Sweeteners are an essential part of baking. They contribute to the sweet taste of snacks, serve as preservatives, and add texture, tenderization, and coloring to baked foods. Generally, sweeteners are categorized into two groups: natural and artificial. Artificial sugar includes saccharin, aspartame, neotame, and others. They are often used in baking, fermentation, and food preservation.
However, the problem with artificial sugar is that they are high in calories. And when such foods are consumed in unchecked quantities, they can lead to a series of health problems, including obesity, tooth decay, diabetics, metabolic imbalance, and cardiovascular diseases.
Luckily, not all additives are harmful to your health.
Natural sweeteners have generally been proven to be safe and great for the body. This is primarily due to their low calorie and fructose levels. Plus, natural baking sweetener tastes just as sweet or even better than artificial sweetener, so you wouldn’t have to choose between sweet taste and healthy snacks. They are extracted from various plants (such as sugarcane, Stevia, and others) and serve as a replacement for artificial additives.
Some of the health benefits of natural or healthy sweeteners include;
1. Liver protection
Sweeteners made from sugarcane provide substantial health benefits for the liver. They strengthen its functionality and can as well serve as a remedy for some liver conditions like Jaundice. Jaundice is a medical condition where yellow pigmentation occurs on the skin and membrane due to liver dysfunctionality. By using natural additives, you can boost the functionality of your liver and supply it with the necessary nutrients required for optimal performance.
2. Lowering of high blood pressure
Extremely sweet sugar substitutes like stevia and sugarcane have been proven to lower high blood pressure. For people with high blood pressure or hypertension, replacing artificial additive with natural and healthy ones is simply a win-win situation. They enjoy the sweet taste of their baked food and as well derive great health benefits from them.
3. Prevention of diabetes
Individuals with diabetes can benefit significantly from natural sugar (like sugarcane) since they are very effective in lowering blood sugar levels. Due to their low glycemic index (GI) is highly recommended for people suffering from diabetes. Using a natural sweetener can help you lower the risks of diabetes while giving your baked food that sweet taste you’ve always wanted.
4. Body weight reduction
Artificial sugars are characterized by adding mass to the body. On the other hand, some natural additives such as “yacon syrup” actually help reduce body weight, glycemic index, and the risk of having colon cancer. This is due to its high level of fructooligosaccharides, a special kind of sugar that the body can’t digest. Fructooligosaccharides lowers body weight by increasing one’s feeling of satiety. As a result, you tend to eat less food, and that causes your body to burn more stored fats.
Endnote
Your health is essential just as what you eat and put into your system.
You want to stay fit, cut down excessive weight and clear from common health issues. But how do you achieve this?
Using natural sweetener for all your cooking and baking will be the first step to living and feeding healthy.
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