Put The Subs In

The word on the street is sugar can eventually cause major health problems. If there’s any truth to the rumors nearly the entire population of North America is going to have issues at some point. I can tell you from personal experience the sweet white stuff was a major factor in causing my mother’s Fatty Liver Disease, which eventually led to her cirrhosis and ultimately her death. I decided, not me.

In early December last year the decision was made in my home to jettison sugar from the pantry. My wife and I feel like it was a gaming changing decision. Within weeks we started feeling better and without a ton of effort weight started coming off. There were other changes we made about the same time but no doubt for us saying bye-bye to sugar was key.

One problem, what is a person with an inherent sweet tooth supposed to do when cravings come calling? So I decided there had to be some decent alternatives, it is 2021 after all. My sugar substitute investigation led me across some good, some bad and some gastro bombs.

Below I’m going to go over several we experimented with. It’s not an exhaustive list, nor is it a scientific journal of sugar substitutes. It’s simply our take on the sweeteners with a little research sprinkled in.

Allulose

An all natural sweetener found in fruits like figs, jackfruit and kiwis.

70% as sweet as sugar. 1 1/3 cup of allulose is equal to 1 cup of sugar

Allulose has little, if any effect on Blood Sugar

Our bodies absorb Allulose but we do not metabolize it

It typically does not cause gastric issues

Monk Fruit

Monk Fruit is a small round fruit native to Southern China

It’s 150-200 times sweeter than sugar so it’s usually mixed with other sweeteners to balance out the sweetness

Monk Fruit has not been shown to cause a spike in Blood Sugar

The taste of Monk Fruit can be off-putting but when it’s mixed with Stevia or a Sugar Alcohol that can be remedied

Monk Fruit can be a bit pricey

Stevia

This is a natural plant based sweetener. It comes from the Stevia leaf with most of the crop grown in South America

200-400 times sweeter than sugar

Stevia has been used as a sweetener for centuries by many native populations

This sugar substitute is one that can cause an allergic reaction in rare instances.

Stevia is known for some bitter aftertaste, however it becomes negligible after mixed with other sweeteners

Shows almost zero effect on Blood Sugar

Erythritol

Erythritol is a sugar alcohol. It is not actually an alcohol but gets the name from the fermentation process

It is a one for one swap with sugar

Erythritol can cause bloating, cramps and gas in some people

The sugar sub is absorbed by our body but with no caloric effect

It can but is rare to raise Blood Sugar

Erythritol also acts as a strong antioxidant in humans

Xylitol

Also a sugar alcohol (see erythritol above)

Measures at one for one with sugar

TOXIC TO DOGS

Xylitol is not absorbed by the body so it has a higher incidence of gastronomic distress

Has a higher rate of sugar spikes than others so this is one you would want to test before prolonged use

Bocha Sweet

Comes from the Kabocha Plant which is considered a Super Food

It is more like sugar than any other of the sugar substitutes

One for One with sugar

Has no aftertaste

Bocha Sweet is probably the best available sweetener as it relates to taste and measurement to sugar

Downside- It’s expensive Runs about $20 dollars a pound

Sucralose (Splenda)

Artificial Sweetener (Man-made)

400-700 times sweeter than sugar

Splenda is cut with dextrose and maltodextrin

It can cause Blood Spikes so this is another one you will need to test before using in your diet

Baking with Splenda IS NOT RECOMMENDED! Recent studies have shown it can produce toxic compounds at temps above 350 degrees

Can cause issues with gut health according to some studies

With so many questions there are better alternatives on the market

Saccharin (Sweet-N-Low)

Artificial Sweetener-made in a lab by oxidizing certain chemicals

One of the oldest sweeteners on the market with over 100 years of commercial use

Humans can’t break down saccharin so it passes thru the system

For many people it produces a negative aftertaste

Some of the cancer rumors persist about saccharin even after studies from the 70’s claiming such were proven flawed

Effects on Blood Sugar are unclear so a try and test approach is probably best

Aspartame (Nutra-Sweet, Equal)

Artificial Sweetener introduced in the early 80’s

Has been shown to cause inflammation in the Human Body

There have been a couple studies claiming aspartame has carcinogenic effects but the jury is still out

My opinion: Stay away from Aspartame

This list should give you a good place to start if you make the decision like we did that sugar was no longer welcome in our home. I experimented and had some successes and failures as it came to consistency in our food and overall taste. My overall champ as it relates to taste and price is Erythritol. Although, depending on the recipe other sweeteners perform better so do some reading and experimenting on your own.

My sweet-tooth is certainly satisfied and without the health crushing effects of the White Mamba know as Cane Sugar.

ALSO, I AM NOT A DOCTOR SO WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO UNDERTAKE TALK WITH YOUR PHYSICIAN TO MAKE SURE HE/SHE IS ON BOARD.