If you’re looking for a simple guide to help you decide whether stevia or monk fruit is better, this is the article for you! Recently, I’ve gotten so many questions concerning monk fruit vs. stevia. Which is better and are natural sweeteners actually any better than cane sugar?
Is Sugar really THAT Bad?
I want to begin this article exploring cane sugar. Cane sugar is obtained from sugar cane, which is grown in Southeast Asia. While many people say that raw cane sugar is better than regular cane sugar, there is actually no difference between the two. Both raw cane sugar and regular sugar have the same chemical composition.
While eating cane sugar in small quantities and limiting your intake of it can be beneficial, the harm that is does internally exponential. Cane sugar has been linked to cancer, heart disease, diabetes and even Alzheimer’s, to name just a few deals consequences of over-consuming this sugar. Studies in peer reviewed journals have shown a direct link that cane sugar is the primary cause of obesity and chronic disease.
It is because of these known risks that many people turn to artificial and natural low-calorie sweeteners. Mainly to combat their addiction to sugar and lessen the risk for chronic disease.
What are Natural Zero-Calorie Sweeteners
Natural low-calorie sweeteners are monk fruit and stevia. Both of these sweeteners are classified as natural because they are derived from plants.
Monk Fruit versus Stevia
Monk Fruit
Firstly, monk fruit is an actual fruit. It’s a small melon-like fruit that is grown in Southeast Asia. The fruit gets its name from the Buddhist monks in the 13th century who were the first to use the fruit.
Monk fruit doesn’t store well, so it is usually dried before being used to sweetened drinks, desserts and other sweets. However, monk fruit on it’s own is VERY expensive and costly to manufacture. Because of this, most brands will actually mix monk fruit with erythritol or xylitol. Mixing monk fruit with eriyrthritol or xylitol makes it SO much cheaper!
This is where monk fruit starts to become a problem. On it’s own, without any other artificial sweeteners mixed in, monk fruit has a host of benefits:
- Zero calories, zero carbs, zero sugar
- Potential health benefits
- No bitterness or aftertaste (like stevia)
However, monk fruit is hard to find on it’s own in a powdered or dry form. Simply because it is too expensive. So, much of the time, products marketed as “monk fruit” are actually erythritol. Which means you’re buying a huge bag of erythritol with just a tiny amount of monk fruit mixed in!
- Erythritol is a sugar alcohol and has been shown to cause digestive issues
- Sugar alcohols are also known to cause bloating and sometimes even constipation. Especially in individuals who are more sensitive to sugar alcohols like erythritol
- Recent studies have shown that while erythritol doesn’t produce “good” or “bad” gut bacteria, it can potentially change your gut microbiome and kill good gut bacteria. Although further research is still being done on the subject.
Stevia
Unlike monk fruit, stevia comes from an actual plant found in South America. The leaves of the plant are dried and processed to create the sweetener. Just as with monk fruit, stevia also has its own host of benefits and risks associated with consuming it regularly:
Benefits:
- zero calories, zero carbs, zero sugar
- potential health benefits
Risks:
- potential gas and bloating
- could cause allergic reactions for some people
- usually mixed with other artificial sweeteners which are not healthy
- bitter aftertaste
My Opinion on Zero-Calorie Sweeteners
Considering the facts I have outlined above, my opinion on stevia and monk fruit is twofold. I enjoy both sweeteners as an alternative to cane sugar and also believe there are health benefits to both. However, I also believe that the harmful effects of these sweeteners long-term may be on par with that of cane sugar. Here’s why!
When you consume anything sweet, regardless if that food has calories or sugar, your body will still react to that food by releasing insulin. For foods like stevia and monk fruit, the insulin spike is even higher because they are so much sweeter than cane sugar. Gradually, your body could become insulin resistant if you are consuming stevia or monk fruit several times per day. Meaning that your insulin is always spike and never stable.
Additionally, stevia and monk fruit are usually mixed with erythritol. Because of this, the benefits these sweeteners have is outweighed by the harm that erythritol causes to the gut microbiome.
My opinion on these two sweeteners as formed based on my own research and experience with eating both stevia and monk fruit regularly. I highly recommend listening to the podcast below if you want even more information regarding how our bodies respond to glucose with insulin.
Monk fruit vs. Stevia…which is better?
My advice and opinion is that stevia is better if you’re going to consume natural low-calorie sweeteners. This is because is it easier to find stevia on its own and it’s not mixed with other artificial sweeteners.
I do believe that while low-calorie sweetness are wonderful for people trying to control their blood sugar or diabetics. However, their impact on insulin spikes might be potentially harmful in the long run.
My advice would be to consume both stevia and monk fruit with restraint. Treat these sweeteners as a treat rather than an every item.
Get BACK to Nature!
If you take anything away from this article, it is that it is best to eat what is found in nature! This means using dates, applesauce, honey and other fruits to help sweeten your baked goods, oatmeal bowls and more. Getting back to nature and utilizing the fructose already naturally occurring in fruit is SO much more beneficial and healthy. As you’ll not only be getting more nutrients, but also more fiber and vitamins.
So, limit your intake of artificial and low-calorie sweeteners and go for using dates, honey or date syrup in your baked goods!
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