Sugar is high in calories and can lead to weight gain and fluctuations in insulin and other hormones within the body. Experts have dubbed sugar as empty calories and recommend avoiding large amounts of sugar. Luckily, there are many alternatives, healthy alternatives to sugar which can be used in the diet as natural sweeteners.

Honey
Honey can be used as an alternative to sugar and provides the sweetness without the calories. When using honey you gain the vitamins and nutrients that are found in the compounds. These vitamins A, B, C and E can contribute to a healthy immune system and contains amino acids which are crucial to the processes within the body. Be sure to use raw honey, which contains fewer calories than traditional processed honey – to get the maximum effects from the sugar alternatives.

Agave
Agave nectar has a taste which many people find similar to that of honey. This fruit sugar is effective as the sugar compounds last longer within the body as they take longer to absorb into the digestive system. Agave nectar is low on the glycemic index and therefore is an effective tool for everyone from diabetics to those trying to lose the last ten pounds by cutting calories and sugars from the diet. This product often receives very little refining and is therefore considered to be one of the healthiest alternatives to sugar.

Xylitol
Many people see the name xylitol and think that this is an artificial sweetener that is full of chemicals. Quite the opposite, xylitol sugar is sugar that is composed of birch sugar and has many beneficial effects within the body. Xylitol has the ability to fight tooth decay, unlike traditional sugar which has been known to cause tooth decay. This sugar is often used as a substitute for those seeking sugar to bake with as it is very sweet and can withstand the high temperatures of the oven without losing the sweetness. Again, this is a sugar substitute that is very low on the glycemic index.

Stevia
This type of sugar substitute comes from a leaf and can be used to replace sugar in cereal, coffee and other drinks and foods. Stevia is not appropriate for baking as it does not hold up through the high temperatures that the oven reaches. There are no known health effects and the leave extracts which come in the form of liquid or powder have been used in low calorie drinks for more than thirty years without the development of side effects. Stevia can be overwhelmingly powerful and has been said to be 300 times more powerful than the initial taste of sugar.

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