The Safety of Natural Sugar Substitutes

Sweet Fiber: This is a fiber-based, natural sweetener in powder form. You can pour it in hot and cold beverages and just stir until dissolved. This one, like Stevia, has zero calories.

Xylitol: Also called birch sugar, xylitol can be used for baking and sweetening beverages. Xylitol is low-glycemic and it has been linked to the promotion of bone health and prevention of tooth decay and plaque buildup. This only contains 2.4 calories per tsp.

Zsweet: This zero-calorie sweetener measures, looks, and flows like sugar.  Zsweet contains erythritol, has zero glycemic effect and has been recognized by the FDA as a food (unlike Stevia).

And remember that most fruits contain enough natural sweeteners to satisfy just about any sweet tooth around. Whole and canned fruits can also factor into recipes to boost the sweetness factor, naturally.

A note about sugar

Sugar, or sucrose, has about 16 calories per tsp. and is just fine for most people in small amounts, as in sweetening your coffee or ice tea. And while small amounts are okay, consuming large amounts on a regular basis is not a healthy way to live and should be avoided.

Are natural sweeteners safe to use?

While some natural sweeteners, like fruit juice, are known to be safe alternatives to sugar, the evidence is not quite as clear for some of the others listed above.

There is a notable deficiency in scientific information on these natural sweeteners, including little-to-no data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Artificial sweeteners, such as Splenda and Sweet ‘n' Low have a lot more information available on them than do the natural varieties. So the jury is still out, really.

Bottom Line?

Moderation, moderation, moderation.

Sweeteners, both natural and artificial, are likely here to stay (and I know that my sweet tooth is happy about that!). And, within the context of a well-rounded and healthful diet and exercise plan, the moderate use of any currently on the market is probably just fine.