Can you cheat your sweets?

Sugar alternatives have risen in popularity, but they may not actually be much healthier than plain old refined cane sugar.

“Added sweeteners can undermine our health no matter how natural the source,” says Sarah Ballantyne, Ph.D. in medical biophysics and the author of best seller “The Paleo Approach.”

Here’s her take on five favorite sugar subs.

“It’s a better choice” than regular sugar because it provides minerals, including manganese. Still, you’d have to “consume quite a lot for the mineral content to contribute to your diet,” Ballantyne says.

Some studies have linked the leafy sweetener to infertility, Ballantyne notes. As with artificial sweeteners, stevia might also confuse our bodies and actually increase appetite.

“I won’t touch it with a 10-foot pole,” Ballantyne says. The syrup is between 70 to 90 percent fructose; reviled high-fructose corn syrup is 55 percent.

Like maple syrup, it contains vitamins and minerals. However, its insulin fiber could cause bloating and “pretty bad gas,” Ballantyne says.

It has more vitamins and minerals than sugar, though it could be high in fructose, depending on the producer. “It does have anti-microbial properties that might be beneficial in fighting a cold,” Ballantyne says.