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Q.What are the best alternatives to sugar? Why do we need to find alternatives to sugar? What is wrong with sugar anyway?

Amy Budd, UK

HKA: White sugar or Sucrose is made up of half glucose and half fructose. It’s the fructose part that is not good for us.

Fructose can only be processed by the liver and it has a similar effect as alcohol. So too much fructose can be taxing and eventually damaging to the liver.

In many processed foods fructose or high fructose corn syrup is added. This highly processed form of sugar is cheaper yet 20 percent sweeter than regular table sugar, which is why many food and drink manufacturers use it in their products.

How exactly does fructose work in our body, and what are the side effects of eating too much sugar on our health?

Our bodies naturally regulate the amount of glucose in our blood by stimulating our pancreas to secrete insulin (which helps remove excess glucose from our bloodstream). Glucose also triggers the production of the satiety hormone, leptin, which sends out a “stop eating now” signal to our brain.

Fructose doesn’t do this. What’s even worse is that fructose can actually raise the levels of the hunger hormone ghrelin, which makes us even more hungry!

Over consumption of fructose leads to metabolic dysfunction, a range of symptoms, including elevated blood sugar, elevated triglycerides, abdominal obesity, high blood pressure and increased LDL cholesterol. Which then lead on to a host of diseases including Cardiovascular disease, liver disease, cancer, arthritis, and gout.

All of this… plus it’s addictive! So we just keep on craving more and more…

Ok, now we know we don’t want to be over consuming fructose…so back to the original question ‘what are the alternatives?’

Similar to the contrast between whole and refined grains, unrefined natural sweeteners contain higher levels of beneficial nutrients, antioxidants and phytochemicals than white table sugar or high fructose corn syrup.

However it’s also important to notice, many of the sugar alternatives we are offered actually also have a high fructose content.

Sucrose including brown sugar and rappadura are 50% fructose
Agave Syrup is 90% fructose…more than sugar itself!
Coconut sugar is between 38-48% fructose
Honey is 40% fructose
Maple Syrup contains 40% fructose
Dates contain 30% fructose. All fruits will contain some fructose.
Rice Syrup is fructose free
Stevia is also fructose free

So how do I take all of this on board?

It is safe to say that avoiding processed foods and sticking to whole foods, ideally, spending 90 percent of your food budget on whole foods, and only 10 percent or less on processed foods will help to cut down on fructose intake.

It’s also useful to remember that refined carbohydrates and grains also break down to sugars in the body, which increase insulin levels and cause insulin resistance and although fruits are rich in nutrients and antioxidants, they also naturally contain fructose.

Some other useful dietary tips that can help us to deal with our cravings and desire for sugar are to increase consumption of healthy fats, such as omega-3, saturated, and monounsaturated fats. Our bodies need health-promoting fats from animal and vegetable sources for optimal functioning. Some of the best sources include organic butter, (unheated) virgin olive oil, coconut oil, raw nuts like pecans and macadamia, free-range eggs, and avocado.

To drink more pure clean water, instead of juices or processed drinks.

To add fermented foods to your meals. The beneficial bacteria in these healthful foods can support your digestion and provide detoxification support, which helps lessen the fructose burden on your liver. Some of the best choices include kimchi, organic yogurt and kefir, and fermented vegetables.

When you do want to include something sweet in your diet, go for as unprocessed a choice as you can, and take it in moderation! Some studies suggest no more than 25g of fructose per day including that which comes from whole fruit.