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Submitted by PatientsEngage on 31 July 2014

All you need to know about artificial sweeteners and sugar-free treats. By Dr Gita Mathai, a paediatrician and family practitioner. 

Food is enjoyed if it looks, smells and tastes good. It needs to provide an appetising blend of salt, sugar, bitters, sourness and spice. The first three in excess are “injurious to health”, and, of these, sugar is considered the greatest villain of all. It is purported to be singlehandedly responsible for the global epidemic of obesity and diabetes. It is addictive, so once we get used to the taste, cravings set in if it is cut out from our diet. 

Sugar is everywhere, not just visibly as granules or cubes, but often imperceptibly disguised, in chips, sauces, jams and even pickles! It is added to vegetarian and non-vegetarian dishes to bring out the flavour of the other ingredients. As a level teaspoon provides 20 calories, it adds to the calorie count, contributes to weight gain and pushes diabetes out of control.

Related reading on the increase in Sugar in the food around us: Sugar v/s Fat

Dieters and diabetics want to cut sugar out of their diet. This has provided a lucrative market for sugar substitutes. They are purported to address cravings, and provide the taste, while at the same time protecting from added calories and elevated blood sugar levels.

The oldest artificial sweetener on the market is saccharin. It is safe, provided the daily intake is less than 5mg/kg. It belongs to the “sulpha” group of drugs so it can cause allergies in people sensitive to this group of products. 

Aspartame, the newer product, is heat stable so it can be added while cooking. It provides 13 calories per teaspoon (only 7 calories less than sugar). It is safe and 50mg/kg can be consumed a day. 

Splenda contains an intensely sweet mix of sucralose, dextrose and maltodextrin. It provides 2 calories and 0.5g of carbohydrate per teaspoon. This means that it is neither sugar nor calorie-free. 

Food may be advertised as containing “natural” artificial sweeteners. This may be jaggery (brown sugar, molasses) honey, date or corn syrup, fructose or sorbitol. All these products are safe, but they eventually follow the same metabolic pathway as sugar. This defeats the purpose for which they are being used.

The only natural sweetener available in the market is a product called Stevia, a highly purified crystallised extract of the plant stevia rebaudiana. It can be used for cooking as it is heat stable. It provides “zero” calories and is safe for diabetics and dieters. It does not have any side effects.

The market is flooded with “sugar-free” jams, biscuits, chocolate, Indian sweets, cakes and pastries. They are made with a variety of the above sugar substitutes alone or in combination. They do provide a “sweet” alternative, but may leave a synthetic or bitter aftertaste. They are not really a substitute for the “real thing.” Also, since sugar provides bulk, other ingredients have to be tweaked while cooking. This often means that the reduction in total calorie consumption may not be significant. 

Labels on products should be carefully studied to calculate calories and ascertain if there is any disguised sugar to provide taste and pander to your sweet tooth.

The safest path? Face your sugar addiction head on. Instead of looking for shortcuts and alternatives, just control the quantity consumed, or, cut it from your diet!

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