Among the sea of sweeteners, naturally occurring rare sugars are becoming a go-to option for people who like a sweet taste but do not want the additional calories or a potential blood sugar spike that comes with table sugar.
Here’s what you should know about rare sugars, including the potential health benefits of the sugar alternative.
What Are Sugar Alternatives?
While there is nothing wrong with consuming sweet snacks in moderation, eating too much sugar has been linked to negative health outcomes including obesity, cardiovascular disease, type-2 diabetes mellitus, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and metabolic syndrome.
Up until a few years ago, there were not that many sugar alternatives on the market. People either stuck with traditional table sugar or used the substitutes in pink packets (saccharine or “Sweet ’n Low”) or blue packets (aspartame or “Equal”).
While these options served their purpose, the taste and function of artificial sweeteners in baking and cooking did not compare to table sugar.
Today, we have more sugar alternatives that provide the taste, texture, and mouthfeel of table sugar. One option that you might not know about is rare sugars.
What Are Rare Sugars?
As the name implies, rare sugars are uncommon. They are only present in small amounts in certain natural food sources like raisins and figs. Of the 40-plus rare sugars, allulose appears to be the one with the most data suggesting it provides health benefits.
Allulose is produced commercially by breaking down a carbohydrate source through a series of enzymatic processes. This leads to the structure of the rare sugar being changed in such a way that the body does not recognize it as sugar.
Even after these changes take place, the sugar still offers a sweet taste—just without added calories or an effect on blood sugar levels.
Most alternatives for conventional sugar do not have the same chemical structure as “the real thing,” which can influence how well they work as replacements.
For example, its structure is what gives sugar—and rare sugar—the functional properties that make it great for baking and cooking. The structure of rare sugars allows them to taste very similar to classic table sugar, as well as function similarly to it.
Rare sugars also provide the taste and texture of table sugar without the added calories or effect on blood glucose levels. Allulose only contains 0.4 calories per gram—much less than the 4 calories per gram found in sucrose (table sugar).
Since rare sugars have so few calories, they are not counted as “added sugars,” making them a tasty and versatile choice for people who are trying to be mindful of their sugar intake.
Potential Health Benefits
Studies have also shown that rare sugars, like allulose, can offer several benefits when part of an overall nutritious diet:
It’s very low in calories Does not raise blood glucose or insulin levels in healthy people or in people with type 2 diabetes Has not been found to promote cavities Is digestively tolerated in healthy adults at 30 grams per day
Studies have also shown that allulose as part of an overall healthy diet might be linked to:
Reduced body weight Improved glycemic control Loss of abdominal fat Reduced fasting triglyceride levels
There are a few easy ways to incorporate allulose into your diet. Look for “allulose” on the ingredients list of cereal, bread, and products like protein bars. Allulose is 70% as sweet as sugar, so when you’re cooking with it, you’ll need about 1 1/3 cup of allulose per one cup of sugar. It’s ultimately personal preference, and many people use a 1:1 substitute without noticing a difference.
