Maybe your doctor mentioned cutting back on sugar. Maybe you have already tried a few substitutes and wondered if they are actually any better for you. Dr. Ruth Machin decided to find out by tasting ten different sweeteners on YouTube and looking at what the science has to say about each one.
Her video was not meant to be exhaustive. Think of it more as an informed sampling of interesting studies. With that in mind, here is a quick tour of what she found.
The Natural Ones
Maple syrup contains about 60% sucrose and still counts as a free sugar despite its lower glycemic index of 55, compared to table sugar’s 65. Its minerals and antioxidants offer little real benefit at the amounts people normally use. That said, it scored a perfect 10 out of 10 for taste.
Coconut sugar is made from coconut sap and only lightly refined. Its glycemic index falls around 50 to 55, but it offers no meaningful health advantage over regular sugar because its free sugar content outweighs the potential benefits. It has a pleasant caramel flavor and scored 9 out of 10.
Stevia comes from the leaves of a plant native to Brazil and Paraguay. It is 50 to 400 times sweeter than sugar and is often blended with erythritol to soften its bitter edge. The product Dr. Machin tested scored just 3 out of 10 because of a chemical aftertaste.
Monk fruit is extracted from a melon native to southern China. Its sweetness comes from compounds called mogrosides, making it 100 to 250 times sweeter than sugar. Purified extracts are not approved in the UK or EU, though monk fruit decoction is permitted in the UK. The tested product scored 4 out of 10 for being excessively sweet, with an unpleasant taste and texture.
Allulose is a naturally occurring sugar found in small amounts in figs, raisins, and maple syrup. It is about 70% as sweet as regular sugar. It is not approved in the UK, EU, or Canada, and in large amounts it may cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea.
The Sugar Alcohols
Xylitol is a sugar alcohol found in birch trees. You have probably seen it listed in sugar-free chewing gum, where it helps protect against tooth decay. It has about 60% of sugar’s calories and a smaller effect on blood glucose, but it can cause bloating, gas, and diarrhea because it is not fully absorbed. It scored 6 out of 10 for taste. One important note: xylitol is highly toxic to dogs.
Erythritol is produced from corn and is about 70% as sweet as sugar. It contains roughly 6% of sugar’s calories and has little effect on blood glucose. Most of it is absorbed and then passed out in urine, which means fewer digestive side effects than xylitol. It scored 7 out of 10 and is considered safe for dogs.
The Synthetic Sweeteners
Sucralose is a synthetic sweetener about 600 times sweeter than sugar. You may know it as Splenda, which blends sucralose with maltodextrin. It scored only 1 out of 10 because of a bitter, chemical aftertaste.
Aspartame is another synthetic sweetener. In 2023, the WHO’s cancer research agency classified it as possibly carcinogenic, based on limited evidence. A joint FAO/WHO expert committee kept the acceptable daily intake at up to 40 mg per kilogram of body weight per day.
Saccharin is a synthetic, high-intensity sweetener that was mentioned as a sugar alternative but was not included in the taste test.
One More Thing Worth Knowing
The UK’s Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition raised a fair point about some of the negative findings around low-calorie sweeteners. They questioned whether the observational studies actually showed sweeteners causing harm or whether people who already had chronic conditions were simply more likely to choose them. It is an important distinction.
If you are thinking about making a swap, the taste scores alone tell an interesting story. The two options that scored highest (maple syrup and coconut sugar) are still sources of free sugar. So there is no magic solution here, just a clearer picture of your choices.
