“The Most Dangerous Sweeteners Are The Most Famous”

This is especially true when it comes to looking for sugar substitutes. Depending on the type of food we eat, it is not always so easy to reduce its consumption. In turn, the market is full of apparently healthy alternatives to sugar that can lead us to think that we can use them with carte blanche.

Sweet and healthy , the latest book by nutritionist Mercedes Blasco published by RBA-Integral, addresses all these issues and much more. Convinced that the best way to replace sugar is to reduce the use of any sweetener to specific occasions, she offers a complete guide to understand why we like candy so much and find it difficult to avoid it, what advantages and disadvantages have the main sweeteners on the market (including considered healthier) and how to sweeten our dishes in the healthiest way possible.

The subtitle of the book is already a declaration of intentions: alternatives for a life without added sugars. Few sweeteners work well.

Alternatives to sugar: their advantages and disadvantages

Mercedes Blasco has a master’s degree in Nutrition, a regular contributor to Cuerpomente and is passionate about vegetarian food and cuisine. She is the author of many other books of natural food, including Milks vegetables and vegetable fats and healthy . We talked to her about sugar and its alternatives:

– You say that sugar addiction is a real pandemic. Why does the sweet taste catch us?
–For various reasons. The most ancient have to do with the feeling of protection due to the sweet taste of breast milk and with the association of glucose with satiety after centuries of deficiencies. On the other hand, it produces a peak of well-being and sedation of the stress that generates dependency. And, above all, because the food industry uses these causes to promote the mass consumption of certain products.

“The sweetness of sugar produces a peak of well-being and sedation of the stress that generates dependency”

– One of the problems of excessive consumption of sugars is that it ends up confusing our brain and makes us eat more. Why is this happening?
-Because sugars are digested very quickly and generate a peak of satiety and well-being that also collapses in a short time, so that right away you want to eat again.

These ups and downs unbalance the body, distort the true sensation of hunger, confusing it with psychic anxiety, generate fatigue, mood swings, an overload for the body and in the production of insulin … They also lead to loss of sensitivity to taste natural food.

– Why resorting to sweeteners is not always a good solution when it comes to replacing sugar?
-Because in reality the addiction to sweet taste is being maintained, the palate is not being educated to recognize the varied flavors of food, so the addiction to sweet persists.

In addition, there is confusion between the different sweeteners, so some are reputed to be less caloric or more nutritional than sugar and can be taken in excess, even though the difference is not really relevant.

“Some sweeteners have a reputation for being less caloric or more nutritional than sugar and can be taken in excess.”

–The first thing that many people who want to take care of themselves and who do not want to resort to artificial sweeteners do is replace white sugar with whole grain sugar or panela. Is it a good step?
– Definitely not. If the composition of whole sugar and panela is compared, it can be seen that the percentage of sucrose is still very high, and the minerals they have are not very relevant.

In reality, a product very similar to refined sugar is being used , with its negative health consequences, such as obesity, diabetes or hypertension. It is preferable to educate the palate to minimize the addiction of sugars of all kinds and to restore the flavor of food.

– What would be a reasonable use of natural sweeteners?
–The WHO considers it harmful to take more than 10% of the total calories in the diet in the form of added sugars. And it recommends reducing the intake preferably to a maximum 5%. In a diet of 2000 Kilocalories we would be talking about 25 g per day. But they are not necessary, since it is always preferable to eat carbohydrates from food.

–You say that some natural sweeteners have a reputation for being healthy, but that they are not so healthy… Which ones should we be more careful with?
– The most dangerous are those with the most fame. For example, agave syrup is sold as a substitute for honey in vegan diets, but by its production it generally resembles an industrial fructose syrup rather than a healthy product. Fructose does not cause glycemic spikes, but it is quickly transformed into fat that accumulates in the liver, arteries and fatty deposits. Honey from bees is also rich in fructose.

We have already talked about brown, whole grain, brown sugar, brown sugar, and brown sugar, but coconut sugar is also mainly sucrose, and it does not differ much from conventional sugar. Currently the fame of its low glycemic index is questioned due to the small number of the sample with which it was studied.

