Popular healthy living sentiment states that sugar is the enemy. This leads to people looking for healthy alternatives, including common sweeteners like dates, brown sugar, coconut sugar, stevia, and more. But are they really good for your gut health? Gastroenterologist Dr Sethi warns not to fall for the ‘sugar-free’ trap without understanding what it’s actually doing inside your gut.

Also Read | Cardiologist suggests a rare sugar alternative that ‘doesn’t spike blood sugar, insulin levels and reduces body fat’

In a post shared on July 4, Dr Saurabh Sethi, an AIIMS, Harvard and Stanford universities trained gastroenterologist, talked about 10 common sweeteners and rated them based on their gut health impact. Sharing the list, Dr Sethi wrote, “Harvard and Stanford-trained gut doctor ranks 10 common sweeteners on a scale of 1-10 (10 is the best).”

10 common sweeteners rated by a gastroenterologist

Talking about the sweeteners, the gastroenterologist highlighted that as a gut doctor, he has seen how artificial and natural sweeteners impact the gut microbiome, digestion, and even inflammation. “In this short video, I’m ranking 10 of the most common sweeteners—from brown sugar and coconut sugar to stevia and whole dates—on a scale of 1 to 10 based on their gut health impact. Don’t fall for the ‘sugar-free’ trap without understanding what it’s actually doing inside your gut. Share this widely to spread awareness,” he added. Let’s check out his rating:

1. Coconut sugar: 5

2. Brown sugar: 4

3. Raw honey: 6

4. Chickery root syrup: 8

5. Whole dates: 7

6. Aspartame: 3

7. High fructose corn syrup: 1

8. Pure stevia extract: 9

9. Refined white sugar: 2

10. Pure monk fruit extract: 10

A rare sugar alternative

Now that you know how common sweeteners rate according to their impact on gut health, here’s a rare sugar alternative as suggested by a cardiologist: Allulose. In an Instagram post shared on April 11, Dr Alok Chopra, cardiologist and functional medicine expert, suggested allulose as a rare alternative to sugar as it can be beneficial for those with spiked blood sugar or insulin levels.

Per the cardiologist, allulose is low in calories, blood sugar friendly, boosts metabolism and burns fat, protects organs and fights inflammation, and supports energy and performance. Let’s find out more about allulose here.

Note to readers: This article is for informational purposes only and not a substitute for professional medical advice. Always seek the advice of your doctor with any questions about a medical condition.