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Comparison of Common Natural Sweeteners

31 Jul.,2025

Consumers are increasingly concerned about health, and natural sweeteners have become popular. This article provides a detailed introduction to its definition, common types such as sugar alcohols, sweet proteins, and their characteristics, helping you understand how to use natural sweeteners to avoid the health hazards caused by high sugar while enjoying sweetness.

and healthy characteristics, have gradually emerged in the sweetener market. Consumers are increasingly inclined to choose products that use Sugar has a strong attraction to humans, not only because it contains high energy, but also because it can activate the reward (pleasure) system in the brain, leading to "sugar addiction" behavior. With the progress of research, people are increasingly aware of the health problems such as obesity caused by excessive sugar intake. Natural sweeteners are gradually emerging in the sweetener market due to their natural and healthy properties. Consumers are increasingly inclined to choose Sugar has a strong appeal to humans. Not only does it contain high energy, but it can also activate the reward (pleasure) system in the brain, thus triggering "sugar addiction" behavior. With the progress of research, people are increasingly aware of the health problems such as obesity caused by excessive sugar intake. Natural sweeteners, with their natural and healthy characteristics, have gradually emerged in the sweetener market. Consumers are increasingly inclined to choose products that use natural sweeteners instead of traditional sugars, believing that they can not only satisfy their love for sweetness but also reduce the health risks associated with sugar intake, such as obesity and diabetes. So, what are natural sweeteners, what are the common natural sweeteners, and what are their respective characteristicsView Mor

Sugar has a strong appeal to humans. Not only does it contain high energy, but it can also activate the reward (pleasure) system in the brain, thus triggering "sugar addiction" behavior. With the progress of research, people are increasingly aware of the health problems such as obesity caused by excessive sugar intake. Natural sweeteners, with their natural and healthy characteristics, have gradually emerged in the sweetener market. Consumers are increasingly inclined to choose products that use natural sweeteners instead of traditional sugars, believing that they can not only satisfy their love for sweetness but also reduce the health risks associated with sugar intake, such as obesity and diabetes. So, what are natural sweeteners, what are the common natural sweeteners, and what are their respective characteristics?

What are natural sweeteners?

Natural sweeteners are generally a class of sweet chemical components directly extracted from nature or obtained through appropriate modification. Most of them are secondary metabolites of plants or microorganisms. Compared with the first-generation sweeteners represented by sucrose and the second-generation sweeteners represented by cyclamate, natural sweeteners not only have high sweetness and low calories, but also have the advantages of good solubility, good taste, high stability, and generally have no toxic or side effects. Some have also been found to have physiological functions such as anti-allergy and enhanced immune regulation. Therefore, natural sweeteners can be widely used in various foods and have great development and application prospects.

Natural sweeteners commonly used in the food industry include stevia glycosides, mogroside, glycyrrhizin, rubusoside, sweet proteins (such as thaumatin, etc.) and sugar alcohols, such as erythritol, xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, mannitol, lactitol, etc.

Comparison of Common Natural Sweeteners

Comparison of Common Natural Sweeteners
Natural Sweeteners	Sweetness*	Heat Degree	Flavor Characteristics	Safety and Physiological Characteristics	Sweet Price Ratio	Amount of Usage	Other features
Steviol Glycoside	150~300	1/300	Sweet, bitter, licorice, metallic	High safety, non-carcinogenic substances, non-toxic, no side effects, safe to eat	0.91	Unlimited	Non-fermentable substance, stable in nature, antibacterial, no discoloration during processing, high temperature resistance, stable to heat and acid and alkali
Mogroside	300	0 calories	Sweet, cool, licorice taste	Safe and non-toxic, has certain antioxidant properties, protects the liver, enhances immunity, inhibits cavity pathogens, and controls blood sugar levels		Unlimited	Often used as a sugar substitute for obese people and diabetics
Glycyrrhizin	50~100	Low calories	Sweet, licorice taste	Safe and non-toxic, masking the unpleasant bitterness and foreign taste in some food components	1.86	Unlimited	In foods processed at high temperatures, such as meat and baked goods, it can prevent the destruction of color, aroma and taste caused by food charring.
Rubusoside	300	1/100	Sweet, refreshing	It is safe to eat, has no toxic side effects, and has the effect of lowering blood lipids and blood sugar		limited	Suitable for patients with diabetes, hypertension, obesity, hyperlipidemia, etc. and those who are not suitable for eating sugar
Thaumatin	1600~3000	Low calories	Sweet, no odor	Safe and non-toxic, and can be degraded into amino acids needed by the human body	8.13	0.025 g/kg	Naturally Sweet Protein
Allulose	0.7	1/10	Sweet, soft and delicate taste	No health risks found, does not increase blood sugar or insulin, anti-inflammatory. Excessive consumption may cause bloating			Single consumption is less than 0.4 grams per kilogram of body weight, and daily consumption is less than 0.9 grams per kilogram of body weight
Erythritol	0.65	0 calories	Sweet, refreshing	It does not participate in sugar metabolism, its metabolic pathway is unrelated to insulin or rarely depends on insulin, and it almost does not generate heat or cause changes in blood sugar.	0.03	Unlimited	Erythritol has the smallest molecular weight and good absorption effect. However, it is not metabolized after absorption and is directly excreted. It is a calorie-free sugar alcohol.
Xylitol	0.9-1.0	Low calories	Sweet, refreshing	Most sugar alcohols are called nutritive sweeteners because they can be absorbed, digested and metabolized by humans and have a certain amount of calories. Sugar alcohols are often alcohols generated by the reduction of corresponding monosaccharides or disaccharides. Those with a small molecular weight are easier to absorb. Sugar alcohols are not broken down by gastric enzymes and enter the intestines directly. In the small intestine, due to their different molecular structure from sugar, they are absorbed more slowly than glucose and have a certain laxative effect. Excessive intake may produce gas in the intestines, causing abdominal distension, bowel sounds, and even diarrhea.	0.26	Use in appropriate amount according to production needs	Prevents tooth decay and removes existing plaque
Sorbitol	0.48	Low calories	Sweet, refreshing		0.22		Good moisturizing properties can keep food moist and prevent sugar and salt from crystallizing. It can maintain the balance of sweetness, sourness and bitterness and enhance the flavor of food.
Maltitol	0.8-0.95	Low calories	Sweet		0.37		The tolerable amount of maltitol is 28~32g per day
Mannitol	0.55	Low calories	Sweet, refreshing				Can mask the flavors of vitamins, minerals, and herbs, used as sugar Anti sticking agents, nutritional supplements, and tissue moisturizers for fruits
Sweetness/calorie*: Comparison value compared to sucrose

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