What's the healthiest sweetener? The No. 1 pick, according to dietitians

Sweeteners used to boost coffee, tea, oatmeal, plain yogurt and other beverages come in so many varieties, they should have a menu of their own.

The many options include white sugar, brown sugar, honey, artificial sweeteners, plant-based sugar substitutes and more. But what’s the healthiest choice?

Before you choose your favorite packet for a sweet treat, here’s what nutrition experts say:

Is sugar healthy or not?

Sugar, in its simplest form, glucose, isn’t bad for the body, says registered dietitian Natalie Rizzo, nutrition editor for TODAY.

“The body actually needs glucose to live and thrive. It powers our brain, muscles and organs to perform daily functions. Beyond that, glucose also provides energy for exercise,” she notes.

“That said, ‘sugar’ is present in every single food that has carbohydrates, but that doesn’t mean all those foods are healthy.”

For example, bananas, packed with natural sugars, have other beneficial nutrients, such as fiber and potassium, but soda only has added sugar.

Table sugar, honey, maple syrup and molasses are known as nutritive sweeteners, meaning they provide energy in the form of carbohydrates, according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Nonnutritive sweeteners, known as sugar substitutes or artificial sweeteners, contain very little if any carbohydrates or energy.

As a dietitian, Rizzo says she’s all for natural sugar present in food, but it’s important to limit added sugar, since it’s normally in foods that don’t provide much nutrition.

Sugar is not inherently bad — the concern is about the extra calories in the diet, adds Joanne Slavin, Ph.D., a registered dietitian and professor of food science and nutrition at the University of Minnesota.

“We have an obesity problem,” Slavin tells TODAY.com. “But for healthy people, I would not say (sugars) are bad at all. They’re necessary.”

What’s the healthiest sweetener?

Using fruit or 100% fruit juice to sweeten foods or drinks — like adding fresh strawberries to plain yogurt, a banana to oatmeal or a bit of orange juice to sparkling water — is a healthy option because fruits contain nutrients that are beneficial to health, Rizzo says.

“If you need sweet taste, use fruit,” Slavin agrees.

When it comes to the healthiest sweetener for coffee or tea, the choice basically comes down to personal preference because the various options aren't all that different, both dietitians say.

“Honestly, all added sugar is very similar,” Rizzo notes.

“Health wise, they’re kind of a wash,” Slavin says.

From a taste test perspective, nothing beats sucrose, or plain white table sugar, for most people, Slavin adds. One teaspoon has about 16 calories.

Women should limit their added sugar to six teaspoons per day, and men to nine teaspoons, the American Heart Association advises. But people consume more than two to three times that amount, it notes.

Is honey a healthier sweetener than sugar?

Not really, the experts say.

“If you look at the composition of honey, there might be a few vitamins or minerals that would be better than a refined sucrose, but to me, that would be like splitting hairs, basically,” Slavin says. “Same thing with maple syrup.”

Honey and maple syrup might be “a tiny bit healthier” due to their trace minerals and plant compounds, Rizzo notes, but she still wouldn’t consider them healthy or a good source these nutrients in the recommended serving size of about 1 tablespoon.

Artificial sweeteners vs. sugar

Artificial sweeteners are chemically synthesized. They make up the nonnutritive sweeteners.

They don’t contain carbohydrates, so they don’t have an impact on blood sugar levels, and they’re calorie-free, TODAY.com previously reported.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has approved six artificial sweeteners: Aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose, neotame, advantame and saccharin.

The World Health Organization recommends against using such “non-sugar sweeteners” to manage weight, noting they don’t help with weight control.

In 2023, the WHO’s cancer research group categorized aspartame as a possible carcinogen. But the FDA disagreed, noting aspartame is “one of the most studied food additives in the human food supply.”

A 2022 study found a potential link between artificial sweeteners and heart disease.

Some leading researchers are calling for better-designed clinical trials investigating the long-term health effects of artificial sweeteners, NBC News reported. One growing concern is that nonsugar sweeteners may actually increase sugar cravings.

The Calorie Control Council, an industry trade group representing sweetener manufacturers, told NBC News that studies linking alternative sweeteners to health risks are based on flawed research and that the products are safe.

Rizzo says she doesn’t have much concern about artificial sweeteners. They wouldn’t be on the market unless they were generally considered safe, Slavin adds. She considers artificial sweeteners a tool in the nutrition toolkit to help people cut back on sugar.

“It’s the same thing of splitting hairs (regarding) which one is better,” Slavin says. “For a lot of people, they’re not necessary. They’re just a personal choice.”

What about stevia or monk fruit?

Stevia and monk fruit are among three types of “plant and fruit-based high-intensity sweeteners” approved by the FDA. The third type is thaumatin, a group of proteins isolated from West African Katemfe fruit.

Stevia is a plant native to South America. Components of its leaves are 200 to 400 times sweeter than table sugar, the agency notes. Some people find it has a bitter aftertaste.

The WHO counts stevia among non-sugar sweeteners that don’t help with weight control.

Monk fruit, which is native to Southern China, is 100 to 250 times sweeter than sugar.

Many people feel that because these products come from a plant rather than chemicals mixed in a lab, that gives them some benefit and sounds more consumer-friendly, Slavin says.

“But I wouldn’t say ‘Hey, only use that and never use aspartame or sucralose,’” she notes. “If I had to put them on a ranking, I probably wouldn't put them ahead of other (options).”

Even natural sweeteners go through heavy chemical processing, Dr. Maria Carolina Delgado-Lelievre, a cardiologist at the University of Miami, told NBC News.

Bottom line:

Of all the things most people need to worry about, a bit of sugar in their coffee or breakfast is "pretty low" on Slavin's list.

“When people (wonder), ‘Should I get rid of the sugar in my coffee?’ I would say for the average person, absolutely not,” she notes.

It's just a matter of not overdoing it.

Just think about what else you eat throughout the day and if you’re also eating more added sugar than you need, Rizzo advises.

This article was originally published on TODAY.com