Stevia and erythritol are some of the common sugar alternatives that you can use if you are looking forward to losing some calories or keeping an eye on to prevent weight gain in individuals. One of the most attractive things about stevia and erythritol is that they come with fewer calories, making it perfect to cut down on the huge calorie addition when you depend upon normal sugar.
Stevia and erythritol have almost the same purposes and they also share a lot of similarities when it comes to their nutritional values, health benefits, and various other functionalities. However, it is also important to note that these sugar alternatives are also quite different in a range of different aspects.
In this article, we will be discussing some of the major differences that you need to know regarding them. This may help you make up your mind while picking a perfect sugar alternative to serve your purposes.
Erythritol and Stevia: An Overview
As already mentioned, stevia and erythritol are some of the most common sugar alternatives that you can have with relatively lesser calorie concerts. You can use them just like your normal sugar and they will perfectly blend with any sugary food item of your choice.
Adding it to your daily dose of caffeinated beverages such as coffee and tea and using them for your baking experiments are likely to yield the perfect results as normal sugar would.
However, erythritol comes in the form of sugar alcohol. There are a lot of ways through which you can process this particular type of sugar alcohol. One of the most important means of manufacturing erythritol is by processing the sugar present in several kinds of fruits and mushrooms.
Natural sugars present in corn can also be used to make erythritol by processing it along with yeast. Apart from that, erythritol is also something that your body can produce by processing the glucose that it obtains by processing the food items that we consume daily.
Erythritol is available in the markets mostly in powdered form just like normal sugar, which makes it quite easy for you to use it as a sugar alternative in all your bakings and beverages.
On the other hand, stevia is not something that is manufactured through any processing or refinement. Stevia is a naturally obtained sugar form that can be used as a healthier alternative on account of its fewer calories.
The plants through which stevia can be obtained are mostly found in certain regions in South America. Just like erythritol, stevia is also available in the offline and online markets in powdered form. However, they can also be found in a lot of other natural and artificial sweeteners as a mixing component.
If you buy some erythritol packages, the presence of stevia can be found in them in varying quantities. Stevia Rebaudiana is the plant from which this particular natural and healthier sugar alternative can be obtained.
Stevia and erythritol: Nutritional Benefits
Erythritol and Stevia definitely have their share of nutritional qualities. However, it is better not to consider these sweeteners as a form of your daily nutrient intake since they can only be consumed in the minimum quantities possible. Apart from that, during the processing of these two different types of sugar, their minor nutritional qualities are likely to disappear or be removed easily.
However, it is important to know the amount of calories, as well as the carbohydrates they might contribute to our daily diet as a replacement for our regular sugar. One gram of regular sugar can give you 4 calories and their carbohydrate levels are also quite high.
Meanwhile, when you switch to erythritol, you would only have 5% of the total sugar consumed through regular sugar, which means only 0.2 calories per gram of erythritol. Even then erythritol would give you a 60-80% sweetness that the regular sugar would give you.
On the other hand, when it comes to stevia, on account of its natural qualities, the calorie count can be measured to be zero. However, several additions during processing and many other procedures are likely to add calories to this particular calorie-free sweetener.
Apart from that, according to the quality and variant of stevia that you are using, it can also give you a 50-400 time sweetness in relation to normal sugar. This high sweetness level of stevia is also a reminder that you need to use it only in the least possible quantities when compared to your regular sugar, to serve your purpose.
Health Benefits Of Stevia and Erythritol
One of the major health benefits catered by erythritol and stevia is the regulation of blood sugar levels in individuals. While consuming regular sugar, you are highly likely to have issues of hyperglycemia and diabetes, especially if you have an elevated risk for the same.
On the other hand, there is no particular mechanism in the human body that is found to digest erythritol. Hence most of this particular sugar alcohol would be excreted through urine or get directly absorbed into the blood flow without causing any significant changes in your blood sugar levels.
It also does not make any changes in the insulin levels of the individual, making it a relatively safer option. When it comes to Stevia, it is a bit healthier version of a sugar alternative, since it has influenced the blood glucose levels by reducing them with the regular usage of the same.
Apart from maintaining a healthy blood sugar level, it can also help in preventing a range of lifestyle diseases such as high blood pressure, heart diseases, cholesterol levels, and a lot more.
Conclusion
Now you know the major differences between these two popular forms of regular sugar alternatives. However, it should be said that stevia is obviously the healthier option since it is more natural and has many other purported health benefits.
If you are not someone with severe health issues such as hyperglycemia or diabetes, erythritol would be more than enough for you since it can effectively prevent spikes in your blood sugar levels.
References
- Heller L. HFCS Is Not ‘Natural’, Says FDA. [(accessed on 30 January 2022)]. Available online: https://www.beveragedaily.com/Article/2008/04/02/HFCS-is-not-natural-says-FDA
- Campos A. What exactly is a “natural” sweetener? It’s Not What You Might Think. [(accessed on 30 January 2022)]. Available online: https://www.whatsugar.com/post/whats-natural-sweetener-its-not-what-you-might-think
