Sugar substitute

Types of Sugar Substitutes

  • Artificial sweeteners: aspartame, saccharin, sucralose, acesulfame potassium
  • High-intensity sweeteners: aspartame, monk fruit extract, saccharin, sucralose, stevia
  • Sugar alcohols: sorbitol, xylitol, mannitol, erythritol, lactitol

Specific Sugar Substitutes and their Characteristics

  • Allulose: similar to fructose, not metabolized as sugar, 70% as sweet as sugar
  • Acesulfame potassium: 200 times sweeter than sucrose, slight bitter aftertaste, stable under heat
  • Aspartame: 180-200 times sweeter than sugar, used in various products, deemed safe for consumption
  • Cyclamate: banned in the US, weak evidence of carcinogenic activity
  • Mogrosides (monk fruit): recognized as safe, used in commercial products
  • Saccharin: first artificial sweetener, 300-500 times sweeter than sucrose, used in various products
  • Steviol glycosides (stevia): natural sweetener, banned as a food additive but available as a supplement
  • Sucralose: most commonly used artificial sweetener, 600 times sweeter than sugar

Reasons for Using Sugar Substitutes

  • Dental health: sugar substitutes do not erode teeth or promote decay
  • Calorie reduction: used in diet drinks to sweeten without adding calories
  • Blood glucose management: sugar substitutes do not increase blood glucose levels
  • Reactive hypoglycemia: sugar substitutes help maintain stable blood glucose levels
  • Cost and shelf-life advantages: sugar substitutes are cheaper and have longer shelf life

Impact of Sugar Substitutes on Health

  • Glucose metabolism: sugar substitutes prevent spikes in blood glucose levels
  • Diabetes risk: overconsumption of sugar substitutes may increase the risk of diabetes
  • Reactive hypoglycemia: sugar substitutes help individuals with this condition maintain stable blood glucose levels

Research Findings on Sugar Substitutes

  • Energy intake and weight management: moderate use of sugar substitutes may help limit energy intake and assist with weight management
  • Body weight: inconclusive association between non-nutritive sweeteners and body weight
  • Obesity: consuming sweetened products, including artificial sweeteners, may be associated with weight gain
  • Cancer: scientific data does not support a link between artificial sweeteners and cancer
  • Mortality: high consumption of artificially sweetened beverages may be associated with higher all-cause mortality and cardiovascular disease mortality.

Sugar substitute Data Sources

Reference URL
Glossary https://www.alternix.com/blogs/glossary-of-terms/sugar-substitute
Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sugar_substitute
Wikidata https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q626292
Knowledge Graph https://www.google.com/search?kgmid=/m/0g24k
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