{"id":245487,"date":"2025-11-05T15:02:13","date_gmt":"2025-11-05T15:02:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/245487\/"},"modified":"2025-11-05T15:02:13","modified_gmt":"2025-11-05T15:02:13","slug":"a-top-nutritionist-reveals-which-sweetener-is-actually-healthiest-for-your-body","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/245487\/","title":{"rendered":"A Top Nutritionist Reveals Which Sweetener Is Actually Healthiest for Your Body"},"content":{"rendered":"

The global conversation around sugar is evolving fast \u2014 from calorie counts to cardiovascular risk. As the health risks of added sugar become harder to ignore, consumers are turning toward alternatives like honey, monk fruit, and stevia, hoping for a safer sweet fix. But as the line blurs between \u201cnatural\u201d and \u201chealthy,\u201d science is stepping in to sort fact from marketing.<\/p>\n

Over the last decade, researchers have built a clear case against excess sugar consumption. A 15-year cohort study in JAMA Internal Medicine<\/a> linked high added sugar intake to a sharply increased risk of death from cardiovascular disease. Meanwhile, new research from The BMJ<\/a> suggests that sugar exposure in early life could set the stage for heart conditions decades later \u2014 even if diet improves in adulthood.<\/p>\n

The FDA now mandates that added sugars be disclosed separately on nutrition labels<\/a>, and recommends adults limit consumption to no more than 50 grams per day \u2014 roughly 12 teaspoons. But as the definition of \u201cadded\u201d expands to include everything from honey to fruit juice concentrate, consumers face a new challenge: which sweeteners truly minimize risk?<\/p>\n

Added Sugar: A Clear Link to Heart Disease<\/p>\n

Refined white sugar, or sucrose, is energy-dense and nutrient-empty. According to USDA FoodData Central<\/a>, 100 grams of sugar delivers 387 calories, entirely from carbohydrates. It lacks fiber, protein, vitamins, and minerals \u2014 and it spikes blood glucose rapidly, with a glycemic index between 65 and 70.<\/p>\n

\"OneOne sweetener is being quietly linked to long-term heart risk. Credit: Shutterstock<\/p>\n

That blood sugar surge is more than just a metabolic inconvenience. The JAMA study followed more than 11,000 adults over 15 years and found that those who consumed 17% to 21% of their calories from added sugar had a 38% higher risk of cardiovascular mortality <\/a>compared to those who consumed less than 8%. At intakes above 25%, the risk more than doubled.<\/p>\n

Even after adjusting for BMI, smoking, physical activity, and other dietary variables, the link remained strong. The findings underscore one message: more added sugar, more risk.<\/p>\n

How Do Monk Fruit and Stevia Compare?<\/p>\n

As traditional sugars fall out of favor, zero-calorie sweeteners like monk fruit and stevia have emerged as popular substitutes. Both are plant-based, non-nutritive, and FDA-approved for general use. They offer intense sweetness \u2014 monk fruit is around 250\u2013300 times sweeter than sugar \u2014 but without the caloric load or glycemic response.<\/p>\n

\"MonkMonk Fruit. Credit: Shutterstock<\/p>\n

In a report made by The Times of India<\/a>, Oxford-certified nutritionist Suman Agarwal emphasized their advantages: \u201cThese are safe alternatives that don\u2019t raise blood sugar, unlike traditional or even natural sugars.\u201d<\/p>\n

Still, some researchers caution that sweetness itself can be habit-forming. Overreliance on low-calorie sweeteners may reinforce sugar cravings, altering appetite regulation even in the absence of calories \u2014 an area of ongoing study.<\/p>\n

Not All Natural Sugars Are Created Equal<\/p>\n

Natural sweeteners like honey, dates, and jaggery often carry a health halo. They\u2019re minimally processed and contain trace amounts of antioxidants, iron, or potassium. But nutritionally, the differences may be less meaningful than advertised.<\/p>\n

According to Agarwal, 100 grams of jaggery delivers around 380 calories \u2014 just shy of sugar \u2014 and may have a glycemic index as high as 84, depending on the source. Honey, while lower on the glycemic index (between 45 and 69), still contains 304 to 330 calories per 100 grams. It may be easier on blood sugar, but it remains a concentrated source of added sugar in any diet.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe bottom line is that all added sugars, even the so-called healthier ones, should be used sparingly,\u201d Agarwal says.<\/p>\n

A Rare Natural Experiment Links Early Sugar Exposure to Adult Heart Risk<\/p>\n

A large-scale study published in The BMJ<\/a> offers compelling new evidence on sugar\u2019s long-term health impact. Researchers used the UK Biobank to study over 63,000 adults born around the time of Britain\u2019s post-WWII sugar rationing.<\/p>\n

Those exposed to lower sugar intake in early life \u2014 particularly during the first 1,000 days from conception \u2014 had meaningfully lower cardiovascular risk in adulthood:<\/p>\n

20% lower risk of overall cardiovascular disease<\/p>\n

25% lower risk of heart attack<\/p>\n

27% lower risk of dying from heart-related causes<\/p>\n

The effects persisted after controlling for genetic, social, and lifestyle factors. According to the authors, the results suggest that early-life nutrition may influence how the body metabolizes sugar decades later, potentially through lasting effects on insulin sensitivity and lipid metabolism.<\/p>\n

The Verdict: Less Sugar, Smarter Choices<\/p>\n

While monk fruit and stevia are the lowest-risk options for most people \u2014 especially those managing diabetes or metabolic syndrome \u2014 they\u2019re not a free pass. Experts agree that the ultimate goal should be reducing overall sweetness, not simply replacing sugar with a different label.<\/p>\n

Global health agencies are in alignment. The World Health Organization advises keeping free sugar intake below 10% of daily energy, and ideally under 5% \u2014 about 25 grams or 6 teaspoons per day. That includes all forms of added sugar, whether from soda, cereal, or a spoonful of honey.<\/p>\n

The broader message is clear:<\/p>\n

Refined sugar offers no nutritional upside and poses clear risks<\/p>\n

Honey and jaggery have limited benefits and should still be used sparingly<\/p>\n

Monk fruit and stevia are safer, but best used to curb overall sweetness<\/p>\n

The science doesn\u2019t demand sugar abstinence. But it does demand awareness, and a willingness to rethink what sweet should mean in a modern diet. In an era of escalating heart disease and metabolic illness, cutting back may be the single most effective dietary change an individual can make \u2014 at any age.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The global conversation around sugar is evolving fast \u2014 from calorie counts to cardiovascular risk. As the health…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":245488,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[102,6636,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-245487","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-nutrition","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245487","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=245487"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/245487\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/245488"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=245487"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=245487"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=245487"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}