Sugar is one of the most important foods that form the basis of the human diet. Sometimes a situation may arise in which, willingly or unwillingly, you have to partially or even completely abandon it. But this does not mean a deterioration in the quality of life. It is quite possible to find a worthy alternative to Sahara.
Why people give up sugar
Sugar is contraindicated in patients with diabetes mellitus, causes tooth decay, increases blood pressure, not to mention how catastrophic it can affect the condition of the figure. Sometimes abandoning it can literally save a life. There are not so few alternatives to "sweet death", from synthetic sweetener to quite natural substitutes. Each of them has its own advantages and disadvantages.
A person feels the taste not only with his tongue, but also with his nose. Therefore, sometimes it turns out to be quite sufficient to season a dish or drink with some kind of flavoring, for example, vanilla or cinnamon, so that the brain thinks out the sweetness itself.
Synthetic sweeteners
Synthetic substitutes such as xylitol or cyclamate are virtually zero calories and have absolutely no effect on blood sugar levels. Their sweetness varies depending on the name and form of release - liquid, in the form of tablets or powder. Some of them are not destroyed even at high temperatures, so they can be used in the cooking process and even put in baked goods. These are sweeteners such as cyclamate or saccharin. At the same time, we must not forget that sugar not only gives taste to confectionery, but also contributes to the binding of ingredients among themselves, therefore, biscuit dough may not work with saccharin alone. In addition, it has long been noticed that, despite the almost zero calorie content, artificial sweeteners are quite capable of promoting an increase in body weight. Scientists associate this paradox with the fact that the body, reacting to their taste, releases excess insulin into the bloodstream, which sends all the carbohydrates it encounters to fat stores.
Synthetic bedding can cause some serious health problems.
Stevia
In recent years, stevia has made its way onto the market - a sweetener similar to its synthetic counterparts, but only in appearance. Because the tablets, powder or liquid with stevia are based on an extract from a nondescript herb of the same name growing in Paraguay. In 2010, an international commission completed a series of studies, concluding that this substitute is completely safe for health and allowed its mass production. Since the ingredients that make up stevia perfectly withstand the test of high temperatures, they can be used in baked goods as well.
Natural substitutes
Sucrose, which we are accustomed to, is a disaccharide and sometimes abandoning it can only mean switching to another type of sugar, for example, fructose. It should be remembered that other sugars may slightly differ in taste from such a familiar refined sugar, and their amount sufficient to impart the desired sweetness can vary in one direction or another. Therefore, you will have to experiment a little before you can find the desired balance, but if successful, alternative sugars may well replace sucrose.
