Difference between Stevia & Cane Sugar: Which one to choose & why?

Difference between Stevia & Cane Sugar Which one to choose & why

Stevia, as well as cane sugar, are used in sweetening products. Many desserts and beverages are made of cane sugar. Over the years, Stevia has become one of the most preferred alternatives of sugar. This zero-calorie sweetener has amazing sweetness and doesn’t harm in any way. All this has made it so popular as clean labels are becoming more important to consumers.

Stevia and cane sugar are used for making sweets, processed foods, baked goods, and sodas. They are products that come from nature. Then what is the difference between both?

First, let’s understand what Stevia and Cane sugar are.

What Is Stevia?

Stevia is natural. It comes from the leaves of the stevia rebaudiana. This is basically a plant that is found in South America and various tropical areas.

This is not a new sweetener. Stevia is used for hundreds of years. But recently, it has been authorized as the safest food additive since 2008. Do you know that the sweetener from the Stevia plant is 200-300 times sweeter than normal sugar? This is the reason why people suffering from diabetes or planning to reduce weight prefer this zero-calorie sweetener.

What is Cane sugar?

White granulated sugar is derived either from sugar cane or sugar beets. Cane sugar is one that is made from sugar cane. Pure cane sugar is composed of sucrose, fructose & glucose. When you consume cane sugar, you get a sweet taste with all the nutrients.

Stevia vs Cane Sugar: Formulation difference

Let’s begin with Stevia.

Every product has a different level of sweetness. The same is the case with Stevia. A lot of experiments are involved in the formulation of Stevia.

Having an amazing flavor, Stevia does wonder when paired with stronger ingredients. These include coffee, chocolate, or lemon. The best thing about Stevia is, for every 1 teaspoon of sugar, just 1/16 of a teaspoon of stevia is needed. Isn’t that amazing?

On the other hand, cane sugar has 94-98.5% sucrose and 1.5-6% non-sucrose. The

non-sucrose contains organic acids, amino acids, proteins, starch, gums, coloring matter, and other suspended matters.

Stevia vs Cane Sugar: Nutritional value

Nutritionally, cane sugar and stevia are quite different.

As mentioned above, Stevia is a zero-calorie sweetener. It also has a glycemic load of zero. The fact remains that there is one gram of carbohydrates in every two teaspoons of stevia. This is the reason why Stevia is known as a non-nutritive sweetener.

Now let’s explore cane sugar. 32 calories and 8.4 grams of carbohydrates are present in two teaspoons of cane sugar.

Due to the direct extraction from sugarcane, pure cane sugar has 17 amino acids, 11 minerals, 6 vitamins, and also antioxidants. When compared to normal sugar, it is darker in color (similar to sugarcane juice).

Winner: When it comes to maintaining blood sugar or controlling fitness, Stevia wins the show.

The Ultimate Winner

Sugar has a bad rap in the health industry. This is obvious because it has so many adverse effects on health. But it won’t ruin your health if you know what to intake.

Undoubtedly, cane sugar is dominating the sweetener industry. Be it desserts or yogurts, most of the products and beverages contain cane sugar. But the sweetness level is making it unfavorable for many.

As consumers have become more aware of concerns regarding their health, they have started to get inclined towards Stevia. This sugar substitute is on the rise. The icing on the cake is-Stevia is the simplest way to binge on your favorite sweet, enjoy it without worrying about the calorie intake. Moreover, due to its nutritional value, brands like-Coca Cola have started considering it.

Now that’s sweet, isn’t it?