13 Types Of Sweeteners Ranked Worst To Best

Perhaps one of the most controversial products in today's food industry is sugar, from naturally derived sources like sugar found in fruit or dairy, as well as sugar substitutes and artificial sweeteners. According to Harvard Health, consuming too much sugar can lead to chronic inflammation, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, and certain types of cancer. While experts generally advise a diet low in sugar, not all sources of sugar are created equal, making it difficult to decipher healthier options from more potentially harmful ones.

With over 60 alternative names for sugar, food manufacturers have found clever ways to disguise added sugar in processed food and beverage labels for decades, arguably contributing to a rise in health problems associated with excessive sugar consumption. Consuming natural sweeteners like honey or maple syrup may be less harmful than their synthetic sugar counterparts, but the bittersweet bottom line is that consuming too much sugar of any kind does not contribute to a healthy lifestyle.

From natural sweeteners like honey and maple syrup to artificial sugar substitutes to plain white and brown sugar, we're delivering a comprehensive list of sweeteners ranked from worst to best for your overall health and wellbeing.

According to Harvard Medical School, there are currently five artificial sweeteners approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These include saccharin, acesulfame, aspartame, neotame, and sucralose. These artificial sweeteners can be found in foods such as diet soda and any packaged item that's labeled "sugar-free", but they aren't necessarily a healthier alternative to plain sugar. That's because tricking the brain or body into thinking it's consuming sugar when it's really not may actually backfire and encourage the development of long-term illness and disease like obesity, according to TIME. 

More specifically, U.S. Right to Know argues that aspartame — the non-caloric sugar that's often used in diet soda — has been linked to certain types of cancer, brain tumors, cardiovascular disease, stroke, memory and mood disorders, kidney failure, and more. With a list of harmful health effects like that, it's a no-brainer that the extra calories from sugar may not be worth it.

Molasses is found naturally in sugarcane plants and is removed during the process of making white sugar. It's then added back in to create brown sugar, according to the New York Times. In other words, brown sugar is essentially the same as white, with the addition of molasses from the original plant source. That just might make it a fraction better in terms of health and nutritional value, although that's not saying much. 

Another important quality of brown sugar is that it comes in varying types such light brown, dark brown, and turbinado, among others. Nutritionally, it includes calcium, potassium, iron, and magnesium, though in relatively small quantities, according to Verywell Fit. Other various benefits believed to be derived from consuming brown sugar include a boost in metabolism due to the molasses (via Obesity Research) and improved skin tone and texture when used as an exfoliant. However, Healthline notes that sugar scrubs may not be all that great for you skin after all, so proceed with caution. 

Although these potential health benefits do make brown sugar a more advantageous option than white sugar, the negative health impacts are similar to the risks found in white sugar, so it's best to consume in moderation.

A tablespoon of sugar is a tablespoon of sugar no matter how you slice it, but palm sugar may in fact hold more nutritional value and health benefits than any sweetener mentioned in this list thus far. Also referred to as coconut sugar, The City Cook notes that palm sugar is derived from the flowers of coconut or date palm trees, which produce a sap that is then extracted to create this type of sugar. 

Although it's usually more expensive than counterparts like white or brown sugar, the potential health benefits may be worth the splurge. According to The City Cook, palm sugar contains potassium, calcium, magnesium, zinc, and a variety of amino acids. Furthermore, palm sugar's taste and texture is reportedly is more satisfying than that of brown sugar of any kind. Although it's not completely devoid of nutrition, however, the fact remains that palm sugar is still a sugar. This means that the same guidelines for most other sugars still apply here — consume in moderation and at your own risk.

Agave syrup, also known as agave nectar, is a sweetener derived from the blue agave plant. It is similar to maple syrup and honey in that it's plant-based, offers a low glycemic index when compared to other processed sugars, and it contains nutrients and minerals not found in artificial sweeteners or refined sugar. 

As a vegan-friendly sweetener alternative, according to Verywill Fit, agave is touted as being unrefined and free from additives. It's also a sweeter option than white sugar, so it may be used in smaller quantities to achieve the same level of sweetness, and therefore may help reduce sugar intake when substituted for white sugar. Yet, it's still not exactly health food. While it does contain trace amounts of minerals and phytonutrients, the quantity and quality does not meet the level found in other plant-based sweeteners like maple syrup or raw honey. So, it's not quite as beneficial to your body as other sweeteners, but it's still an arguably better option when compared to artificial sweeteners or table sugar.

When it comes to honey, not all options in the grocery store are created equal, at least according to some honey enthusiasts. Raw honey may be better than its more refined cousin, according to Medical News Today. Like maple syrup, raw honey contains antioxidants similar to those found in fruits and vegetables, potentially delivering anti-inflammatory properties that may help protect the body from long-term illness and disease (via Healthline). 

Raw honey also contains trace amounts of micronutrients such as zinc, potassium, calcium, and more, all compounds that are seriously lacking in more refined sweeteners such as white sugar. Adding a dollop of raw honey to tea is also believed to help soothe a sore throat, and may deliver other antibacterial properties that act as a cough suppressant, as per Healthline. Meanwhile, raw honey is even sweeter than white sugar, making it a potentially good substitute in applications like baked goods and your morning coffee (though, again, it's probably best enjoyed in moderation).

Monk fruit, which is native to China and is also known as luo han guo fruit extract, as per Food Insight, is a relatively new addition to the alternative sweetener market. Monk fruit extract is derived through a process of crushing the mature fruit and drawing out the mogroside, which is the sweetest part of the monk fruit. As a natural non-sugar sweetener, monk fruit extract is potentially less burdened by the issues of synthetic and highly processed sweeteners while conversely offering some decent health benefits.

According to Medical News Today, these benefits include reduced calorie intake, more specifically a reduction in empty calories when substituted for refined white sugar. Monk fruit is also considered safe for people with diabetes as it has a low glycemic index. It's also rich in antioxidants. So, how should you use it? Get creative when whipping up salad dressing, oatmeal, cake frosting, baked goods, coffee, and other flavored beverages by swapping out sugar for monk fruit extract.