03/18/2026
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17UyG8EKTC/?mibextid=wwXIfr
Zero calories doesn’t mean zero metabolic impact.
Allulose gets a 12. Studies show lowers blood sugar after higher carb meals by blocking carb-digesting enzymes in the gut. Tends to trigger GLP-1 release. Stops fat buildup in the liver. Makes fat cells waste energy as heat. Legit a net positive.
Monk fruit edges out stevia. Both zero calorie, zero blood sugar impact. But monk fruit lowers post-meal glucose 10-18% and insulin 12-22% in trials. Stevia is good but lab data shows it may harm beneficial gut bacteria but seems negligible and that research is hard to translate. Most store-bought stevia is cut with maltodextrin or dextrose that spike blood sugar on their own. Check your labels.
Raw honey at 8.5. Compared to plain sugar it raises blood sugar way less in diabetics, lowers inflammation markers, and feeds good gut bacteria. Darker raw honeys like buckwheat have a much lower glycemic index. Personally I’m a Manuka fan. The Antioxidants and polyphenols in honey change the game here.
Sucralose at 3. That relatively new 10-week human study showed it raised insulin, worsened blood sugar response, tripled a harmful gut bacteria strain, and lowered a protective one. A 2024 study found it reduced insulin sensitivity in healthy people by disrupting gut bacteria. Bottom line is that it’s fine in moderation, but wouldn’t live on the stuff.
Surprisingly, Aspartame is quite benign in comparison. Not that I’m a super fan, but I’d take it over sucralose any day.
Agave at 3.5. Sold as a health food but 70-90% fructose. Goes straight to the liver via the portal vein. Higher rate of de novo lipogenesis than others. Same process that makes HFCS bad, but with a “natural” label. Gram for gram worse than table sugar.
HFCS gets a zero. More fructose than regular sugar. More liver stress, more uric acid, more metabolic issues in high amounts.
