Sugar has a bad reputation these days. Much like our favorite actor who left us disappointed after that last film, we don’t stop loving them; we just want better choices. The same is true for sugar and other sweeteners. Most of us are striving for good health and trying to make smart choices when it comes to food and beverages. In a sea of options, it can be overwhelming. You Google a couple of things online, and the next thing you know, you are more confused than ever!
How Sweet It Is
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It’s summer, and it’s hot outside. Nothing says summer like a refreshing glass of sweet, iced tea. I love a nice glass of sweetened black peach iced tea, but which sweeteners are healthy? Let’s look at a few common sweeteners for your beverages. White sugar is made by removing impurities from raw materials such as sugar beets and sugarcane to create a crystalized form of sucrose, or what we refer to as table sugar. It is white because sucrose is white; accordingly, no bleaching agents are used to make white sugar.
Refined white sugar is highly processed, and some sugar cane refiners use bone char, granular carbon, or an ion-exchange system to bleach it white. White or refined white sugar is the only type of sugar you should use to make nectar for hummingbirds because they are unable to digest the minerals in unrefined and raw sugar. Although this nectar is necessary fuel for hummingbirds, it’s not great for humans. Have you ever watched a hummingbird drink from a feeder or a plant? I wish I could move that fast!
Other unrefined white sugars, like Zulka or Florida crystals, are not bleached but still processed. The sucrose molecules in both types of sugar are identical, so scientifically, there is not much difference. However, the refining process also removes natural vitamins and minerals, leaving only pure carbohydrates, which are not healthy.
Artificial Sweeteners: Danger Lurking
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When diet drinks were first introduced, many of them used a sweetener called saccharin. Many soda companies switched to aspartame after studies linked saccharin to cancer. Aspartame is still used in products today, although it can have some very bad effects on health as well. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) classifies aspartame as “possibly carcinogenic to humans” (Group 2B); based on limited evidence, it might cause cancer in people. The World Health Organization also cites the studies from IARC and cautions users to limit their daily intake.
Splenda is sucralose, which is better but still not great. Some studies have shown that sucralose can change your gut microbiome by decreasing the number of good bacteria by half. Research done on animals shows that sucralose can also increase inflammation in the body. Over time, inflammation can lead to problems like obesity and diabetes.
How about maple syrup and honey? Both of these are excellent choices, but they are not so convenient to carry with you. Pure maple syrup is not only high in antioxidants, but every spoonful offers nutrients like riboflavin, zinc, magnesium, calcium, and potassium. Honey is antibacterial and anti-inflammatory and contains about 31 minerals, including potassium, magnesium, and phosphorus. Honey offers a myriad of benefits, like GI support as well as cardiovascular and respiratory support. I can’t imagine using it in iced tea, although it’s excellent in hot tea!
Healthy and Convenient Options
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Then there are the other healthy options, like coconut sugar, stevia, and monk fruit sweetener. After much research, I have found these to be the healthiest and most convenient options compared to white sugar. They are all in powder or granulated form, although stevia and monk fruit now have liquid form options. While it isn’t very practical to carry liquids around in your bag or car (think how gross maple syrup would get!), the packets are super handy!
I finally landed on keeping a bottle of pure liquid stevia (alcohol-free) at home and packets of stevia (dextrose-free) for on-the-go. I would caution the reader to read labels, as some stevia and monk fruit sweeteners are blended with dextrose or maltodextrin, which is the very thing you’re trying to avoid! Your best bet is to read labels and find a pure stevia or monk fruit-stevia blend with nothing added.
Hopefully, this will help you enjoy your beverages even more!
About the Author
Sherry is an avid reader who loves to learn. As a teen, she discovered a love of poetry and has written many poems. When she’s not writing or researching health topics, she can be found walking Casey the wonder dog and listening to reggae or alt-rock. Having played the clarinet when she was young, Sherry is also very passionate about many types of music. Mishka is currently one of her favorite artists.
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