As a recovering ‘chocoholic’, I was looking for a way to eat the sweets I so loved, without eating sugar. With a family history of type 2 diabetes, I knew I couldn’t go on eating chocolate every day if I wanted to avoid becoming insulin dependent in later life. Artificial sweeteners were out of the question – not only did they have a strange, unsatisfying aftertaste, they came with a grocery shopping list of serious side effects. Take your pick. For example, aspartame, one of the most popular artificial sweeteners, is associated with the aggravation of mood disorders, loss of diabetic control and the aggravation of diabetic complications like neuropathy and vision problems. There is also an increased susceptibility to seizures, birth defects, and even death!

Aspartame is part of a category of sweeteners known as “nonnutritive sweeteners” that also includes saccharin, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, and neotame. Whilst they are very low in calories, they are also associated with other dangers, as the brief list above shows. The reason they are so popular in food and beverages is that, compared to the alternatives, they are very cheap for manufacturers. However, there are a range of sweeteners available that are natural, low to medium glycemic index, and that have health benefits. This makes them ideal in a weight loss program. Not only do they provide a way for you to satisfy your sweet craving, making it more likely you’ll stick to your diet, some of them are actually low in calories too.

The glycemic index refers to how carbohydrate foods affect your blood sugar levels as they are digested. Foods with a high glycemic index (rated 70 to 100, which is the maximum in the accepted reference) cause a spike in your blood sugar levels, leading to mood swings, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, syndrome x, and more food cravings. Glucose is rated 100, and other high glycemic foods include bread and many popular breakfast cereals. Medium glycemic foods are rated 56 to 69, and include sweet potato and table sugar. Low glycemic foods, which are the ideal kind for blood sugar control, are any below 56.

The latter group include brown rice syrup (25), raw honey (30 – but not the kind you get in the supermarket), agave syrup (15), stevia (less than 1), palm sugar (35), and xylitol, which has a glycemic index of 7.

Xylitol is a sugar alcohol that, despite the artificial sounding name, is actually 100% natural. It’s found in the fiber of many fruit and vegetables, though it is usually made from corn or birch. The brand I’ve been using uses birch. Unlike many of the sweeteners mentioned in the above, low GI list, xylitol looks and tastes just like sugar. There is no aftertaste, it is as sweet as sugar, but without the calories and the detrimental effect on blood sugar levels. This means you can bake with it in your usual recipes, the only exception being that it does not caramelize. So, if your recipe calls for something to be caramelized, you’ll need to use something else. Palm sugar would be good in this instance.

Xylitol has many health benefits, including helping prevent dental cavities. This may seem counter-intuitive, that something that tastes as sweet as sugar can stop tooth decay, but it’s true. Try chewing some xylitol gum after a meal and you’ll see what I mean. Studies have confirmed these benefits.

Xylitol is also helpful for diabetes, osteoporosis, ear and upper respiratory tract infections, other infections, candida, and pregnant and nursing women who want to avoid giving their children the bacteria that causes tooth decay. But in terms of weight loss, it allows you to have sweet treats (within moderation), without blowing out your calorie count. And given that it has such a low GI, and therefore doesn’t give you the huge spikes in blood sugar levels that sugar does, it can help control your cravings for sweet foods. It is the spikes in blood sugar that tend to create a cycle of sweet cravings. Check the rest of the article about lose weight.