4 NATURAL SWEETENERS AND THEIR HEALTH BENEFITS.

4 NATURAL SWEETENERS AND THEIR HEALTH BENEFITS.

4 Natural Sweeteners and their Health Benefits. Sweeteners are additives that impart the taste of food and drinks, they help to give a sweet taste to the meal. The purpose of a sweetener is to sweeten, but there are two types of sweeteners.

This article will focus on giving a detailed explanation of 4 natural sweeteners and their health benefits with examples.

Natural Sweeteners: Natural sweeteners are sugar and sugar substitutes, that provide a sweet taste to meals and drinks, with little or no calories. They are obtained from natural fruits and plants, so they possess additional health benefits.

According to https://bit.ly/3KValvj Natural sweeteners which are sugar substitutes are derived through extraction processes from fruits, roots, leaves, and other parts of plants. Unlike artificial sweeteners, these sugar substitutes are obtained naturally with no synthesis or artificial production processes involved.

4 Natural Sweetener and Their Health Benefits:

1. Stevia Leaf:  Stevia is a natural sweetener that is gotten from the leaves of the stevia plant. Stevia is many times sweeter than natural sugar, so a little of it goes a very long way. The stevia leaf has almost no calories. It has anti-oxidants and anti-diabetic properties. It is great for boosting the immune system, it helps with weight loss. It lowers the glucose and insulin levels in the body and it rarely causes side effects. The stevia leaf can be found in some products like Truvia Naturally Sweetner and Tropicana Slim Stevia Sweetener.
2.   Honey:  Honey is a very famous sugar substitute, that is gotten from Bees. Honey has existed for so long and is the most common sugar substitute. Honey’s advantage over sugar is that it doesn’t affect blood sugar levels as much as sugar does. Pure Honey is healthy but adulterated honey is less healthy.  A large percentage of honey available is adulterated. Adulterated honey is usually diluted with other ingredients, like chemically modified sugars and that makes it less healthy. Real honey sticks to the bottom of a glass of water, but adulterated honey dissolves quickly and sometimes leaves white traces. It is important to be able to differentiate between both of them, so as to use what’s best for your body. Asides from being a natural sweetener, honey has great health benefits for the body. It has anti-depressant and anti-anxiety benefits. It helps in the treatment of wounds and also aids in good memory. It relieves cough and helps the functioning of the heart. The benefits of honey are numerous but it is advised to take it in moderation. Some good brands of honey are Bosco Big Honey, BOSCO Small Honey.
3. Dates Powder:  Dates powder is gotten from the Date fruit, which is scientifically known as phoenix dactylifera. It is a very tasty fruit, which is very high in nutrition. Dates fruit is very sweet and flavorful and this makes it a natural sweetener. It has a lower glycemic index, compared to refined sugar, and the fiber in dates helps to balance out the sugar which prevents a spike in blood sugar. It also has anti-oxidants which makes it very healthy. It supports the brain and prevents diseases. It also promotes natural labor, helps constipation, and controls blood sugar. This product is very tasty and very nutritious, such an amazing sugar substitute. Some good date powders are: Natures Flo Dates Powder, NUTRU SMART Dates Powder
4. Tigernut Powder: Tigernut is very popular for its sweet juicy contents. Tigernut powder can be used as a natural sweetener. Tigernut contains vitamin C, B6, iron, Zinc, and a lot of other minerals and vitamins. It has numerous health benefits and that makes it the perfect healthy sweetener. It acts as an aphrodisiac, it enhances sexual pleasures and performance. It improves digestion. It reduces blood sugar levels. It improves heart health. It boosts the immune system and also helps to fight infections, just to name a few. A good tiger nut powder recommendation is NUTRU SMART Tigernuts Powder Sweetner . 

SUMMARY:

Sugar is good but nature has given us healthy options for sweetening. These healthy options perfectly substitute sugar and still give us a lot of added health benefits. It’s important to note that some of these sweeteners are much sweeter than sugar and so a little goes a long way. As with every other thing in life, moderation is key and the only thing that doesn’t contain calories is water, so consume them with care.

 

WRITTEN BY:

SHARON KANU.