There are two types of natural sweeteners: nutritive and non-nutritive.
Nutritive sweeteners aren’t technically sugar, but they still affect your body like sugar, just less intensely. Using these naturally sweet alternatives, such as maple syrup, can be a winner to help you reduce your added sugar intake. But they’re not always a magic bullet.
The nutritive natural sweeteners we’ve listed as alternatives in this article are just that – alternatives. So if you’re going to use them at all, use them instead of refined sugar, not as well as. And always use them in moderation.
On the other hand, non-nutritive sweeteners, like stevia and erythritol, don’t affect your body like sugar does. So they’re great for allowing us to enjoy a sweet treat, without impacting our body like sugar does.
At the end of the day, the best and only way to reduce your sugar intake is to have nutritive sweeteners as occasional treats, and otherwise, stick to foods and drinks with healthy, natural, non-nutritive sweeteners.
Better yet, look for naturally sugar free options, like Nexba.
Sarah Spence
Author