Hello Sweetie! – What Sugar Alternatives Can Really Do

We know it, and yet we like to indulge. Because in certain situations, it simply has to be something sweet – as a reward or against frustration, to feel happy or as comfort food. However, the amount of sugar we consume daily can become our downfall. And not just in the form of consciously nibbled sweets, but especially sugar that hides in most industrially produced ready-made and fast food products. Since these don't taste sweet at all, we usually consume it unknowingly unless we take a look at the ingredient list beforehand. Since a large part of our society is struggling with overweight and its health consequences, the topic of sugar has become a constant issue – giving it up is really hard! No wonder that the call for sweet alternatives to conventional household sugar is loud and the market for natural sweeteners and artificial sugar substitutes is now large.

Preferably natural – the sweet power from plants

From agave syrup to sugar beet syrup, there are now numerous natural sweeteners made from concentrated, thickened juices of various plants. They can be produced gently and usually in organic quality, also contain valuable minerals, trace elements, and vitamins, and are suitable for a vegan diet. But beware, they derive their sweetness from pure fruit sugar, which can not only harm teeth but also lead to fructose intolerance or even insulin resistance with excessive consumption. Their sweetness is significantly lower compared to sucrose, our household sugar, which consists of equal parts glucose (grape sugar) and fructose (fruit sugar). Therefore, one should not consume too much of them. This also applies to the popular honey, the natural power source from our bees and once the only available sweetener at all. Our recipe idea: Creamy hemp seed salad dressing

Maple syrup – a juice with substance

With its finely spicy caramel flavor, it is obtained from the thickened sap of Canadian sugar maple trees. It takes about 40 liters of tree sap to produce one liter of syrup! To do this, the tree trunks are tapped in spring when the plant sap is transported from the roots back up to the buds, and the unprocessed sap is then boiled down. When buying, we should definitely pay attention to organic quality and 100% pure maple syrup, as the term is not protected, and it can also be adulterated with sugar syrup here. Maple syrup shows a very low value on the glycemic index, which measures the impact of foods on blood sugar levels, and is therefore suitable for diabetics. In addition to valuable minerals like potassium, calcium, magnesium, and iron, it also contains a colorful mix of other promising substances. Pharmacy professor Navindra Seeram from the University of Rhode Island has been researching maple syrup for years and has discovered over thirty additional substances, most of which have antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. According to a team of scientists from McGill University in Montreal, Canada, the polyphenols in maple syrup could even significantly enhance the effect of antibiotics on harmful bacteria. If medication doses and thus the risk of resistance could be reduced, superbugs could be fought with maple syrup! But caution, the sugary juice still consists of 60% sucrose, our conventional household sugar, and should only be consumed in moderation. Our recipe idea: Overnight oats with coconut and hemp

Agave syrup - sugar-free "Clean Eating" with the syrup from Mexico

If you remove the core from the inside of an agave that is at least eight years old, the agave sap stored in the plant accumulates there over several months. When heated and thickened, it becomes even sweeter, takes on a brownish color, and develops its characteristic caramel flavor. It is slightly more liquid than honey, making it easier to process and generally usable as a honey and sugar substitute. After thickening, almost exclusively fructose and glucose remain from the agave sap, which also make up our household sugar, so its sweetness is similarly strong. Agave syrup is less suitable for baking. The dough becomes noticeably darker, and it lacks the firm consistency that sugar provides. However, it is ideal for sweetening drinks, dressings, and desserts (Our recipe idea: Hemp-coconut granola). With its high fructose content, agave syrup has a very low value on the glycemic index. While this is an advantage for diabetics, it can be a curse for those suffering from fructose intolerance. For them, agave syrup is taboo, but even for everyone else, the sweet syrup still holds a considerable amount of calories. Although it also contains various minerals, secondary plant substances, and trace elements, these are hardly significant due to the small amounts consumed. Instead, we should reach for plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and whole grain products to adequately nourish our bodies. From an ecological perspective, its large CO2 footprint is also critically questioned.
To meet demand, huge agave plantations are now being planted in Mexico, and the sap must then be transported to Europe after thickening.

