Sugar is increasingly being rejected as harmful to health and its alternatives are being sought. Two of these possibilities are erythritol and stevia. When choosing, the two suggestions are usually opposed and the balance between benefits and harms is sought. Here's what can be said about these two sweeteners.
What is erythritol?
The sweetener erythritol can be found in many fruits and vegetables. Commercial erythritol is made from enzymatically hydrolyzed corn starch. Glucose is created, which is then fermented into erythritol.
Essentially, erythritol is a sugar alcohol with a molecular structure similar to sugars and alcohols. They classify it as a sugar alcohol.
Erythritol has a sugar content of 60-70 percent that of sugar, which means that to get the same sweetness, more erythritol must be used.
The product has only 0.2 calories per 1 gram, which is 5 percent of the calories in sugar. It is also a safe diabetic sweetener on ketogenic diets.
Keto candies, keto cakes and other keto desserts are often made with it.
At high doses it leads to gastrointestinal disorders.
What is stevia?
Stevia sweetener is obtained by isolating the sweet-tasting glycoside compounds in the leaves of the stevia plant. The sweetener stevia is considered highly intense. Although it is being accepted as a new sweetener, it is of plant origin.
It is neither a natural nor an artificial sweetener because stevia must be processed to produce a sweetener, yet it is from a plant and therefore cannot be classified as an artificially derived substance.
Stevia sweetener is safe for diabetics and keto diets and has 0 calories. It is a good diuretic, but it can affect male fertility. In this respect, erythritol is better than stevia.
Erythritol vs Stevia
Erythritol and stevia have a sweet taste, but with both sweeteners it is far from that of sugar. Stevia even has a bitter taste.
Erythritol is sweet but creates a cool sensation in the mouth. Since it does not have its own taste, it mixes well with any other flavors. Its antioxidant properties make it suitable for improving oral health. However, it is more expensive than stevia.
Stevia also has a positive effect on health. It lowers blood pressure and helps with diabetic nutrition.
Stevia also has antioxidant properties, but it has an aftertaste and this should be considered when combining with other nutritional ingredients.
It is difficult to say definitively whether erythritol is better than stevia. In many culinary recipes, it is preferred because stevia is bitter. But on the other hand, erythritol is more expensive. There is an option to mix both keto sweeteners together for a balanced taste. Whichever sweetener you choose, it is a good idea to consult with a nutritionist beforehand to make sure that the product is suitable for your specific needs.
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