Press

The Truth About Sugar Substitutes

November 11, 2020

Finding the right natural sugar alternative is actually more complex than you might think. I weighed in on this piece about the different types of sugar substitutes and what you need to know to protect your health.

…It’s important to note that there’s a difference between the naturally occurring sugars in fruits and vegetables and the added sugars that are found in many packaged foods. “Research has shown that consistently high intakes of added sugars reduces the proportion of beneficial bacterial in the gut while decreasing the diversity of gut bacteria,” says Maya Feller, M.S., R.D., C.D.N., owner of Maya Feller Nutrition. Additionally, when you regularly provide your body with an excess of sugar, it struggles to keep up and you end up with too much in your bloodstream. “In the case of elevated blood sugars, the body is under consistent stress,” says Feller. “This can negatively impact the heart, eyes and vascular system — increasing the risk of developing additional metabolic conditions.”

Maya Feller

Maya Feller, MS, RD, CDN is the founder and lead dietitian at Maya Feller Nutrition. In her practice, her team provides medical nutrition therapy and nutrition coaching for cardiovascular disease, diabetes, mood disorders, developmental disabilities, disordered eating, and more. Maya believes in providing inclusive nutrition education from an anti-bias patient-centered, culturally humble approach to help people make informed food choices. Maya shares her approachable, food-based solutions with millions of people through regular speaking engagements, writing, her social platforms, and as a national nutrition expert on Good Morning America, is a Healthline Medical Advisor, and on the advisory board for SHAPE and Parents, as well as appearing on TODAY Show, Tamron Hall, and in The New York Times, mindbodygreen, Well+Good, Food Network, Martha Stewart, Real Simple, Good Housekeeping, Cooking Light, Eating Well, Prevention, Glamour, SELF, and more. She is the author of The Southern Comfort Food Diabetes Cookbook: Over 100 Recipes for a Healthy Life and Eating from Our Roots: 80+ Healthy Home-Cooked Favorites from Cultures Around the World (goop Press, January 24, 2023).

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