Want to ditch white sugar? Here are 5 healthy alternatives you can opt for

First Published Apr 21, 2022, 6:39 PM IST

Although sugar improves our mood, eating too much of it increases our calorie intake and leads to diabetes and potentially heart disease. Here are five healthy alternatives.

Do you like your morning tea with a teaspoon of sugar to make it more enjoyable? Or, instead of ordinary water, lemon juice, or buttermilk, do you constantly reach for a canned juice or an aerated drink to relieve your thirst? Although sugar improves our mood, eating too much of it increases our calorie intake and leads to diabetes and potentially heart disease. Here are five healthy alternatives.

Brown Sugar

If you wish to avoid processed white sugar, brown sugar is a good substitute. It is processed, but in a natural fashion that preserves the majority of the inherent nutrients of sugarcane. It has a caramel flavour and is used to sweeten a variety of hot beverages, as well as desserts and other baked items. It aids digestion, relieves period cramps and asthma, has antibacterial characteristics, and many more advantages that make it a far superior alternative to white sugar.

Honey

This natural sweetener is one of the greatest options. It is natural and offers health advantages. It is high in antioxidants and helps to manage blood sugar, blood pressure, and pulse. The honey that occurs in the beehive is known as raw honey. It is a natural sweet liquid that is unheated, unpasteurized, and unprocessed, thus it is safe for your health.

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Jaggery

Gur, also known as jaggery, is one of the most affordable natural sweeteners available. It is made by boiling sugarcane until it hardens and then chopping it into chunks or blocks. It is simple to get and is available in granulated form for people who prefer to incorporate it into their beverages. It is popular among fitness enthusiasts due to its high iron content. Because of its numerous health benefits, jaggery is one of the greatest alternatives to white sugar. It protects respiratory issues, lowers blood pressure, aids in weight reduction, prevents anaemia due to its high iron content, cleanses the body, and much more.

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Date sugar

Date sugar is a very healthy natural sweetener that may be an excellent addition to your diet. It is made from dates that have been dried and powdered into a fine powder. It also aids in detoxification. While the flavour may be unfamiliar to newcomers, once you begin consuming it on a daily basis, you will never want to return to the commercial white sugar found in stores.

Because of its unique flavour, this anti-oxidant and fiber-rich sugar may take some getting accustomed to. But once you've become used to it, there's no turning back. The numerous health advantages, such as brain health improvement, intestinal health improvement, blood sugar control, and blood pressure level control, make it an excellent choice.

Coconut sugar

When compared to white sugar, coconut or palm sugar has much lower amounts of fructose and glycemic index, making it a better choice. Another good natural sweetener is coconut or palm sugar. The sugar, which is extracted from the flower buds of the coconut palm tree, has a moderate caramel flavour and may be utilised in a variety of ways in everyday cuisine. Its low fructose content and low glycemic index are further reasons why it is popular among health-conscious people.

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