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 |
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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 |