4 Natural Sweeteners To Substitute Sugar Including Coconut Sugar

Sugar is probably the sweetest thing known to the human tongue and probably the worst ingredient in our diet especially when consumed in excess.

Well, we all know that taking anything whatsoever in excess isn’t good and could be dangerous to our health. I bet you reminded yourself of that when you ended up drinking about 5-6 bottles of your favourite soda, all in one day, asides from the chocolate bars and other sugary snacks that went in your mouth as well.

Taking in excess of it has been associated with a lot of medical conditions including obesity, diabetes, heart diseases and others.

Good news is that you don’t have to ditch the sweetness you so desire in your meals as you can replace your sugar with one of these natural sweeteners.

1. Honey

Raw honey is a natural sweetener which is pure and loaded with enzymes, antioxidants, zinc, potassium, phosphorous, iron, vitamin B6, riboflavin, calcium, and niacin. These nutrients help to neutralize free radicals while promoting the growth of healthy bacteria in the digestive tract.

2. Coconut sugar

From coconut milk to coconut oil, coconut flour and now coconut sugar, coconut seems to be serving us a lot of health goals.

Coconut sugar is extracted sap from the blooms of the coconut and then heated to get this sweetener.

It is packed with electrolytes and lots of healthy nutrients like polyphenols, iron, zinc, calcium, potassium, antioxidants, phosphorous and other phytonutrients and it is also lower on the glycemic index than sugar which may be partly due to its inulin content.

Inulin is a type of fiber that has been shown to slow glucose absorption.

3. Dates

Dates, from the date palm tree, are loaded with potassium, copper, iron, manganese, magnesium and vitamin B6 and help to metabolize proteins, fats, and carbohydrates.

Dates are rich in vitamins and minerals and fiber content, which is responding for slowing down sugar absorption and regulation within the body.

4. Brown rice syrup

Brown rice syrup is gotten from brown rice by exposing cooked rice to enzymes that break down the starches and turn them into smaller, easily digestible sugars after which the “impurities” are filtered out.

Although these sweeteners make a better substitute for refined sugar, taking them in excess as well isn’t advisable.