In our article today, we will introduce you to the classification of sugar substitutes, their benefits and effects on human weight. New products are systematically appearing on supermarket shelves, including sugars (sweeteners), which promise a complete absence of side effects when consumed. However, what the manufacturer promises is not always true. Sweeteners often have a number of unpleasant consequences, and sometimes even hazardous to health.
Sugar substitutes
The most readily available and commonly used is a calorie-free sweetener, a chemical that has a rich, sweet taste. It usually requires a minimal amount to replace more sugar and its derivatives. The most famous are sweeteners such as saccharin, sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame K.
However, is it worth believing the advertisements of their manufacturers? Let's take a look at information based on the results of studies that have been devoted to the benefits and possible harms of artificial sweeteners.
Sugar substitute - benefit or harm
The main advantage of sweeteners is their zero nutritional value. In other words, they are simply the best substitute for foods and drinks that contain sugar, which is high in calories. By replacing sugar and its derivatives with sweeteners, you will have the opportunity to consume more food, which is quite high in calories, and at the same time not harm your own health. Many studies on sweeteners show that their use, or rather, replacing them with refined sugar, helps to fight diseases such as obesity, diabetes, etc. Unfortunately, at the moment, only some of the sweeteners are widely studied, while the rest are and shrouded in mystery. The most researched sweeteners, over which many laboratory and clinical trials have been carried out, are saccharin, sucralose, aspartame, acesulfame K. Let's consider each of the above sweeteners in order.
Sweetener saccharin
In 1977, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), after conducting tests on rodents, found that it contributes to the emergence of cancer in these animals. Subsequently, the FDA tried to ban the release of saccharin. While many trials have failed to determine the relationship between sweetener consumption and potential health problems in humans, given normal doses of the sweetener, some trials have found an association between sweetener consumption and some kind of cancer risk in humans.
There is also evidence of a deterioration in glucose metabolism in rodents. While this may not reliably apply to humans, it is most likely the reason for the bad reputation among sugar substitutes.
Suez et al conducted a study that performed an experiment in rodents. The experiment clearly demonstrated the result of human intake of high doses of saccharin. Two test subjects took increased doses of the sweetener, and their feces were then placed in two test rodents. As a result of the study, the scientists announced that human feces caused minor disturbances in the digestive tract of rodents, and this led to a decrease in glucose tolerance in these animals.
The media used the test results as a topic for a new wave of shocking headlines, in which the consumer was intimidated by the possible side effects of dietary foods. However, to fully assess the effect on the human body, and the digestive system in particular, sugar substitutes, it is necessary to conduct a lot of research.
Currently, there is no reliable data proving the relationship between possible harm to the human body and the use of normal doses of saccharin. In addition, saccharin has almost completely ceased to be used in dietary nutrition. Its place was almost completely taken by surcalose and aspartame.
Saccharin is now used in some sodas and Sweet'N Low sweeteners, but both are negligible. The dangerous dose of saccharin is so great that no human can ever reach it, so saccharin can be considered a fairly safe sugar substitute.
Sucralose sweetener
Although this sweetener is obtained from sugar, the human body does not recognize it as sugar. Accordingly, it contains no calories.
Most of the sweetener taken is excreted in the feces. The rest enters the bloodstream when absorbed in the digestive system, and then excreted from the bloodstream by the kidneys with urine. The ADI, or the maximum daily dose of sucralose, is 5 mg per kg of body weight, and the average person consumes no more than 1.6 mg per 1 kg of body weight per day.
Tests carried out to identify side effects did not reveal any health hazards. However, there has been some association between sucralose intake and migraine headaches.
Sweetener Aspartame
Back in 1947, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), thanks to a variety of scientific studies around the world, approved this sugar substitute as the safest for human health. However, there are also failed studies that cast doubt on the safety of aspartame.
Some studies have found a link between cancer in rodents and aspartame use. The FDA has established an ADI, or maximum daily dose of aspartame, at 50 mg per kg of human body weight. Since this dose is very high in terms of products containing aspartame, it is considered the safest of all known sweeteners.
It has been experimentally proven that a dangerous dosage for the body is much higher than the usual daily doses used by any person. Studies in rats found an increase in the dosage of the sweetener (the dose for rodents was less than the ADI), an increase in the incidence of leukemia, lymphoma, and renal cell cancer in rats.
The process of assimilation of aspartame and its ingredients in the human body is different from that of rodents. Although, undoubtedly, we and rats have similarities in metabolic processes. As a result, scientists decided not to take this effect into account when assessing the danger of aspartame to the human body.
In reasonable doses, aspartame is safe for most people. Although for those suffering from the rarest genetic disease - phenylketonuria, it can increase the level of the amino acid phenylalanine. There is evidence of a possible connection between the intake of aspartame and the occurrence of migraine.
Sweetener Acesulfame K
This sweetener is absolutely not absorbed by the human body, therefore, for us, it is not high in calories. Moreover, it is 200 times more sweet than refined sugar. In the process of decomposition of this sweetener, the substance acetoacetamide is formed, which is toxic in large quantities. Fortunately, the amount of dangerous decomposition product is very small when you take the acceptable dose of acetosulfame.
Animal tests prove the safety of the sweetener, but few human trials have been conducted to date.
Diet and weight control
It has been experimentally found that the use of sugar substitutes in food does not reduce the amount of calories from food, and those who completely replace refined sugar with sweeteners effectively reduce their own weight and the amount of fat.
While not many studies have been conducted on the effects of sweeteners on a person's weight, they have all shown excellent results in combating obesity and weight gain. Are sweeteners safe? You could put it this way: yes, they are safe for most healthy adults. Sweeteners should be used with caution in pregnant and lactating women, children, as well as people who have a tendency to migraines and epileptic seizures. So if you do not have any of the above contraindications, use sweeteners with pleasure, but remember to use them in moderation.
Video on the benefits and dangers of artificial sweeteners:
