Millions of people around the world have a strong connection between sweets and rewards: do something — take a candy. But sugar is a carbohydrate, the energy value of which is extremely high: about 350-400 kcal per 100 g. Its consumption in large quantities provokes the appearance of excess weight (not to mention diseases such as diabetes). Sugar substitutes were originally created as a way to preserve sweetness — but without increasing the energy value.
What are sugar substitutes?
- Fructose: A natural carbohydrate, one-third less caloric than sugar. In small quantities, it is acceptable in the diet of those suffering from diabetes.
- Erythritol: The so-called “melon sugar”, is 95% less caloric than regular sugar. True, and less sweet. Processed in the body without the participation of insulin.
- Stevioside (or stevia): Produced from the stevia plant. 200 times sweeter than sugar, but completely calorie-free. Disadvantage: many do not like the peculiar taste.
- Aspartame: Synthetic sweetener in tablets: one piece replaces 3-4 teaspoons of sugar. Not suitable for hot dishes and drinks, as it is destroyed when heated.
- Saccharin: The sweetest: more than 500 times sweeter than white sugar. Also included in sugar substitute tablets, but is not recommended for consumption in large quantities.
- Xylitol: A sweetener well known from chewing gum commercials also found in many syrups. Essentially a by-product of corn processing. It is as caloric as sugar but does not destroy tooth enamel.
- Sorbitol: A preservative used in juices and carbonated drinks, it is 4 times less caloric than sugar.
- Sucralose: is made on the basis of sucrose, so it does not affect glucose levels and insulin production, does not participate in carbohydrate metabolism, and is also 650 times sweeter than sugar.
- Cyclamate: It is a part of complex sugar substitutes, it is not found in pure form. The cheapest sweetener, it is used quite often in Russia.
How much can you eat per day?
None of the sugar substitutes can be consumed in unlimited quantities – as, indeed, any product in the world. As a rule, the main harm to the body when using sugar substitutes can be done exactly this way – by exceeding the recommended dose.
Here is the list: from the highest acceptable daily intake to the lowest (based on an adult weighing over 50 kg):
- erythritol – 45-50 g per day
- xylitol – 35-40 g per day
- fructose – 30-40 g per day
- sorbitol – 30-40 g per day
- aspartame – 3.5 g per day
- sucralose – 0.9-1.5 g per day
- cyclamate – 0.5-0.7 g per day
- saccharin – 0.2 g per day
- stevioside – 0.2 g per day
What are the benefits and dangers of sugar substitutes?
The benefits of sugar substitutes are clear: they allow you to eat sweets, even if you have a high BMI or diabetes. In addition, they create a much smaller load on the cardiovascular system than glucose and are safer for teeth. Or – rather, this is a funny scientific curiosity – xylitol has proven effective in treating otitis in children.
But potential harm is still being studied. The fact is that many synthetic sugar substitutes were created relatively recently, and long-term studies are extremely few for objective reasons. For example, there is a widespread belief that sweeteners stimulate appetite – and a person eats more, gaining weight even when giving up sugar. However, this judgment still remains nothing more than a hypothesis.
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However, the cumulative negative effect of some sugar substitutes has been proven:
- Cyclamate has been banned from use in the United States and many European countries since the early 1970s because it is suspected of causing kidney failure;
- Regular consumption of aspartame may cause headaches;
- A number of studies have identified the possible effects of saccharin on the gut microbiome, which may result in an increased risk of gastrointestinal diseases;
- People with a relatively rare allergy to sulfonamides risk developing diarrhea or a rash when consuming saccharin and other sweeteners;
- Sugar substitutes are contraindicated for people with the hereditary metabolic syndrome phenylketonuria (which is one of the few curable hereditary diseases of this type).
But what about the main fear when consuming synthetic products – the development of cancerous tumors? Not a single study has found any correlation or cause-and-effect relationship between the presence of sugar substitutes in the diet and the occurrence of tumors.
So is it possible to use sugar substitutes?
The answer is, of course, yes, provided you control the volume. Limiting foods with artificial sweeteners is also important from the point of view of developing eating habits. Considering how much sweeter artificial substances are than natural glucose and sucrose, there is a risk of becoming “addicted” to sweets — and “overdosing.”
What else can be done?
Try to reduce sugar consumption where it would seem impossible: for example, the classic proportion of jam 1:1 – a kilogram of berries per kilogram of sugar – is not that it is outdated, but rather is designed for long-term storage of jars that can save a large family from starvation. For several jars of jam stored from mid-summer to mid-winter, there is probably room in the refrigerator – which means that sugar, as a preservative, is no longer needed there. If you find room for berries in the freezer, you can do without sugar at all: defrosted strawberries have enough natural sweetness to decorate porridge, cottage cheese, or compote.
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