In recent times, there has been a significant increase in the number of published studies addressing the health risks caused by sweeteners; the WHO has also spoken out, classifying them as harmful to health and weight loss.

The big question that remained was: what would be the healthiest way to sweeten desserts and drinks?

The concern with consuming foods high in sugar is that they can raise blood sugar levels, increase triglycerides, cause oxidative stress to the body, and lead to weight gain.

Fructose

Low doses of fructose are metabolized by the intestine and transformed into glucose and organic acids. High doses of fructose, greater than 1g/kg (such as corn syrup used in the food industry), saturate the intestine's capacity and are metabolized by the liver, increasing triglyceride levels.

Dates

They are whole foods, containing fiber and phytonutrients. Israeli scientists tested a group of people, feeding them a large amount of dates (100g per day) for a month and measuring the results.

Result: there were no adverse effects on blood sugar or weight, and there were improvements in triglyceride and antioxidant levels. However, one type of date was significantly better than the other: the small Halawi date is even better than the Medjool date because it has 31% more phenolic acids, as well as more catechins and 24% more antioxidants.

Honey



A study conducted on 55 overweight or obese patients who consumed 70g of honey daily for 30 days showed a modest reduction in weight (1.3%) and body fat (1.1%), a reduction in total cholesterol (3%), LDL-C (5.8%), triglycerides (11%), and CRP (3.2%), and an increase in HDL-C (3.3%).

Patients with type II diabetes, not using insulin, with fasting blood glucose between 110-220 mg/dl, who consumed honey for 8 weeks, also had similar results regarding weight, cholesterol and fractions; however, there was an increase in glycated hemoglobin.

One of the limitations of honey is that it should not be heated to boiling point, as this produces HMF (hydroxymethylfurfural), a product that has come to be used as an indicator of overheating, improper processing, or even adulteration in syrups and honey.

Agave

Extracted from a plant native to Mexico, agave contains fructose, sucrose, and glucose, as well as vitamins A, C, riboflavin, niacin, and the minerals iron, phosphorus, magnesium, and zinc. Advantages: very similar consistency to honey, it can replace this ingredient in vegan diets. It has a low glycemic index; however, in some people it can cause excessive intestinal fermentation and also produces HMF when heated above 70 degrees Celsius, since it contains fructose.

Coconut sugar

Natural sugar, it does not undergo the refining process. It has a low glycemic index, ideal for use in recipes that involve prolonged heating and for groups that experience significant fermentation with fructose-based products.