Rice syrup – concentrated energy, but few nutrients

If cooked rice is treated with certain enzymes, they break down the complex carbohydrate compounds in the rice into short-chain sugar molecules during a fermentation process. The viscous syrup, which consists solely of glucose and glucose compounds, is then filtered out. Protein and fats are almost completely absent, and it contains hardly any vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Rice syrup has a slight caramel flavor with a malty-nutty note and is somewhat less sweet than household sugar. However, it has a considerable amount of calories and is not recommended for diabetics, as its glycemic value is even higher than that of conventional sugar. However, for people with fructose intolerance, it is the only sweetener without undesirable side effects, as it contains no fructose.

Coconut blossom sugar - the fine sweetness from delicate flower buds

To obtain coconut blossom sugar with its characteristically strong caramel aroma, the flower buds are cut and the sap that flows out is collected. If the coconut nectar is then boiled or processed at low temperatures in a vacuum steam cooker, the coconut blossom sugar crystals are formed, which can be used thanks to their similarly high sweetness as brown sugar. Coconut blossom sugar is well-suited for diabetics, as it does not cause blood sugar levels to spike but releases its energy slowly, keeping you full longer. Iron, zinc, and potassium can also strengthen and protect our muscles, skin, hair, and immune system. However, its production is labor-intensive, and the transport routes are long. Therefore, it should definitely come from organic cultivation. No valuable rainforest should be cleared for coconut plantations, and the coconut palms for sugar extraction should not be cut down. But sustainability is possible. A newly planted coconut palm can be harvested year-round for many decades and is already well supplied with natural fertilizer made from decaying coconut shells and palm fronds. We at HANAFSAN have also chosen coconut blossom sugar, as it gives our organic hemp proteins their pleasantly fine sweetness.

Xylitol, Erythritol, and Sorbitol – sugar substitutes from the sugar alcohol group

Don't worry, sugar alcohols are not drunk from a bottle, and they cannot get us intoxicated. Chemically, they are "alcohols" of monosaccharides and disaccharides because their structure partially resembles that of sugars and alcohol. They are, so to speak, related to sugars and taste similarly sweet to our household sugar. However, our metabolism processes them differently – and that is especially good news for diabetics. Sugar alcohols do not require insulin for transport into our cells. This means we are provided with energy without increasing blood sugar levels. Our teeth also benefit because, unlike glucose and fructose, the bacteria in our mouths cannot convert sugar alcohols into cavity-causing acids, which they need for energy. They essentially starve, which is why xylitol is often found in toothpaste or chewing gum. Although their names sound quite artificial, sugar alcohols are naturally found in many plants, and their sweetness is perceived as natural and sugar-like.

Xylitol - the sweet power from birch wood

The classic birch sugar is not only found in this tree but also occurs in plums, raspberries, and strawberries. It is just as sweet as sugar but has almost 40% fewer calories and no inherent taste, making it versatile, for example, in our fine plum cake. However, "too much" xylitol is not good either; consuming more than 20-30 g per day can lead to bloating and diarrhea, and xylitol is even toxic to dogs, cattle, goats, and rabbits. It is not dangerous for cats but can improve their oral hygiene and protect against cavities, just like in humans. But please "organic" – because today, birch sugar is usually not obtained from birch wood but is industrially produced in a chemical process from agricultural by-products like straw and corn cobs, which should not be genetically modified!

Erythritol

The less-known sugar alternative occurs naturally in some fruits such as strawberries, pears, watermelons, and grapes. It is also found in mushrooms and fermented foods like soy sauce, rice wine, and beer, in pistachios, and in very small amounts in cheese. Our body even produces its own erythritol, although the exact metabolic pathways have not yet been researched. What is known is that we produce up to 15 grams of xylitol daily in our liver as an intermediate product during carbohydrate breakdown. Erythritol is practically calorie-free and suitable for diabetics, but its 30 percent lower sweetness makes it difficult to replace household sugar. It is usually obtained from fermented glucose but is also available in organic quality and from domestic corn. Our recipe idea: Peanut butter nice cream with hemp

