We know that sugar is one of the biggest enemies for our health. We try to replace it with available alternatives to achieve the same result in taste, but with less health damage. At the moment there are plenty of alternative sweeteners. But which one is the most healthy option and is the closest to the sugar characteristics?
A recent study looked at the most popular natural and synthetic sweeneters. The study compared their characteristics in terms of flavor, taste, thermal stability and sweetness to the same sensory characteristics of sucrose, the table sugar. It turned out that the alternative sweeteners are not able to substitute sucrose 1:1 for all its characteristics.
The study also investigated the influence of both natural and synthetic sweeneters on the metabolism and concluded that the best options for sucrose replacement would be
- rare sugars (D‐allulose, D‐tagatose, D‐sorbose and D‐allose)
- rebaudiosides (stevia)
- polyols (erythritol, hydrogenated starch hydrolysates, isomalt, lactitol, maltitol, mannitol, sorbitol and xylitol)
These sweeneters seem to mimic the best the sensory characterics of sucrose and to have minimal negative effects on gut health. However, if taken too much, even the most healthy and natural ones could trigger various health problems. So use them, but in moderation!
Curious? HERE is the source with a comprehensive overview of the most popular sweeneters and its characteristics
