If you love all things sweet, there are different sweeteners—artificial and natural—you can use. Each has its pros and cons. You will find that stevia is by far the better of the bunch of artificial and natural sweeteners out there.
Take a look at some of the sweeteners currently available:
1) Sugar or sucrose reigns supreme but it is high in calories, low in nutrition, besides posing a health threat should you consume excess.
2) Aspartame sits high on the list of synthetic sweeteners used widely across the world with few known side effects on the human body.
3) A synthetic zero calorie sweeteners, Acesulfame Potassium have been widely used since 1998 with few known health risks.
4) Neotame is the latest in the line of synthetic sweeteners with zero calories and about 13000 sweeter than sugar. More in use in commercial products than in homes, Neotame is yet to gain widespread popularity.
5) Corn syrup is a natural sweetener with only 17 calories per spoon but it does contain glucose and fructose—a no-no for diabetics.
6) Natural Agave nectar is gaining in popular since it is sweeter than sugar and has only 20 calories per spoon but it does contain fructose, which makes it unsuitable for diabetics.
7) Honey is perhaps a favorite when it comes to natural sweeteners with 21 calories per spoon and some traces of vitamins and minerals but since it is mainly fructose and glucose, diabetics should consume it with care.
8) Stevia extract is fast gaining in popularity as one of the best, zero calorie, sweeteners with quite a few health benefits as well.
There are other sweeteners include sucralose, maltitol, sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol and erythritol that are sweet to taste but have some disadvantage or the other, definitely not recommended for diabetics with a number of health issues. Maltodextrin is commonly used along with stevia extract to add bulk and that gives stevia a bad rep because it affects blood sugar levels. When you buy any stevia product, even whole foods stevia based, look for products free of such sugar-like bulking agents.
Of all the above listed sweeteners stevia is the only one that actually confers a number of health benefits. Available in powder, liquid and tablet form, stevia is just as beneficial for people with normal health and as it is for those with hypertension, digestion issues, fungal infections and diabetes. It does lack the characteristics and texture of sugar but more than makes up for it by way of neutral taste. One use is to sweeten beverages but, at the same time, whole foods stevia based are also becoming widely available. Diabetics, however, should be careful when using whole foods labeled as sweetened with stevia since there may be other sugars such as mannitol and erythritol that do have an effect on blood sugar and insulin levels. Whole foods stevia extract based, with no other additives, are the best from the health perspective. Inulin fiber may figure on the list of ingredients but this helps dissolve the sweetener and promote digestion.
Foods can taste even better when you add a pinch of stevia powder or a drop of stevia extract liquid. You can add it to oatmeal and cereals, to fruits, salads, to yogurt and to cakes as well as cookies. Whole foods taste good and are so much healthier when you use stevia to sweeten them.
Source : articlesbase.com
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