Most of the food that satisfies our cravings for sweetness like ice creams, chocolates, cakes, juice or the sweets available in the market has sugar. Even though we know that sugar increases the calorie intake and thus causes weight gain, we still take sugar. There are many natural sweeteners available in the market, but Stevia herbal sweetener is found to be very beneficial. Stevia was initially grown in central and south America and belongs to the chrysanthemum family of over 200 herbs. Stevia’s sweetness is due to its leaves having glycosides and steviosides and now Stevia is cultivated all over the world. There are many benefits of Stevia. Stevia does not increase blood glucose levels and it is ideal for low carbohydrate sugar free diabetes diets. Release of insulin and normalizing the response to glucose, particularly in type 2 diabetes are the benefits of Stevia.Stevia has zero glycemic indexes and in cases of hyperglycemia, it is used as a therapeutic remedy. Stevia improves blood pressure, muscle tone and the functioning of the heart. Dried Stevia powder is 12 times sweeter than sugar and an extract is 300 times sweeter .

 Another alternative of sugar is honey. Honey has nutrients, antibacterial agents’, vitamins B2 and B6 and is a good source of iron. It is suitable in cases of high cholesterol and type 2 diabetes. But one should know the difference between artificial honey and raw honey. Due to its sweetness, using small amounts of honey will be enough. Another natural sweetener that can be used in place of sugar is maple syrup. It has fewer calories, more minerals and zinc which prevent atherosclerosis.It also an antioxidant,lowers cholesterol and strengthens the immune system. Maple syrup is available in three colors, the flavor being more subtle for the lighter color and the sweetest for the darkest color.Another sugar free sweetener is blackstrap molasses. Blackstrap molasses is lower in calories and has manganese, iron, calcium, potassium, other vitamins and minerals. Due to its distinct flavor, molasses may not always be used as the other natural sweeteners, but it can still be used in certain foods. Agave extract taken from agave plant tastes like honey and is available in light and dark varieties.It is the best diet for weight loss. It is also good for the immune system and helps in the absorption of nutrients. Date sugar made from dehydrated dates has many minerals.It also improves immune system, cognitive functions, blood pressure and relieves asthma and migraine.