Sorbitol

The third member of the group is found in many industrially produced foods as well as in chewing gum and lozenges. Naturally, we also consume sorbitol primarily with apples, pears, apricots, plums, and peaches. Only about half as sweet as household sugar, sorbitol also has only half the calories, making it an ideal sweetener for diet foods. It is also suitable for diabetics because our body can metabolize this sugar alcohol independently of insulin. In the past, sorbitol was primarily made from the berries of the rowan tree, which can contain up to twelve percent of it. Today, glucose is obtained from corn and wheat starch, which is then converted into sorbitol. It is not only sweet but also hygroscopic. It binds water from the environment and is added to toast bread, mustard, or praline fillings, as well as cosmetics and toothpaste, to protect them from drying out.
We should also only enjoy this sugar substitute in moderation, as consuming more than 20 grams per day can lead to stomach pains, bloating, and diarrhea, and more and more people can no longer tolerate it at all. Those with fructose intolerance should also avoid sorbitol-containing foods. Because in the small intestine, sorbitol further inhibits the already low fructose absorption capacity in those affected. Experts attribute the significant increase in intolerances compared to the past to the fact that more and more foods are sweetened with fructose or sorbitol today.

Sweeteners – it doesn't get sweeter

Sweeteners include a variety of chemically complex compounds that often contain hardly any calories. However, their sweetness is significantly greater than that of sugar, so they cannot simply be used as a sugar substitute in baking. Although most sweeteners, such as aspartame, saccharin, or cyclamate, are synthetically produced in the lab, there are also some natural representatives.

Stevia – the power sweetness from nature

Stevia is obtained as a concentrated extract from the so-called steviol glycosides, the natural components of the stevia plant. This herbaceous plant originates from South America and is aptly referred to as honey herb, sweet herb, or sweet leaf. Increasingly known and used worldwide, the plant is now cultivated not only in many South American countries but also in China, the USA, and Thailand. In the EU, the extract has only been approved since 2011 and is only allowed in certain food groups, such as in jams, muesli, ice cream, and yogurt, or in cocoa and chocolate products, beer, sauces, soups, and fish products. The calorie content of stevia is 370 kcal/100g, which is only slightly lower than that of sugar; however, its sweetness is three hundred times higher, so you don't need much of it! In small doses, stevia is largely tasteless, but larger amounts are often perceived as bitter by many, comparable to the taste of licorice. Stevia is gentle on our teeth and is suitable for diabetics, as its value on the glycemic index is very low.

Health harmful?

For a long time, there was a suspicion that stevia promotes the development of cancer, which has now been scientifically disproven. In studies, animals showed an increased cancer risk when high doses of stevia were administered over a long period. Translated to humans, we would have to consume stevia amounts daily that would far exceed its use as a sweetener. However, the question of whether stevia increases appetite is still under discussion. It is possible that our brain is "deceived" by the sweet substances in the plant. It expects calories that are hardly present in the small doses of stevia. If we are thus tempted to continue eating, it can negate all positive effects... And caution! - Stevia is indeed a plant product, but the extraction of steviol glycosides is a highly chemical and industrial processing process that cannot be done under organic standards. In several steps, the sweet substances are extracted from the plant and then cleaned again. Environmentally harmful aluminum salts are often used in the process, which are then frequently not disposed of in an environmentally friendly manner.

Sweetness without remorse?

Even with a diverse range of sugar alternatives, this is only possible with limitations. And as so often, the rule applies: the amount matters. Therefore, less sugar is still the best. We can easily reduce it by cooking and baking ourselves. Then we decide how sweet it should be and what we use. Because our body is quite satisfied with less sweetness.

Sources:
www.gesundfit.de
www.zentrum-der-gesundheit.de
www.eatsmarter.de
www.wir-essen-gesund.de

Liya Li, Navindra P Seeram: “Further investigation into maple syrup yields 3 new lignans, a new phenylpropanoid, and 26 other phytochemicals“, in: J Agric Food Chem, 2011 Jul 27;59(14):7708-16; doi: 10.1021/jf2011613. Epub 2011 Jun 22.

Vimal B Maisuria, Zeinab Hosseinidoust, Nathalie Tufenkji: “Polyphenolic extract from maple syrup potentiates antibiotic susceptibility and reduces biofilm formation of pathogenic bacteria”, in: Appl Environ Microbiol. 2015 Jun;81(11):3782-92; doi: 10.1128/AEM.00239-15. Epub 2015 Mar 27.

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