If you follow a Paleo diet, you’ve probably grown used to avoiding a lot of foods that are popular in a typical Western diet. Refined sugars and sweeteners are among some of the least Paleo-friendly foods out there – but which of these sweeteners are the WORST for Paleo?
Some of the worst sugars and sweeteners for Paleo include:
- Agave nectar
- Artificial sweeteners
- Sugar alcohols
- Sugars made from sugar cane
- Corn syrups
- Sweeteners made from grains
We’ll break down all of these categories and list the specific sweeteners that are the worst for Paleo next!
Paleo diet basics
A Paleo (short for Paleolithic) diet is an eating style that mimics what hunters and gatherers ate thousands of years ago before farming began. The Paleo diet (also called the “caveman diet”) is based on what people ate in the Paleolithic era, which began around 2.5 million years ago.
A Paleo diet excludes many foods prevalent in a typical Western diet today, such as all refined and artificial sweeteners. While there are some Paleo-friendly sweeteners, most aren’t Paleo-approved.
Which sugars and sweeteners are the worst for Paleo? Find out next!
Worst sugars and sweeteners for Paleo
Agave nectar
Agave nectar has been portrayed as a healthy, natural sweetener and a good alternative to regular table sugar. Unfortunately, most versions of agave nectar are highly processed and refined, which strips the natural nutrients from agave nectar.
In case you’re wondering, agave nectar is made from different species of the agave plant – including the same one that tequila is made from (blue agave)! It has a lower glycemic index compared to table sugar (17 vs. 65, respectively), but is still considered an added sugar and can raise blood sugar levels if consumed in large enough quantities.
Artificial sweeteners
All types of artificial sweeteners are off-limits for Paleo since they were only discovered in the late 1800s (saccharin in 1879!). Artificial sweeteners are manmade and don’t occur in nature, and they are much sweeter than regular table sugar.
Some examples of artificial sweeteners include:
- Acesulfame potassium
- Advantame
- Aspartame
- Neotame
- Saccharin
- Sucralose
Sugar alcohols
Even though sugar alcohols occur naturally in some foods (albeit in small amounts), they are generally considered artificial when isolated and used solely as a sweetener.
Sugar alcohols are poorly digested, which means you don’t absorb calories from them. Despite their name, sugar alcohols are neither sugars nor alcohol!
Sugar alcohols that aren’t Paleo-approved include:
- Arabitol
- Erythritol
- Isomalt
- Lactitol
- Maltitol
- Mannitol
- Sorbitol
- Xylitol
Sweeteners made from sugar cane
Cane sugar, AKA “regular” sugar or table sugar, is the most popular sweetener in the United States. It’s made from sugar cane, as are many other types of sweeteners. The different types of sweeteners made from sugar cane are from various steps of the sugar-making process.
Some of the different types of sweeteners made from sugar cane that are the worst for Paleo include:
- Barbados sugar
- Brown sugar
- Cane sugar (table sugar, white sugar, granulated sugar)
- Crystallized cane juice
- Decorating sugar
- Demerara sugar
- Evaporated cane juice
- Molasses
- Okinawa black sugar
- Panela
- Powdered sugar
- Simple syrup (made with cane sugar)
- Sucanat
- Turbinado sugar
Corn syrup
Corn syrup is highly processed and is made by converting corn starch into glucose, a type of sugar. Light corn syrup is clear in color, and dark corn syrup has molasses added to it.
Corn syrup can be used in home baking and is also a popular sweetener in processed foods (it’s less expensive than regular sugar).
High-fructose corn syrup
High-fructose corn syrup is another type of corn syrup in which some of the glucose molecules are turned into fructose, making it a bit sweeter than regular sugar. Like corn syrup, high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS) is utilized in processed foods and sugary beverages because it’s cheaper and sweeter than regular sugar.
Sweeteners made from grains
Grains aren’t allowed on Paleo, so sweeteners made from grains are some of the worst for Paleo.
Which sweeteners are made from grains?
- Barley malt syrup
- Brown rice syrup
- Maltodextrin (made from corn)
FAQs:
Sorghum is a “pseudo-grain”, a plant that isn’t technically a grain, but resembles grains nutrition-wise. Some Paleo dieters say sorghum is OK, while others maintain that it’s not Paleo. Sorghum syrup is a sweetener made from sorghum, which is generally considered NOT Paleo-friendly.
A few Paleo-approved sweeteners include monk fruit sweetener, coconut sugar, and maple syrup, among several others.
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