What are natural sweeteners?

The sweet taste of sugar can sometimes be so intoxicating that it can draw a person into a spiral of metabolic disorders and obesity. While simple carbohydrates are not as unhealthy as they may seem, an excess of them can disrupt the physiological mechanisms involved in the effective use of energy-rich nutrients.

Fortunately, advances in food technology now allow us to enjoy sweet flavours without worrying too much about side effects. There are sweeteners available that can provide the desired sensory experience without drastically disrupting glucose and insulin metabolism. What is more, some of them occur naturally in nature.

1. Natural protein sweeteners
2. Natural carbohydrate sweeteners – polyols
3. Natural glycoside sweeteners

Natural protein sweeteners

An important branch of naturally occurring sweeteners are protein-based chemical compounds. These compounds have virtually nothing in common with glucose or other sugars, but thanks to their properties, they activate the receptors responsible for the perception of sweet taste. What is more, some of them can modify the excitability of receptors in the mouth in such a way that other stimuli reaching the taste buds are not felt.

The best-known compounds in this group include miraculin, thaumatin, brazzein and monellin. They are characteristic mainly of fruits from plants in dry, semi-dry and tropical regions, mainly located in Africa and Asia. They are calorie-free and are 100 to even 3,000 times sweeter than glucose.

Natural carbohydrate sweeteners – polyols

As sweetness is a characteristic feature of carbohydrates, carbohydrate-based sweeteners constitute the largest group of sweeteners obtained from natural sources. The most popular sweeteners among people who care about their figure or metabolic health include polyols, i.e. polyhydric alcohols (e.g. xylitol, erythritol, maltitol).

Initially, they were obtained from plants, but modern methods of processing raw materials allow polyols to be obtained through conversion from other carbohydrate compounds. The sweetness level of polyols is similar to that of sucrose, but they provide only up to 2.4 kcal per 1 g, as they are not fully digested and utilized by the body.

Another example of a natural carbohydrate sweetener is inulin. What distinguishes inulin from other sweeteners is the fact that it promotes the growth of healthy intestinal bacteria. This substance is much less sweet than sugar, but its energy value is about three times lower. There are a number of other carbohydrate-based sweeteners (e.g. tagatose, isomaltulose, maltooligosaccharides and hydrogenated starch hydrolysates), but their use is not as widespread as polyols or inulin.

Natural glycoside sweeteners

In addition to protein and carbohydrate compounds, glycoside compounds can also be considered natural sweeteners. They have something in common with carbohydrates, but provide much more sweetness per 1 g of substance with a near-zero caloric value. Through various biological activities, they often exhibit health-promoting properties. The best examples here are glycyrrhizin (from liquorice root) and stevioside (from stevia leaves).