The specialists answered which is better: sweeteners or sugar

Sugar packet with sweeteners

Today, when everyone is afraid of sugar, food technologists are adding sweeteners to food. Replacing sugar with sweeteners does not reduce the desire to eat sweet at all, often even increasing the problem: we eat more sweets than necessary, because “they are healthier without sugar.”

All sweeteners on the market are acceptable and relatively safe, but will we really keep our health healthy in the long run, or will we have to apologize for the sugar?

“It is not the sugar that is bad, but its surplus,” emphasizes Raminta Bogušienė, food technologist and founder of Healthy Health.

The specialist emphasizes that substituting sugar for sweeteners does not solve the problem. Sweeteners are not allowed in children’s meals and in health institution meals, so it shouldn’t be a routine at home either. And thinking that a food with sweeteners is inherently healthier is wrong.

The description of the organization of health care and infant feeding institutions includes a number of prohibited sweeteners: E950 acesulfame K; Aspartame E951; Cyclamate E952; Saccharin E954; Sucralose E955; Thaumatina E957; E959 neohesperidin DC; Steviol Glycosides E960; Neotame E961; E962 aspartame-ecesulfame salt; E969 Advantages.

The evaluation of synthetic sweeteners is controversial; On the one hand, it is a great way to reduce the amount of added sugar, and on the other hand, studies show possible negative aspects of sweetener consumption.

The dietitian Kristina Jasmontienė points out that “it is not healthy to consume sugar or choose products with added sugar, but to drink drinks or desserts without sugar, but with a sweetener, because it has no or almost no calories and sugar, and therefore can be consumed such a product or drinking indefinitely is also wrong practice.

Modern people try at all costs to avoid thinking about food, the desire to get a simple answer: what to give up and what to eat indefinitely. In this case, sweeteners are an excellent option for these people because they justify their behavior. “

Importance and alternatives of sweeteners

Studies on the effects of sweeteners on our appetite, energy consumption and body weight show that they can reduce weight gain, but when we use them we are also fooling ourselves: we taste a sweet taste, but we get almost no energy.

Regarding child nutrition, the nutritionist highlights that there is evidence that the use of sweeteners can promote earlier maturation in children, negatively affect the intestinal microbiota in some children, which contributes to the development of obesity and the increase of insulin resistance. In addition, research also indicates that excessive consumption of drinks with sweeteners can increase the consumption of solid foods, but the sweeteners have less effect on the development of cavities.

“Limited research and conflicting data only suggest that the effects of sweeteners need to be studied and their benefits cannot be unequivocally believed,” advises the dietitian.

“Drinks or foods that contain sweeteners could be part of the diet for some time, within recommended standards for approved sweeteners and with individual placement of goals. However, they should not be blindly replaced by added sugars in drinks or foods, so that such drinks or foods can be consumed indefinitely, “advises the dietitian.

One option could be stevia.