It’s hard to find somebody who doesn’t like sweets. After all, most of us cannot imagine life without sugar. Even those who say they don’t like sweets much, may still add a teaspoon of sugar or some sweetener to their coffee or tea. Not to mention various products that contain sugar, refined glucose, sucrose, maltose, lactose or sugar cane juice.
Some people are using sugar substitutes. But are they really always the best solution? Let’s talk about the most popular sugar substitutes.
Artificial sweeteners are one of the four categories of food additives. These include additives that provide sweet taste. Sweetener is a substance that has no sugar and they are used to reduce the calorific value of meals. Artificial sweeteners are much cheaper and sweeter than sugar. Here are the most commonly used ones:
Cyclamate (E952). It does not have bitter taste which is common for many sweeteners, so it is very widely used. It is 30 times sweeter than sugar. However, it is not recommended for children and pregnant women. Part of the research indicates that cyclamate chromosomal damage and increases the risk of cancer. It was found that it can cross placenta and damage the embryo wall metabolism. Animal studies have shown that this sweetener may lead to urinary bladder tumors. The US has banned it as carcinogenic.
Thaumatin (E957) is 2000-3000 times sweeter than sugar, but it is unstable in hot and acidic conditions.
Acesulfame K (E950). It is 200 times sweeter than sugar and it is harmless.
Saccharin (E954). Saccharin has been used for more than a hundred years, and it is 300-500 times sweeter than sugar. It has a bitter taste, so it cannot completely replace sugar. Although scientists do not yet have the same opinion about effects of saccharin on health, studies have shown that it is absorbed slowly, it reduces blood sugar levels, and it does not accumulate in the blood. The tests on mice have shown that high doses of saccharin can lead to bladder cancer.
Aspartame (E951). It does not have a bitter taste, and it is sweeter than sugar by 180-200 times. It is least damaging to the human body, but if is used for a long time and at high doses, aspertame may lead to neurological disorders. Aspartame should not be used in patients with the metabolic disorder phenylketonuria, because it increases phenylalanine (one of the twenty amino acids found in proteins) in the blood.
Acesulfame K (E950). It is 200 times sweeter than sugar and it is harmless for humans.