8 Sugar Alternatives Compared: How Good Are Xylitol, Erythritol & Co.?
Sweet tooths and home bakers have never had more choice than now: alongside the classic honey, more and more sugar alternatives are hitting the market. But not all of them are equally suited to cooking and baking, and there are differences in sweetness and taste too. When it comes to sustainability, things get especially interesting. Which alternatives to refined sugar exist and what their pros and cons are, you will read here.
Why it pays to cut back on sugar
First things first: refined sugar delivers lots of calories - and barely any nutrients. Common sugar is extracted from sugar beet and consists of 100 percent sucrose. Releasing it from the beet takes several industrial steps - a process called refining, hence the terms refined sugar or crystal sugar.
Household sugar is not only in sweets, jam and baked goods, but in almost all industrially produced foods - from ketchup and salad dressing to pickles. A high sugar intake is considered unfavourable for the teeth and is linked to various health topics. Reason enough to take a closer look at the alternatives. We put 8 of them to the test.
1. Cane sugar, raw sugar and brown sugar: what is the difference?
They usually sit next to the white crystal sugar in the supermarket and give a higher-quality impression thanks to their brown colour, coarse grain and higher price: cane sugar and brown sugar. They look similar, but they are not the same product.
Brown sugar, like crystal sugar, is made from sugar beet. Most of the time it is simply crystal sugar with dark-brown sugar syrup added - it brings no nutritional advantage. Cane sugar, by contrast, comes from tropical sugar cane. Both consist of 100 percent sucrose, deliver the same calories and must be obtained industrially. The main difference: cane sugar often comes from Brazil and has a long transport route behind it.
Whole cane sugar in turn refers to a less heavily refined sugar with a brownish colour. It contains some molasses and thus a not-worth-mentioning amount of minerals. Its caramel aroma works well on desserts and in drinks - but it is no healthier than ordinary sugar.
So as you can see: where it says sugar, there is sugar inside - and these varieties are best used sparingly too.
2. Honey: the classic among sugar alternatives
On to the probably most popular sugar alternative. Honey offers some advantages: it is a pure natural product that you ideally buy locally and in a reusable jar. Depending on the region and blossom it comes in many flavours, and it brings along enzymes, pollen and some minerals.
But beware: the sugar content of honey is around 80 percent. Eaten generously, it behaves in the body much like sugar. Anyone hoping to save calories should think again: 100 grams of honey come to about 300 calories - less than household sugar, but the 80 percent sugar share should not be underestimated day to day. On top of that: honey is not suitable for cooking and baking, as its valuable ingredients are not heat-stable. As a sweet spread, though, it is still the better choice than many ready-made spreads.
3. Xylitol: birch sugar
Look closely and you will find more and more products with xylitol, also known as xylit. Xylitol has a similar consistency to fine household sugar and matches it in sweetness. Chemically, though, xylitol is not a carbohydrate but a sugar alcohol. In nature it occurs in many fruits and vegetables; because it was originally obtained from birch bark, it is also called birch sugar. It is still not a purely natural sweetener, as it is extracted industrially.
The upsides: xylitol is as sweet as sugar, but with around 240 calories per 100 grams it has considerably fewer. Since it barely affects blood sugar, it is also valued by many who watch their sugar. Xylitol is also considered tooth-friendly and is therefore often found in dental care products. Downside: xylitol is an industrially produced product and can trigger digestive issues in some people - especially when eaten in excess. Important for pet owners: xylitol is highly toxic to dogs! Even small amounts can be life-threatening, and cats are at risk too. So keep xylitol products and baked goods well away from your animals.
4. Erythritol: perhaps the best sugar substitute?
Like xylitol, erythritol belongs to the sugar alcohols. In nature it is found in ripe fruit, cheese and pistachios; for the food industry it is mainly obtained through fermentation. On ingredient lists it also appears as erythritol or E968.
