Natural and artificial sugar substitutes duplicate the sweetness and taste of real sugar. They are often used as an alternative to sugar for reasons such as assisting in weight loss and regulating blood sugar levels. Many sugar substitutes are also cheaper than sugar and have a longer shelf-life which allows them to be used in products that will not perish after a short period of time. Add this to my Recipe Box.
Honey
Honey is a natural sweetener often used as a substitute for real sugar. It also has more vitamins and minerals than refined sugar and raises blood sugar levels more slowly. Honey can be used in its natural liquid form or in crystalline form. It also does not have the bad aftertaste often associated with some artificial sweeteners.
Aspartame
Aspartame is an artificial sweetener and sugar substitute used in a numerous foods and beverages in more than 90 countries around the world. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar and its flavor is close to sugar. Aspartame has been the subject of more than 200 toxicological and clinical studies and reviewed by regulatory organizations and health associations, such as the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), American Medical Association and World Health Organization. These agencies determined aspartame was safe at normal levels of consumption.
Sucralose
Sucralose is an artificial sweetener approved by the FDA in 1998. More than 110 animal and human safety studies conducted over a 20-year period found the artificial sweetener to be safe for everyone including pregnant women and those with diabetes. Sucralose tastes like real sugar but is 600 times sweeter. It cannot be digested which means it has no calories. Unlike aspartame, sucralose is stable at high temperatures and can be used in cooking and baking.
Neotame
Neotame is between 7,000 and 13,000 times sweeter than sugar. As a result, only trace amounts are needed to sweeten foods. Neotame is an attractive product to food manufacturers. The low quantities needed greatly lowers production costs compared to using sugar or high fructose corn syrup. It has been approved for use in baked goods, nonalcoholic beverages, gum, frosting and icing, frozen desserts, processed fruit and fruit juices, jams and jellies, toppings and syrups.
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