Sugar Alternatives: Taste Test + What the Science Says

Dr. Ruth Machin has some sweet science for our consideration:

A spoonful of…

Dr. Ruth Machin did a taste test and also makes comments on the science (albeit very much non-exhaustive, but not really cherry-picking either, more like “here are some miscellaneous studies I thought were interesting”, so do take it with a pinch of… well, something sweet, probably, but what?):

• Maple syrup: contains around 60% sucrose and remains a source of free sugar despite having a lower glycemic index than table sugar (55 versus 65); its minerals and antioxidants offer little meaningful benefit at normal consumption levels, but it scored 10/10 for taste. Go figure!
• Coconut sugar: made from coconut sap and minimally refined, it has a glycemic index of around 50–55 but offers no substantial health advantage over regular sugar because its free sugars outweigh any potential benefits; it has a caramel flavor and scored 9/10 for taste.
• Sucralose: a synthetic sweetener around 600 times sweeter than sugar, sold as Splenda when blended with maltodextrin; it scored 1/10 because of its bitter, chemical aftertaste.
• Allulose: a monosaccharide chemically similar to fructose that occurs naturally in small amounts in figs, raisins, and maple syrup; it’s around 70% as sweet as sugar, isn’t approved in the UK, EU, or Canada, and may cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea when consumed in large amounts.
• Stevia: extracted from the leaves of a plant native to Brazil and Paraguay, it’s 50–400 times sweeter than sugar and often blended with erythritol to reduce its bitter aftertaste; the product tested scored 3/10 because of its chemical aftertaste.
• Monk fruit: extracted from a melon native to southern China, its sweetness comes from compounds called mogrosides and it’s 100–250 times sweeter than sugar; purified extracts aren’t approved in the UK or EU, although monk fruit decoction is permitted in the UK, and the product tested scored 4/10 because it was excessively sweet and had an unpleasant taste and texture.
• Xylitol: a sugar alcohol found in birch trees and used in chewing gum because it helps protect against tooth decay; it has around 60% of sugar’s calories, a smaller effect on blood glucose, and can cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea because it’s incompletely absorbed, scoring 6/10 for taste; it’s highly toxic to dogs.
• Erythritol: a sugar alcohol produced from corn, it’s about 70% as sweet as sugar and contains around 6% of its calories, with little effect on blood glucose; most is absorbed and excreted in urine, resulting in fewer gastrointestinal side effects than xylitol, and it scored 7/10 for taste; it’s considered safe for dogs.
• Aspartame: a synthetic sweetener classified by the WHO’s cancer research agency in 2023 as possibly carcinogenic, based on limited evidence; a joint FAO/WHO expert committee maintained the acceptable daily intake at up to 40 mg per kilogram of body weight per day.
• Saccharin: a synthetic, high-intensity sweetener mentioned as an alternative to sugar but not tested for taste in the video.

That said, with regard to some of the potential harms, the UK’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition questioned whether the observational findings reflected people with pre-existing chronic conditions choosing low-calorie sweeteners rather than the sweeteners causing those conditions.

For more on all of this, enjoy:

Click Here If The Embedded Video Doesn’t Load Automatically!

Want to learn more?

You might also like:

What’s The Healthiest Sweetener?

Take care!