Sweeteners used to enhance coffee, teaOatmeal, Plain Yogurt others drink The variety is so extensive they should have their own menu.
Many options There’s white sugar, brown sugar, honey, artificial sweeteners, plant-based sugar alternatives, etc. But what’s the healthiest choice?
Before you pick out your favorite package of sweet treats, hear what nutrition experts have to say.
Is sugar good or bad for your health?
Sugar, or glucose in its simplest form, isn’t bad for you, says Natalie Rizzo, R.D., nutrition editor at TODAY.
“Your body needs glucose to live and grow. Glucose gives your brain, muscles, and organs energy to perform their daily functions. Plus, glucose provides energy for exercise,” she points out.
“That being said, all foods that contain carbohydrates contain sugar, but that doesn’t mean all of them are healthy.”
For example, bananas are full of natural sugars and contain other beneficial nutrients like fiber and potassium, while soda only contains added sugar.
Sugar, honey, maple syrup, and molasses Nutritive SweetenersAccording to the United States Department of Agriculture, nonnutritive sweeteners provide energy in the form of carbohydrates. Nonnutritive sweeteners, also known as sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners, contain very little carbohydrate or energy.
Nutritionist Rizzo says she’s all for natural sugar in food, but it’s important to limit it. Added sugarsThis is because it is usually found in foods that do not have much nutritional value.
Sugar isn’t inherently bad, it’s the extra calories in your diet that are the problem, adds Joan Slavin, PhD, a registered dietitian and professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota.
“We have an obesity problem,” Slavin told TODAY.com, “but I’m not saying that sugar is bad at all for healthy people. Sugar is necessary.”
What is the healthiest sweetener?
use fruits or 100% fruit juice Fruit contains nutrients that are beneficial to your health, so adding sweeteners to your foods and drinks is a healthy choice, Rizzo says, like adding fresh strawberries to your plain yogurt, a banana to your oatmeal, or a splash of orange juice to your soda.
“If you want a sweet flavor, use fruit,” agrees Slavin.
When it comes to choosing the healthiest sweetener for your coffee or tea, both nutritionists say the options are not all that different, so it’s mainly down to personal preference.
“Let’s be honest, all added sugars are pretty similar,” Rizzo points out.
“Health-wise, they’re both pretty similar,” Slavin said.
From a taste-test perspective, for most people, nothing beats sucrose, or regular white sugar, Slavin adds. One teaspoon contains about 16 calories.
Women should limit added sugars to no more than six teaspoons per day and men to no more than nine teaspoons. The American Heart Association advisesBut they point out that people are consuming two to three times that amount.
Is honey a healthier sweetener than sugar?
Not actually the case, experts say.
” Ingredients of honey“It may have some vitamins and minerals that are better than refined sucrose, but to me, it’s basically like a little thing,” Slavin said. Maple syrup.”
Rizzo points out that honey and maple syrup may be “a little bit healthier” because they contain trace minerals and plant compounds, but at the recommended serving size of about one tablespoon, they’re neither healthy nor a good source of nutrients.
Artificial sweeteners and sugar
Artificial sweeteners are chemically synthesized and constitute a non-nutritive sweetener.
It contains no carbohydrates, so it has no effect on blood sugar levels and is calorie-free. As TODAY.com previously reported,.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration 6 types of artificial sweeteners: Aspartame, Acesulfame Potassium, Sucralose, Neotame, Advantame, Saccharin.
of who They point out that these “non-sugar sweeteners” are not helpful in weight management and recommend that they not be used for weight management.
In 2023, the WHO Cancer Research Group Aspartame is a possible carcinogen. but The FDA disagreed.It points out that aspartame is “one of the most studied food additives in the human food supply.”
2022 study They found a potential link between artificial sweeteners and heart disease.
Rizzo says he’s not too worried about artificial sweeteners. Slavin adds that artificial sweeteners wouldn’t be on the market if they weren’t generally considered safe. He sees them as a tool in the nutrition toolkit to help people reduce their sugar intake.
“It’s like a nitpick about which is better,” Slavin says. “For most people, they’re not necessary. It’s just a personal choice.”
What about stevia or monk fruit?
Stevia and monk fruit are one of three FDA-approved “high-intensity sweeteners from plants and fruits.” The third is thaumatin, a group of proteins isolated from the West African catemphe fruit.
Stevia is a plant native to South America. Authorities say that the components in the leaves are 200 to 400 times sweeter than sugar. Bitter aftertaste.
The WHO classifies stevia as a non-sugar sweetener that does not help with weight control.
Native to southern China, Monk fruit is 100 to 250 times sweeter than sugar.
Slavin said many people feel that these products offer some benefit and are more consumer-friendly because they are made from plants rather than chemicals mixed in a lab.
“But I wouldn’t say, ‘Use that much and never use aspartame or sucralose,'” she says. “If I had to rank them, I wouldn’t put them above the other options.”
Conclusion:
Of the things most people have to worry about, adding a little sugar to their coffee or breakfast is “pretty low” on Slavin’s list.
“When people ask, ‘Should I eliminate sugar from my coffee?’ I say absolutely not for the average person,” she points out.
It’s important not to overdo it.
Think about what other foods you’re eating throughout the day and whether you’re consuming more added sugars than you need, advises Rizzo.
