Sweeteners are used in most products in America. The average American consumes over 20 teaspoons of sugar daily. Certainly, at this rate of daily ingestion of sugar, the average intake equals out to over 70 pounds of sugar annually.
People typically believe artificial sweeteners such as Splenda, Equal, Sweet and Low are a better, healthier option even though that’s not the case. Many artificial sweeteners contain aspartame and are one of the leading reasons for potential health risks in people. These risks include increase in weight and waist circumference, high risk of obesity, hypertension, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and type 2 diabetes.
Artificial sweeteners also can contain, sucralose, ACE K and saccharin. The FDA classifies these sweeteners as safe even though these sweeteners can cause a range of issues for your health such as headaches, migraines, thymus gland issues, mood swings, and liver and kidney malfunction.
These sugars are not healthy for you teeth and can start tooth decay and gum inflammation. With those two risks alone, they can start a number of problems for ones body.
Fructose is an incredient made from corn and used to make high fructose corn syrup. Fructose corn syrup is known as a “filler” in many foods to give off the sugary and still classify it as “natural” since it’s plant based. Fructose corn syrup is a complex sugar and is hard for ones body to breakdown. With that being said, fat storage is more prone to happen as well as fatty liver disease, upset stomach and atherolsclerosis.
The 3 types of Natural Sweeteners you need to know
Monk Fruit Sweeteners
What is Monk fruit? Monk fruit is a small green gourd grown in Southeast Asia. Monk fruit is typically dried and used either for medicinal teas or monk fruit sweeteners. Monk fruit sweeteners are made from the extracts from the fruit, then mixed with dextrose and other natural ingredients to give it its sweetness.
Monk fruit extracts are known to be over 100 times sweeter than regular sugar. It contains zero calories, zero carbohydrates, zero fat, and no sodium. Monk fruit is popular for this reason for companies and manufacturers that want to a healthy alternative to replace sugar in their products. Monk fruit can be found in a liquid, granule, or in a powder form.
Here’s a list of monk fruit sweeteners that we recommend:
- Lakanto Monkfruit 1:1 Sugar Substitute | NON GMO
- Lakanto Monkfruit 1:1 Sugar Substitute | 3 Ib NON GMO
- Monk Zero – Monk Fruit Sweetener, Non-Glycemic, Keto Approved, Zero Calories, 1:1 Sugar Substitute
Stevia Sweeteners
What is Stevia? Stevia is known to be over 200 times sweeter than sugar. Stevia sweeteners are based from the stevia plant. Stevia Reb A extract sweeteners have zero calories, carbohydrates, and fats.
The FDA hasn’t approved the whole leaf from the stevia plant or stevia extract as a food additive. The FDA believes it can cause an affect on ones blood sugar and on reproductive, renal, and cardiovascular systems.
The FDA has approved certain stevia products such as Rebaudioside A (Reb- A) a glycoside that gives stevia its sweetness. The FDA doesn’t allow products to be called “Stevia” but they are allowed to use “Purified Reb-A extract”
Here a list of Stevia Sweeteners:
- NatriSweet Original Stevia Liquid Drops 8 Ounce | Zero Calorie Natural Sugar Substitute
- Pyure Organic All-Purpose Blend Stevia Sweetener, 16 oz
- Stevia In The Raw 200 Count
Erythritol Sweeteners
Erythritol is a sugar alcohol used as a low-calorie sweetener. It provides about 6% of the calories found in an equal amount of sugar. It has about 70% of the sweetness of sugar.
When people use erythritol, there is no change in blood sugar or insulin levels. There is also no effect on cholesterol, triglycerides or other biomarkers.
For those who are overweight, have diabetes or other health-risk issues related to metabolic syndrome, erythritol is a great alternative to sugar.
Erythritol acts as an antioxidant and may improve blood vessel function in people with type 2 diabetes. These benefits may help. reduce the risk of heart disease.
Here’s where you can find Erythritol:
Erythritol Granules (2.5lbs) by Anthony’s, Non-GMO, Natural Sweetener, Keto & Paleo Friendly