Excessive sugar intake is one of the leading causes of obesity. It also contributes to a host of other ailments. But curbing your intake of this refined carb, you can avoid health issues and lead a healthy and fit life. But what do you do if you have a sweet tooth? Most sugar substitutes are unhealthy and come with their own side-effects. But, recently, a low calorie and low carb sweetener is increasingly becoming popular among health and fitness enthusiasts. Allulose, the new sweetener, is a safe alternative to sugar. Even diabetics can have it without worrying about a sugar spike.

According to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), allulose gives you about 0.4 calories per gram (g), which is much lower than the 4 calories per g in sugar. Your body also absorbs allulose but does not metabolize it into glucose. This makes it almost zero calorie. Allulose also has little to no effect on blood glucose or insulin levels, according to the FDA.

Is this safer than other sugar substitutes?

Allulose is actually a type of sugar that occurs naturally in some foods. So this is a safer and better alternative to other artificial sweeteners like aspartame, saccharine, sucralose and neotame, which are not natural foods. These come with a lot of side effects including cancer. However, stevia is another safe substitute.

How to use allulose?

Like glucose and fructose, allulose is a monosaccharide, or single sugar. You can use this in the same way that you use sugar. But it is not as sweet as sugar. This means that you have to use more of this that when you use sugar. You can use it in baking, with your tea and coffee and in any other way that you desire.

Benefits of this sugar substitute

You can have this without any feelings of guilt. It helps you lose weight and does not have any of the side-effects of most other sugar substitutes. In fact, 70–84 per cent of the allulose you consume is absorbed into your blood from your digestive tract. But this is expelled through urine without being used as fuel by your body. Studies have shown that it resists fermentation by your gut bacteria. This minimizes chances of bloating, flatulence or other digestive problems. Even patients of diabetes can have this safely.  Experts say that it lowers blood sugar, increases insulin sensitivity and decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes by protecting the insulin-producing beta cells of the pancreas. Some experts say it may also offer protection against fatty liver disease. It has no toxicity and the taste and texture are almost the same as sugar.

Side effects of allulose

There are hardly any side-effects of allulose. But sometimes, too much of allulose may give you digestive problems, which go away on its own.

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