#1

Key Points

  • Lucuma, a South American fruit known for its caramel-like flavor, is gaining popularity as a lower-calorie, antioxidant-rich alternative to sugar.
  • Lucuma contains fiber, polyphenols, and carotenoids, which may support blood sugar regulation and heart health and help reduce oxidative stress.
  • Typically sold as a powder, lucuma can be added to coffee, oatmeal, smoothies, and baked goods, but it’s less sweet than sugar.

If you’re looking to eat healthier, you might want to steer clear of added sugars. (These are sugars that food manufacturers add to products to enhance flavor or prolong shelf life, according to Harvard Health.) Consuming a diet high in added sugars can raise your risk of dying from heart disease, increase the chances of developing Type 2 diabetes or certain cancers, and even accelerate cellular aging. So if you want to live a longer, healthier life, replacing your regular cane sugar may be one of your best options.

That’s where alternative sweeteners — including everything from stevia, monk fruit, agave, and more — come in. Most can be found at your local grocery or health food store and are available in powder, crystal, or liquid form. But one you might not be familiar with is lucuma, a fruit from South America that resembles an orange avocado — and may offer just as many health benefits.

Lucuma, as a recent study shows, had “significant amounts of polyphenols, flavonoids, and carotenoids, known for their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties.” Additionally, the research found that lucuma’s “fatty acid profile was also favorable, with a high percentage of α-linolenic acid, which is associated with numerous health benefits.”

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#3

Has anyone tried this Lucuma? They sell it on Amazon. I get the feeling I would need too much of it to sweeten my coffee.

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#4

Stopped using refined sugar (beet sugar) over 5 years ago in my coffee. Been using Stevia… looks like another good choice. In that Stevia itself does not fight cancer… but as a natural sweetener - makes me feel better.

Common sweetener could hold untapped potential to fight aggressive cancer, study finds

New research from Hiroshima University in Japan revealed that stevia leaf extract could help fight [pancreatic cancer] cells.

In laboratory research, the fermented extract exhibited “significantly enhanced antioxidant activity and cytotoxicity” against pancreatic cancer cells, the researchers revealed.

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#5

I’m not sure the stevioside extract used as a sweetener would be the cause of this anticancer effect but I’ve felt much better since making the switch from sugar to stevia.

I might give lucuma a go, but it’s not a zero calorie sweetener.

I’ve also tried inulin but I found it produced uncomfortable amounts of bloating.

I like xylitol. That does contain carbohydrates, but it also has a number of beneficial properties like being good for oral health.

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#6

I found allulose, and I haven’t looked back since.

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#7

I found that allulose caused diarrhea.

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#8

I had this and other terrible symptoms from erythritol. Apparently this is a dangerous one.

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#9

I’ve tried a lot of sweeteners. I’ve used Erythritol blended with small amounts of Stevia extract for years because mixing sweeteners gives a more natural taste imo. Monk-fruit extract never worked for me, even in tiny amounts. Allulose tastes great, but in the UK it’s too pricey for everyday use, otherwise it’d be my go-to. I’m now switching to Xylitol with a dash of stevia, but apparently it may share some of erythritol’s downsides (if they even exist). For tea, I stick to Trehalose: it has some benefits and is just a touch less sweet than sugar, but again is a bit pricey. Will give Lucuma a try if I can find it in the UK.

#10

Five grams of glycine is enough to sweeten my drink - hibiscus tea with green tea, and coffee later.

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#11

I’ve been consuming substantial amounts of erythritol lately, but you are reminding me about the cardiovascular risk concerns, which may overwhelm the benefits of lower blood glucose. The fact is that erythritol has a good taste, or better, it has no aftertaste, unlike Stevia (which too often is actually erythritol + a little stevia). Thanks to Admin for the tip, I knew nothing about lucuma and just ordered it, it may be expensive but I’m going to concoct some stevia-lucuma mixture, anyone else has tried that out?

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#12

C’mon you savages :joy:! How can you ruin good quality coffee and tea with sweetners?!

Kidding, I myself add cacao to my coffee, but I don’t do it for taste reasons, rather strictly for health. Green/white tea I add nothing to, just drink it straight.

