How could life be sweet without a little sweetness? Especially when you're feeling down, a bit of sweetness can lift your spirits and help you face life's challenges with a better mindset. But do you know where that sweetness comes from?
Sweeteners can generally be divided into artificial and natural sweeteners. Natural sweeteners are relatively healthier and lower in calories, while some artificial sweeteners are much sweeter than natural ones, meaning a small amount can achieve the desired level of sweetness.
Here are the most common sweeteners we encounter:
Monk fruit sweetener: A natural sweetener that contains no carbs or calories, it may help maintain healthy blood sugar levels.
Saccharin: The earliest known artificial sweetener, its sweetness is 300-500 times that of regular sugar.
Aspartame: This artificial sweetener is widely used, especially in beverages.
Sucralose: A functional sweetener derived from sugar, its sweetness can reach 600 times that of sugar. It has a similar aftertaste and lingering sweetness as sugar.
Xylitol: A natural sweetener sourced from plants, its sweetness is slightly higher than sugar and it provides a similar taste.
Stevia: Extracted from the stevia plant, this natural sweetener is 150-300 times sweeter than sugar.
Erythritol: A sugar alcohol found naturally in some fruits. Each gram of erythritol contains 0.24 calories, which is about 6% of the calories in the same amount of sugar, with a sweetness of about 70% of sugar. However, consuming too much can lead to digestive issues.
Yacon syrup: This natural syrup contains a large amount of fructooligosaccharides, which can nourish the healthy bacteria in the gut and may help prevent constipation and aid in weight loss.
