Most people enjoy sweets and some can't imagine living without sugar. But the 'health-conscious' bug forces them to choose for alternatives. Artificial sweeteners are commonly used by many individuals who want to lose weight or are suffering from diabetes.
Eating large amounts of sugar is behind a number of health concerns such as dental cavities, excessive weight gain and the health complications related to being overweight and obese (for example, hypertension, type 2 diabetes and heart diseases). An average person eats an average of 20 teaspoons of sugar a day. Obviously, mankind had to find a way around it. This lead to the invention of sugar substitutes, also known as artificial sweeteners.
What are Artificial Sweeteners?
Artificial sweeteners (aka sugar substitutes) are low-calorie substances that are used instead of sucrose (table sugar) to sweeten foods and beverages. These are chemicals or natural compounds that duplicates the effect of sugar in taste without as many calories. As the substitutes are more sweeter than sugar, only a small quantities is needed to create the same sweetness.
These sweeteners are often used by people as part of a weight-loss plan or to manage weight as a means to control weight gain. People with diabetes also use them to make their food taste sweet without raising blood sugar levels. However, some foods containing artificial sweeteners can still affect blood sugar because of other carbohydrates or proteins in these foods.
What are the types of Artificial Sweeteners?
There are 2 types of artificial sweeteners:
Nutritive sweeteners
The nutritive sweeteners offer same or fewer calories than sugar. Examples are fructose, maltose, lactose, honey, and polyols like sorbitol, xylitol, etc.
Non-nutritive sweeteners
These provide negligible calories and are required in minute quantities to provide the same sweetness as sugar. Examples are saccharin, aspartame, sucralose, acesulfame potassium, neotame, stevioside and cyclamate.
Are they safe?
The US FDA has approved five non-nutritive sweeteners for use in a variety of foods. The FDA has also established an Acceptable Daily Intake (ADI) for each sweetener. The ADI is the amount of food additive that can be consumed daily over a lifetime without appreciable health risk to a person on the basis of all the known facts at the time of the evaluation. These five sweeteners are saccharin (ADI - 5 mg/kg of body weight), aspartame (ADI - 50 mg/kg of body weight), acesulfame potassium (ADI - 15 mg/kg of body weight), sucralose (ADI - 5 mg/kg of body weight), and neotame (ADI - 18 mg/kg of body weight).
Numerous studies confirm that artificial sweeteners are safe for the general population. However, there are still many claims on the variety of health problems they can cause:
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Study in 1977 on male rats linked saccharin with the development of bladder cancer. Since then, more than 30 human studies have been completed and found that the results found in rats did not translate to humans, making saccharin safe for human consumption. However, there are sill claims made against saccharin on the possibility of allergic reactions in individuals who cannot tolerate sulfa drugs. It's also believed that the saccharin found in some infant formulas and can cause irritability and muscle dysfunction.
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Aspartame has been linked with many symptoms like headache, change in mood, memory loss and various cancers. However, many researches, often supported by companies producing artificial sweeteners, has failed to find any link between aspartame and cancer or other health problems.
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Aspartame is not safe for people who have the rare hereditary disease phenylketonuria (PKU).
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The studies supporting Acesulfame Potassium's safety have been challenged by a number of individuals and organizations. They claim that the existing studies are inadequate and there are flaws in the research protocols, dosing, and time length of the studies. In the manufacturing of acesulfame K, methylene chloride is used as a solvent, long exposure to which can cause headaches, depression, nausea, mental confusion, liver effects, kidney effects, visual disturbances, and cancer in humans.
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Sucralose belongs to a class of chemicals called organochlorides, some types of which are toxic or carcinogenic. However, the way sucralose is metabolized may suggest a reduced risk of toxicity. The alleged symptoms associated with sucralose are gastrointestinal problems (bloating, gas, diarrhea, nausea), skin irritations, cough, palpitations, anxiety, moods swings, depression, and itchy eyes. Long term human studies are needed to be sure about the safety of sucralose.
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Sugar alcohols may have similar affect to a laxative if consumed in excess.
So far, a new artificial sweetener, Stevia has not yet been linked to any diseases. Stevia is a natural non-caloric herb that has sweetness about 200-300 times stronger than sugar. But it still is under the testing phase.
Whether it is sugar or artificial sweeteners, sweet foods are an enjoyable part of a healthy diet. The best bet is to consume them in moderate amounts. Modest usage of sweeteners can be part of the enjoyment of eating in a healthy diet.