– In what cases would you recommend using sweeteners such as stevia or monk fruit, which do not provide calories? For what uses are they most advisable?
–The stevia has a certain aftertaste like liquorice, so it is very suitable for sweetening infusions and soft drinks. With the fruit of the monk you can make pastries.

–Can we use coconut sugar the same as whole cane sugar in recipes?
-Yes, its composition is very similar. But it should not be abused, because it is actually sucrose for the most part. It differs little from the rest of sugars.

“Coconut sugar should not be abused, because it is actually sucrose for the most part.”

– Do you have a predilection for any particular sweetener?
–In addition to stevia and monk fruit, among the healthiest sweeteners are maple sap syrup and naturally fermented barley or rice molasses.

–If you had to recommend a sweetener to use in baking… which one would you choose?
–My first option is to use ingredients with a natural sweet flavor, such as bananas, apples or carrots. To enhance the sweet flavor it is ideal to use crushed dates with a little water, or any other dried fruit such as figs, plums or raisins.

–What do you think of sweeteners like xylitol, erythritol and other polyalcohols?
–The polyols are not considered sweeteners, but additives. They are used industrially in “sugar-free” products, such as chewing gum, candy or soft drinks. They have the advantage that they do not cause cavities and are less caloric. But they do have calories, generally half that of sugars. They should not be taken in excess because they can cause gastrointestinal problems.

They can be used in baking. One of the most suitable is birch xylitol, which is obtained from the bark of this tree.

-Let’s go to the next level now, when we decide that we are going to stop sweetening things. The truth is that, if you are in the habit of taking things with sugar or some sweetener, it can be difficult to stop doing it overnight. How do we start?
–The first step is to become aware of the amount of added sweeteners that are part of our daily diet. In dietetics it is always recommended to make a 24 or 48 hour reminder to know what foods are eaten regularly. And see how many of these have added sugars.

It is necessary to understand that the sweet taste is one of a diversity, so it is necessary to enhance the rest of the elements of the diet. Incorporate quality carbohydrates in the form of whole grains, sweet vegetables and fresh fruits. Vegetable proteins from legumes and nuts, as well as foods rich in essential fatty acids, and learn to season with herbs and spices. At the same time, give up prepared foods and replace them with more natural versions, reading the labels and participating in their preparation whenever possible.

Likewise, we can get used to drinking water instead of carbonated soft drinks. Or infusions, alone or with unsweetened vegetable milks. It is recommended to establish a rhythm of five daily intakes to avoid rises and falls in blood glucose.

-Breakfast is perhaps the meal of the day when it is most difficult for us to do without sweet. A solution could be to have a salty breakfast, but for those who have a hard time thinking … what healthy options do you recommend?
–To begin the substitutions, we will rely on fruits, spices and nuts. Instead of having a sugary or fruit yogurt for breakfast, we can add pieces of peach directly to it, with cinnamon and almonds, or make a smoothie.

Maybe we don’t need to have pastries every day, but only those that are truly special, and the rest take quality bread, whole wheat or with seeds and add avocado, tahini or garlic and oil.

A Bircher muesli, with grated apple is an excellent option, and unsweetened granola, with the flavor of flakes, seeds, raisins and coconut.

-In the day to day you talk about sweetening foods without resorting to sweeteners, including fruits, spices and sweet vegetables. Can you give us some ideas?
– A simple way is using the oven. Not only pumpkins and sweet potatoes caramelize in the heat, but also onions, aubergines and leeks, among many other vegetables, giving exquisite results. All roots like carrots and beets are sweet. And the fresh peas and beans, a very nutritious snack, to be chopped raw.

The fruits dried are true natural sweeteners. Try putting raisins in salads, or in kale or spinach stir-fries, or in any dessert. And use figs, dried apricots and dates as resources in pastries, but also in breakfasts and snacks. Like those bites of nuts and figs that are eaten at parties.

The fresh fruit is always on hand to provide sweetness to the diet, especially when the palate longer gooey with added sugars. A sweet melon after sports, grapes or cherries between meals, even in the office drawer, instead of candy.

Cinnamon, vanilla, cardamom, licorice, stevia or anise are ideal allies for any drink, smoothie, vegetable milk or dessert that we want to enjoy.

In my book Sweet and healthy I have included a lot of proposals, but the imagination is always unlimited.