more calcium than a glass of milk!) and good amounts of magnesium, potassium, and B-vitamins. If you find the taste too bitter, blend with other sweeteners. Unsulphured molasses tastes best.

Maple syrup

The processed sap of the maple tree has a sweetness comparable to sugar, fewer calories and more minerals than honey, and the distinctive flavour beloved by many North Americans. It’s an excellent source of manganese (a co-factor in many enzymatic actions in the body) as well as zinc (a key antioxidant vital to immune functioning and prostate health). The darker the syrup, the more its sugar has been concentrated.

Brown Rice Syrup

This mildly-flavoured, somewhat sweet liquid is made from sprouted brown rice. It is minimally processed and retains a high percentage of complex carbohydrates (unlike granulated sugar, a simple sugar) which means it is digested and absorbed more slowly by the body, preventing spikes in blood glucose levels and allowing a steady, longer-term energy source. It also provides potassium and some B-vitamins.

Date sugar

Dates contain the highest natural sweetness of all fruits. Date sugar is dried, ground dates. Though less sweet than sugar, it provides all the nutrients (such as iron, thiamine, riboflavin and niacin) and fibre you’d find in the whole fruit (10 per cent of the daily requirement from just 5 dates). Since date sugar doesn’t melt or caramelize like white sugar (helping a batter or dough to “bind” when baked), add other binders, such as additional eggs, when baking with date sugar. Or try experimenting with homemade date or other fruit purées, such as apple, prune, or banana.

Dehydrated Cane Sugar Crystals

Sucanat, a form of unrefined cane sugar, is made by crushing sugar cane, then allowing the juice to evaporate naturally. The result is a dry, granular sweetener that can be used in the same proportions as sugar but which retains all of the original vitamins and minerals usually lost in processing, such as iron, calcium, vitamin B6, potassium and chromium (which can help to balance blood sugar). Watch for the word “unrefined” on the label; if the sweetener simply states, “evaporated cane juice,” it may still be highly processed or refined.

Agave syrup

Derived from the juice of the agave cactus, agave syrup has been used for centuries in South America and Mexico and is the basis for tequila. It’s 50% sweeter than sugar, yet has a very low GI (glycemic index), so it doesn’t cause the same spikes in blood glucose levels that sugar does. In addition, the mild taste blends well with other flavors and won’t overpower your recipes. Raw agave syrup contains inulin, a “pre-biotic,” or substance that helps to nourish the probiotics (good bacteria) in the intestines.

Stevia

The leaves of the stevia rebaudiana plant have been used as a sweetener for centuries in Latin America. Sold as an herbal supplement in Canada, stevia is 30 times sweeter than sugar, yet boasts a GI of zero (so it doesn’t affect blood sugar levels). You can buy stevia as a liquid or powder. While it adds great deal of sweetness to your foods, it cannot be substituted for sugar without greatly altering a recipe’s texture. Use where only small amounts of sugar would do.

Sugar Alcohols: Sorbitol, Mannitol, Xylitol

These sweeteners, technically polyols or sugar alcohols, are actually neither sugars nor alcohols. Derived from sugar molecules, they do exist naturally in small amounts in some foods. However, the kinds we consume in sugar-free candies or desserts are produced in laboratories by adding hydrogen to sugar and are not truly “natural.”

About half as sweet as sugar, polyols also contain fewer calories (about 2.6 per gram versus the 4 per gram of sugar) because they’re difficult for the digestive system to process and aren’t fully absorbed by the small intestine. And since they’re not a source of fuel for the body, they won’t contribute to dental caries (cavities). On the other hand, their benefits come with a price.

As far back as 1999, the Centre for Science in the Public Interest (CSPI) cautioned that amounts of sorbitol in excess of 10-50 grams could cause diarrhea. This may also be true of xylitol, and in excess of 20 grams for mannitol. Because they aren’t digested, sugar alcohols remain in the intestines and may cause gas and bloating as well; they may also promote a laxative effect. So be cautious when using these sugar alternatives!

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