Erythritol looks a lot like household sugar and is just as suitable for cooking and baking. However, it only has about 70 percent of the sweetening power - so you need more of it. The big plus: erythritol is barely metabolised by the body and therefore has almost no calories. It also has practically no effect on blood sugar and insulin levels, as the German pharmacists' journal describes.
Downsides: as with xylitol, excessive consumption can cause digestive issues - foods with more than 10 percent erythritol therefore carry the note that they may have a laxative effect. Otherwise the German Federal Institute for Risk Assessment rates erythritol as safe. From an eco point of view it is worth looking for the organic label, as the raw material is usually maize.
5. Agave syrup: the overrated alternative
Let us put it plainly: the popular agave syrup does not come off well in this comparison. Its sugar content is between 75 and 80 percent - a mix of glucose and fructose. The latter is the sticking point: fructose is suspected of being unfavourable for the metabolism in larger amounts. Agave syrup is metabolised much like refined sugar and brings hardly any benefits, as the German Nutrition Society also points out. From an eco perspective it scores no better: agaves grow in Mexico in large monocultures, so the product has a long transport route. Apple syrup or sugar-beet syrup are local alternatives.
6. Maple syrup: the vegan honey alternative
Sweet, gloriously sticky, completely natural and vegan too: maple syrup is very popular and available almost everywhere. It is obtained from the sap of the sugar maple - the darker the syrup, the stronger the flavour. Maple syrup is almost half water and contains about 260 calories per 100 grams, so less than many sugars and honey. That does not make it healthy, though: it mainly contains sucrose and fructose and far fewer nutrients than honey. Because of the high water content it sweetens more weakly than sugar - you need more of it and therefore barely save calories. Ecologically, long transport routes from Canada give it a rather mediocre balance too.
7. Coconut blossom sugar: healthier than household sugar?
Coconut blossom sugar is obtained from the nectar of the coconut palm blossom and harvested after boiling down. Contrary to expectation it does not taste of coconut but of caramel, and is happily sprinkled over desserts. It is only partly suited to cooking and baking, as it dissolves poorly. Its brown colour makes it look higher-quality - but at 384 calories per 100 grams it is almost on par with conventional sugar. The nutrients it contains bear no relation to the calories. Add to that a long transport route from Southeast Asia and a considerably higher price.
8. Stevia: a sweet herb with a bitter aftertaste
The sweet little plant, also called honey herb, grows mainly in South America, China and the USA - with a little know-how on the home windowsill too. For a long time stevia was not approved in the EU. Stevia is around 300 times sweeter than household sugar, so you only need tiny amounts - when baking, it is best to stick to special stevia recipes. Stevia contains neither sugar nor calories and is considered tooth-friendly.
It could all be so lovely - were it not for the aftertaste. The more stevia lands in your coffee, the more a slightly bitter aftertaste comes through alongside the sweetness. Some describe it as a liquorice note. Everyone has to try that for themselves - but the honey herb is worth a go.
Less sugar, more fibre
Anyone cutting back on sugar often has their weight in mind too. Soluble fibre can be a handy companion here. One of them is glucomannan, a fibre from the konjac root. Glucomannan contributes to weight loss in the context of an energy-restricted diet - this effect occurs with a daily intake of 3 g in three portions of 1 g together with one to two glasses of water before meals. Important: always take glucomannan with plenty of liquid and swallow it well. If you have swallowing difficulties or narrowing of the oesophagus, you should avoid it.
Glucomannan Capsules
Soluble fibre from the konjac root in handy capsule form - take it with plenty of water.
€17.50 per tub€59.70 €52.50
you save €7.20
€16.30 per tub€99.50 €81.50
you save €18.00
Prices incl. VAT. Food supplements are not a substitute for a balanced, varied diet and a healthy lifestyle.
Frequently asked questions
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More on healthy eating in the Surpresa Natural blog
Eating mindfully does your body and mind a daily favour. For more tips, browse our Surpresa Natural blog. There you can read, for example, whether carbs really make you fat, why Asian food is considered so healthy and which home remedies give your metabolism a nudge.