Sugar – The best alternatives

Sugar tastes sweet and most people love it, but it still carries some risks for our health. Regular hunger for sweets has several causes. On the one hand, it is possible that too few starchy carbohydrates are consumed, and on the other, constant consumption of sugary foods can lead to ravenous appetite. In this article you will find out what happens in the body and what alternatives there are to conventional sugar.
The glucose supply in the body

The glucose supply to the muscles and brain plays a major role in health. Especially for working people, pupils or students, the brain is under great strain in everyday life. The desire for sweets quickly arises, as the brain needs glucose to work properly. This craving can be due to a lack of starchy carbohydrates. A balanced diet with enough starchy carbohydrates ensures that the body has a sufficient supply of glucose. For example, oatmeal or buckwheat flakes for breakfast and a good portion of potatoes, corn, rice or millet for lunch and dinner. Starch consists of glucose molecules, which are essential for an adequate supply.

Another reason for sweet appetite can be a fungal or parasite infection in the intestine. As these people like to feed on sugar, they often direct their appetite towards sweets.

In addition, too much stress and other emotional burdens can trigger a sweet tooth. Through sugar we try to calm ourselves down. Certain systems in the body are triggered, followed by a surge of tryptophane in the brain, which in turn ensures the release of serotonin. As a result we are relaxed and feel good.

The negative properties of sugar

By consuming sugar, the insulin in the body is constantly being chased upwards. When there is a lot of insulin in the bloodstream and sugar is consumed, the blood sugar level rises. If this happens permanently, it is called diabetes. The body works against this process by releasing insulin again, which transports sugar into the cells. In principle, this sugar should also be transported there. However, the system no longer works if sugary foods are consumed regularly. If insulin levels rise too high, more sugar is brought into the cells than was actually consumed. The blood sugar level drops and leads again to a feeling of hunger. This leads to a changing cycle of too much and too little sugar. The consequences are fatigue and exhaustion because the energy balance has become unbalanced.

Alternatives to sugar

There are some good alternatives to conventional sugar. Contrary to popular belief, alternatives such as agave syrup, maple syrup, brown sugar and cane sugar are not healthy, but are also bad for the body. For example, agave syrup consists of 100% fructose. Honey is fine, as it consists of half glucose and half fructose. However, the bees suffer from it, because they are bred for honey. Actually honey serves only the bees themselves and should not be consumed by humans. other good alternatives, which do not affect the insulin household, are xylitol and erythritol. Both are suitable for sweetening food and drinks of any kind. Xylitol is also very good for oral hygiene. Just put some xylitol in your mouth after brushing your teeth, this ensures a good oral flora. But be careful, because excessive consumption of xylitol can lead to diarrhoea.
The best and healthiest alternative to sugar is date sugar. It offers many nutrients such as magnesium, potassium and calcium. The date is completely processed during production. It is first dried and then ground to produce a powder – the date sugar. This can be purchased in organic food stores, health food shops and on the Internet. There is also a date syrup, but it is not as healthy as date sugar.
Date sugar can be used for baking and cooking. It can be used to sweeten smoothies, muesli and rice pudding.

With the healthy sugar alternatives you are doing yourself a favour, as your muscle and fat balance is improved. If sugar cannot be avoided, you should combine it with a meal. So the piece of chocolate after lunch is no problem. But you should avoid sweets in between as much as possible.