Not all sweeteners are created equal, which one should you eat!

We all love sugar or sweets. It’s practically written in our caveman genes. Sugar is highly addictive. It is ranked way more addictive than some of the most addictive drugs out there. No wonder it is the direct culprit with growing cases of obesity & the diabetic epidemic. Here are some examples of natural sweeteners. Sweeteners such as isomalt, xylitol, and maltitol are called sugar alcohol. They provide fewer calories than regular sugar because they are converted to glucose more slowly. Stevia is made from the leaves of the stevia plant. It has no calories and provides about 100 to 300 times more sweetness than table sugar. Monk fruit extract is another popular natural sugar alternative. It made from monk fruits that have been used for centuries in Eastern medicine. It contains no calorie and provides around 150–200 times sweeter than table sugar. Coconut sugar is made from coconut palm sap. With a now growing variety of sweeteners on the market, which one should you choose from. 

Artificial or Natural sweetener?

When we consume a natural sweetener, normally they are broken down into glucose; a monosaccharide. Glucose gives us energy; it is critical for our existence as it is the energy currency of our body. However, with modern sugary drinks and indulgent treats that we consume, our body is overdosing on this glucose that is too much to handle by our body, and the results are obesity and diabetes. 

A modern-day alternative sweeter such as stevia, sugar alcohols can “trick” our body. They would still provide us with the sugary sweet mouthfeel like regular sugar, but our body cannot metabolize them the same way as traditional natural sweeteners, so they won’t spike your blood sugar. But that doesn’t mean they don’t have negative effects. Because our body can’t process these alternative sweeteners, one common side effect is digestive pain such as diarrhea. 

It is well known now that gut bacteria are essential for our health, they can even dictate our sugar cravings. Researchers have found for the same reason; artificial sweeteners may influence our gut microbiome composition. Preliminary studies have found that artificial sweeteners such as Splenda, acesulfame potassium, aspartame, stevia and saccharin have the ability to alter gut bacteria. In one study, mice that ate saccharin had noticeable gut change including a reduction in certain beneficial bacteria. 

So what is the best type of sugar? 

All sweeteners, natural or artificial should be consumed in moderation. If you are not restricted by diet or health conditions, it is better to consume natural sugar. If you are to consume sugar, it is better to consume raw or crude sugar than the white, more refined sugar than you normally see. Refined sugar such as white table sugar is more processed than non-refined sugar such as brown sugar, hence it is even faster to break down in the body, and likely causing a bigger spike in your sugar level post-consumption. 

Oligosaccharide is any carbohydrate that consists of 3-6 units of simple sugar (monosaccharide). Galacto-Oligosaccharide is a well-researched oligosaccharide and is also a known prebiotic; the food that feeds the good bacteria in our gut. Galacto-Oligosaccharide is known to be an effective supplementation for relieving constipation and even improves clinical anxiety through its gut alternating activity.

R’s KOSO uses less refined sugar in the ingredients such as brown sugar and beet sugar, the sugars are fermented along with other fruits and vegetables. KOSO also adds Galacto-Oligosaccharide to give a little bit of sweet taste but also boosts your probiotic for optimal gut function, that’s why it’s the perfect combination with prebiotics, probiotics and postbiotics. 

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References: 

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2607002/

2. https://www.nature.com/articles/s41598-021-87865-w

3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6363527/

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3705355/#:~:text=Additionally%2C%20oligosaccharides%20are%20the%20best,known%20and%20suspected%20prebiotics%20are

5. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-1462/galacto-oligosaccharides-gos

6. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25440050/

7. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/25831243/