1. Raw Honey – Unprocessed honey is possibly one of the best sweetener alternatives available. In its raw, unpasteurized form, it is a live food containing a plethora of phytonutrients, trace minerals, and enzymes. It also doesn’t spoil or lose any nutritional value when stored for prolonged periods in airtight containers. It is a complex sugar made up of many other sugars, but it does not have the same effects on blood sugar levels that white granular does. Fermentation can occur if the honey is left exposed to air, which can cause an unpleasant taste, so be sure to tightly close the lid after each use. Of the sweet things available in nature, raw honey is one of the healthiest, but you shouldn’t overindulge either.
2. Stevia – Stevia is a natural sugar alternative derived from the stevia plant. The sweetness of the plant comes from the steviol glycoside. Stevia in its natural form contains trace minerals and has absolutely no effect on blood pressure or blood glucose response proving that it is safe for use by diabetics. Purdue University’s Dental Science Research Group have concluded that stevia is “significantly” inhibits the development of plaque and may actually help to prevent cavities. Refined extracts of stevia are about 200-300 times sweeter than table sugar.
3. Brown Rice Syrup – Brown rice syrup is made by cooking brown rice in pure filtered water then evaporating most of the water, which results in a naturally sweet syrup. It is an allergen-free sweetener and is also free of gluten and wheat. It is only half as sweet as refined sugar.
4. Turbinado Sugar – Turbinado sugar is used in various parts of the world as a white sugar substitute. It is derived from sugar cane juice and is only partially refined resulting in larger crystals with a distinct golden brown color.
5. Pure Maple Syrup – Many North Americans are already familiar with pure maple syrup, but many of us only use it for breakfast. Maple syrup is a natural sweetener derived from tree sap. It is available in two grades, Grade A and Grade B. Grade A syrups come in three different colors: Light amber, Amber and Dark Amber. The lighter the color the less pronounced the taste. Grade B contains more trace minerals and has the strongest maple flavor. Be very careful to avoid all imitation maple syrups because their chief ingredient is high fructose corn syrup.
Although natural sweeteners are a better alternative, you should still use them in moderation. Many people hear the word “natural” and overindulge because they think they’ve won the sugar lotto. Natural sweeteners still contain sugar, and if you load up on them you’ll be faced with the same health concerns that refined sugar perpetuates, such as candida, lowered immune system, diabetes, tooth decay and weight gain (just to name a few). Remember, moderation is the key to life; a little bit of sweetness goes a long way.
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Don’t forget Agave Nectar and Xylitol (from birch bark not corn).
If you have a good blender, you can also use dates and water to sweeten to make a paste for sweetening. I do a 1:1 ratio in baked goods, replacing white sugar.
Amongst this five I believe Stevia is the best options and as mentioned in article its 300 times sweeter than sugar and it doesn’t have any side effect. I have replaced sugar with ZYVIA which is 100% natural stevia extract. It rally help in reducing weight
I have been using 100% pure Stevia for several years now and it’s perfect for sweetening tea and making your own low sugar fruit yogurt, but it’s not perfect for everything, such as baked goods, as it does have a certain flavor (not sure why you can’t taste it in tea or yogurt). While my husband and I are used to it, my friends can taste it, even if I’ve just added 1/2 tsp Stevia to a batch of muffins in place of some of the sugar. Because of this I use agave syrup/nectar in muffins/cakes etc. to replace all or most of the sugar and love it. It is also a low glycemic sweetener and won’t spike blood sugar levels. We use it instead of sugar syrup in mixed drinks as well. Wish agave had been mentioned above. It has the consistency of maple syrup but is more versatile than it or honey because it has a more neutral flavor.