5 sugar substitutes for people with diabetes

 Which Sugar Substitutes Are Good for Diabetes? 

  We all love the taste of sugar. If you are diabetic and enjoy sweets, don't worry! There are a wide variety of sweeteners and sugar substitutes that are well-suited and don't impact blood sugar significantly. Here is a list of sugar substitutes that you can use to sweeten drinks and yogurts, as well as to prepare your favorite recipes.

In this Article, we are going to answer these Questions: 

• What is the safest sweetener for diabetics?
• What are the 5 sugar substitutes for diabetes?
• Is honey good for diabetics?
• Can a diabetic eat banana?
• Is peanut butter good for diabetics?
• What drink lowers blood sugar?
• Diabetes: what are the different types of sugar?

Image credit: Pixabay

Sucrose, a sugar more commonly known as "table sugar", is very popular for its taste, but it is not very good from a nutritional point of view.

Whether you have diabetes or not, it is recommended to limit sucrose intake, especially between meals. However, you can still use a wide range of alternatives with similar or lower caloric content, such as sweeteners, to treat yourself!

5 sugar substitutes for Diabetes

1. Honey

Composed primarily of water, fructose, and glucose, honey is an excellent natural substitute for regular powdered sugar for anyone who needs to be extra careful with their blood sugar. Thanks to its high content of fructose, minerals and flavonoids, it has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, while having a lower glycemic index (GI) and energy value than white sugar.

2. Stevia

Stevia is a natural sweetener that contains no calories. It is one of the healthiest alternatives to refined white sugar. Its taste is intensely sweet and its consumption does not cause blood sugar spikes. It has all the benefits of regular sugar, without any of the downsides!

Stevia is especially recommended for type 2 diabetes, as it does not affect your blood sugar, lipid profile or weight. It also has antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. It is easy to understand why Stevia has been used since antiquity as a sweetener and medicinal plant!

3. Synthetic sweeteners and fake sugars

Synthetic sweeteners, also called "artificial sweeteners" or "fake sugars", are ideal for people with diabetes who are looking for a good alternative to regular sugar. As food additives, they mimic the taste of sugar. Their main advantages? They contain either fewer calories than regular sugar or no calories, and do not raise blood sugar.

The main artificial sweeteners are:

• sucralose (E955);
• aspartame (E951);
• neotame (E961);
• saccharin (E954);
• cyclamate (E952);
• acesulfame potassium (E950).

The most well-known sweeteners, sucralose and aspartame, are 600 times and 200 times sweeter, respectively, than regular sugar! They therefore make it possible to reduce the overall quantities used. However, these fake sugars have no energy value and are devoid of nutrients.

4 - Coconut sugar

Coconut sugar has a low GI (35) and is a good natural alternative to regular sugar. Made from coconut palm sap, it contains high amounts of vitamins and minerals. Coconut sugar looks and tastes almost similar to regular sugar, melts almost exactly the same, and can be used in most situations.

5 - Agave syrup and maple syrup

Agave syrup and maple syrup are two other possible alternatives to regular sugar for people with diabetes. They are both good natural sweeteners and have the advantage of a lower GI than regular sugar and their richness in nutrients. They are mainly composed of fructose, known for its reduction of the hyperglycemic effect. Agave and maple syrups are ideal for baking.

Credit: Making Diabetes Easier