Are Sweeteners Good For Your Health?

The word sugar gives us more and more respect and we avoid buying or consuming foods that contain the word written on the food label. The World Health Organization () recommends at least 10% free, that is, sugar added in food or naturally present in honey, syrup and fruit juices. Even if drops below 5% of caloric intake would produce added health benefits.

Taking as an example an adult who consumes 2,000 kcal should reduce their sugar intake to less than 50 grams per day and if they consume less than 25 grams per day (6 lumps of 4 g) even better.

It should be noted that this recommendation does not apply to intrinsic sugars or simple sugars naturally present in foods, such as fresh fruit, vegetables or milk. However, avoid consuming the limit amount recommended by the WHO It is not an easy task since many products that we buy contain free or added sugars.

What are sweeteners?

The food industry has created sweeteners, an alternative to sugar that are used to create the same level of sweetness without hardly adding calories and avoiding the abusive consumption of sugar. In addition, these natural or synthetic sugar substitutes are cheaper for the industry since they are cheaper to produce and also have greater sweetening power. Compared to sucrose or table sugar, sweeten 30 to 300 times moretherefore, small amounts are needed to create the same sweet taste. In our society, the use of sweeteners to sweeten food is becoming more and more common. Its objective is to maintain the palatability of the diet, replacing sugar of the food we eat, but reducing your caloric intake.

Do they pose a health risk?

Until today, studies have shown that the artificial sweeteners we consume they are safe for health and they have been approved by the organizations that regulate what we consume, the FDA in the US and the EFSA in the European Union. However, there is still controversy about its possible risks or, above all at the metabolic level. The latest studies show that artificial sweeteners are not metabolically inactive, meaning they can modify hormonal regulation and the gut microbiota. The reality is that the consumption of sweeteners grows every day, which makes it increasingly necessary to determine the amounts ingested and control their consumption on the population to avoid exceeding the recommended daily intake amount.

Types of sweeteners

All authorized artificial sweeteners that we find on the market are classified as Food Additives and on the food label we find them with their corresponding number E. Some can be found naturally in food.

Sorbitol (E420)

It is used a lot to create light products or "sugar-free" since they provide fewer calories than sugar or sucrose. What's more, does not cause cavities and it has an anticariogenic action, making it an ideal additive for gum, toothpaste and medicines. By contrast, when we consume it, a part ferments in the intestine and colon, producing digestive discomfort. Therefore, if its consumption exceeds one dose (0.17 g / kg in women and 0.24 g / kg in men) it has a laxative effect and produces diarrhea. As a curious fact, we also find this sugar naturally and in abundance in some fruits (pears, plums, peaches, apricots). Another polyol that is obtained from the cellulose or sugar of birch is the xylitol.

Saccharin (E954)

Sweeten 300 times more than sugar and cyclamate (E952) 40 times more. They are usually found combined in food since saccharin, having a bitter aftertaste, if it is mixed with cyclamate a more pleasant organoleptically flavor is achieved. They do not provide calories since they are not metabolized and are excreted in the urine. They are usually used for cooking and we find them in the production of chewing gum, sugar-free soft drinks, light foods, yogurt without sugar, pastries without sugar ...

Acesulfame K (E950)

Sweetens 200 times more than sugar, but leaves a metallic aftertaste in the mouth so it is often combined with other sweeteners such as aspartame and sucralose. It is also not metabolized and is excreted in the urine. Its main advantage is that it withstands heat and for this reason it is used in baked goods such as cookies or pastries.

Sucralose (E955)

Sweeten 600 times more than sugar, it resists high temperatures and, together with acesulfame K, increases sweetness.

Stevia

The stevia that is marketed and we know as, is not the plant or its dried leaves, it is a mixture of different sweeteners, among which is stibium glycoside (E960). Its main advantage is that it sweetens like sugar without hardly any caloric intake. In addition, it is not related to the appearance of cavities unlike sugar.

Aspartame

As a special mention we will name the aspartame (E951) for being probably the sweetener most persecuted in the media in recent years. Aspartame sweetens 200 times more than sugar, does not provide calories and is widely used in sugar-free soft drinks. It is composed of two amino acids (phenylalanine and aspartic acid) are also naturally present in food, mainly in foods rich in protein, both of animal origin and of plant origin. These amino acids they are not harmful for health and do not pose any risk in normal consumption. However, it does affect people with a metabolic disease called phenylketonuria, since they do not properly break down phenylalanine, accumulating in the body and can cause brain damage. For this reason, foods with aspartame include on their label the warning: "source of phenylalanine."

In summary, there is a new consumption pattern that is characterized by a high intake of processed products or foods with some modification in the fat or sugar content. This feeding model is far from the traditional one based on the fact that it stands out for the great variety of natural and healthy foods. For this reason, we must accustom our palate to the natural flavor of food and its different flavors without the need to add additives.

• The artificial or synthetic sweeteners are economical for the industry since they are cheaper to produce and also have a greater sweetening power.
• Until today, studies have shown that the artificial sweeteners we consume are safe and approved by regulatory organizations competent.
• Currently, the most consumed artificial sweeteners are aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, stevia, polyalcohols (xylitol, sorbitol), acesulfame potassium, cyclamate.

Deborah Blasco Nutritional Nurse Specialist