I actually like the taste of black coffee, and get some high quality coffee from a local cafe, but that’s not a daily thing.

Allulose has some research behind it with health benefits for blood sugar control, but somehow I just don’t like the taste of it, sadly. So I threw out the rest of it (bought on Amazon).

Funny thing, if you avoid sugar and sweetners, with time, I find you lose the taste for it. When I was on CR, I actually developed a strong aversion to all cookies, cakes, candies, chocolates and the like, because I found them unbearably sweet. In general, to this day I find American baked goods way, way too sweet. The only time I consume cake is when I travel in Europe, as they don’t use as much sugar (sadly that too is changing, and they’re starting to use more). For home, my wife occasionally bakes very low sugar things like beer bread, where you can control how much sugar you use.

Bottom line, you can train your taste buds. Win some, lose some. I can no longer enjoy most confectionery stuff and full sugar things like jams and the like, but on the win side most fruit tastes amazing and fully substitutes for cookies and such, while being healthier. YMMV.

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#13

I’ve ordered some to give a go.

#14

Just received the bag of powdered lucuma I ordered. I tasted it alone, pretty fine, then I mixed it with pure cacao powder and hot water, and it was short of disgusting.
Added some stevia, a little better, good for adventurous tastes. It will probably combine better with milk or yogurt. Definitely not a substitute for erythritol, stevia or other common sweeteners.

#15

Xylitol might be a healthier option than erythritol, and I can confirm it’s very similar in taste and probably even more like sugar. Not good if you have dogs as it’s toxic for them, and I wouldn’t want to risk it with cats either, just in case.

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#16

@Beat TheOdds

You know what, one of the first things I did after this topic reminded me of the MACE issues associated with erythritol was to search for xylitol. Unfortunately, recent research seems to confirm that it may share some of the side effects with its cousin, erythritol. A research branch still in its early stages, yet we are here building meticulous schemes to decrease cardiovascular risk. The precautionary principle dictates that we do not accept the risk of undermining such schemes, even if with a low degree of probability. The degree of probability is still unknown, but the possibility is there.

#17

Was the lucuma gritty in the cacao drink?

I’m likely going to use stevia most of the time but something with a little carbohydrates like lucuma would be nice every now and then.

#18

No, the lucuma powder is very fine, the issue was not the grittiness but the taste combination. I’ve yet to experiment with other combinations. On its own, though, the powder is good.

#19

Attia doesn’t seem to think it should ring any alarms bells. Of course, it’s up to us individually to decide. I’m biased since I have to eat a liquid diet of smoothies and soups and have become somewhat reliant on erythritol, xylitol and stevia. If more conclusive evidence comes to light I will definitely have a rethink.

#20

I like stevia. I don’t think it is better than lucuma, but I prefer its taste. I think it is much safer than erythritol, which I unfortunately took for quite some time when it was popular in health food blogs, etc. It avoids the blood sugar spikes and calories associated with many artificial sweeteners. “Meta-analyses and clinical studies show improved glycemic control, particularly in individuals with higher BMI, diabetes, or hypertension.”
I don’t think stevia has any particular health benefits other than replacing the negative benefits of sugar.

“Found in everything from protein bars to energy drinks, erythritol has long been considered a safe alternative to sugar. But new research suggests this widely used sweetener may be quietly undermining one of the body’s most crucial protective barriers – with potentially serious consequences for heart health and stroke risk.”

Stevia is 200-300 times sweeter than sugar, so most stevia-based sweeteners include fillers like maltodextrin, erythritol, and others to make them easier to use. To avoid these additives, I buy pure stevia powder and transfer it to a salt shaker. That way, I can easily sprinkle a small amount onto anything I want to sweeten.

https://scitechdaily.com/scientists-supercharge-sugar-substitute-and-it-starts-killing-cancer/

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#21

Thanks for reminding, I knew about his comments on erythritol but not about xylitol. I wish I were so convinced as he is. What makes me reluctant to proceed with my habits presently is that I reached a level of erythritol consumption which is objectively pretty high, 30 grams, maybe 50 per day. Plus various sweeteners I ingest from commercial drinks. I think that stevia is probably healthier, even because such tiny amounts are needed to reach a significant level of sweetness.

That’s a sensible attitude