Sweeter than Sugar

Sugar is often responsible for the bulging waistline as it is packed with empty calories. Yet most of us are addicted to the ‘sweet’ taste and cannot altogether do away with it. Different food additives mimicking the sugar in taste are often used nowadays. These are known as ‘Sugar substitutes’. They may be either natural or artificial chemical compounds. The Food and Drug Administration of America has so far pinpointed sucralose, saccharin, neotame, aspartame and acesulfame potassium as sugar substitutes which are safe to use.

Reasons For Consuming Sugar Substitutes- Most people try to reduce the calorie intake by substituting sugars which help them to reduce weight and combat obesity. These substitutes are not harmful for the teeth and do not cause dental plaque. People suffering from diabetes mellitus can enjoy a variety of food by simply limiting the sweetness in them. This can be done successfully by taking sugar substitutes. People with low blood-glucose level have to be careful about their diet. Artificial sweeteners in food can often help to keep the blood glucose level in check. People trying to avoid processed food may also opt for natural sugar substitutes like fruit juice or maple syrup.

Effect on Health- Almost all the commercially available diet food or health drinks have artificial sweeteners in them. Studies have shown that people using such health food are often overweight or obese. But it could not conclusively proved that the sugar substitutes were directly responsible for the weight gain. Yet it has been seen that the comfort level that people enjoy after a sugar meal are lost by using these substitutes.

Cyclamate was banned by the FDA after it had been proved to be cause for bladder cancer. Saccharin and aspartame are found to be relatively safer because their usage could not be linked directly to cancer.

Sucralose- Another substitute is made from sugar itself and is sweeter than sugar itself. The presence of chlorine in sucralose does not make it toxic. On the contrary, it is insoluble in fat and does not get stored in the body fat.