With more and more of us appreciating the need to reduce our sugar intake sweeteners have risen to prominence. Many people think this is a discussion for people who have diabetes, but it is actually important for everyone to understand this important aspect of feeding. Sweeteners, like the word indicates, are substances used by man and the food industry to give food and drinks a sweet taste. There are generally two types of sweeteners; Non caloric and caloric sweeteners. The difference being that some have calories and some don’t. Calories from sweeteners often come because of the sugar in the sweetener.
An excess of calories in the diet can lead to a variety of health conditions including; obesity, belly fat accumulation, a fatty liver and increased risk for diabetes, heart disease and even cancer. Hence, the push for people to consume sweet substances that do not have calories. The non-caloric sweeteners are an example of this. The thinking behind this is that if we can have sweet foods without calories, then we can have pleasure in food without all the risks of excess calories. But is this true? Not necessarily. Let’s understand why. Most non-caloric sweetners are actually synthetic (not natural). The synthetic or non-natural non-caloric sweeteners are man made and include aspartame, saccharin, acesulfame, sucralose and xylitol. Unfortunately, these artificial noncaloric sweeteners are not as safe as we may think.
They have three negative effects.
• Because most are synthetic, they are likely to cause negative effects on the body. Some of these artificial sweeteners like aspartame commonly used in diet soda have possible cancer-causing effects. Other problems that have been linked to artificial sweeteners include; headaches, migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, dizziness, anxiety, depression and increased stress.
• Non-caloric sweeteners have been linked to weight gain and not to weight loss like you would think. The thinking have been that if there are no sugars or calories, then there shouldn’t be anything to make you gain weight. However, you can gain weight, not directly from calories but indirectly. This is because the
brain associates sweet taste with energy.
Energy usually comes from calories. But with these non-caloric sweetneres, there is no energy. When the brain doesn’t get these calories or energy, the brain then compels one to fulfil the promise of calories it expected with the sweet taste, and so people find that their desire to eat something sweet goes up in order to give the brain the calories it expected. Inadvertently, you eat much more and gain weight so much more easily.
• Some sweeteners are so sweet that they make one’s taste buds less sensitive to sweetness, and so people need more sweetness to get the same effect. This can cause people to consume more sugar and sugary foods over time. Fortunately, there are some sweeteners that are healthier.
The two non-caloric natural sweeteners that I recommend are from stevia and monk fruit. Stevia from the stevia plant doesn’t have the adverse effects associated with artificial sweeteners and may even be helpful with diabetes. However, only use whole stevia leaves, the dried ground leaves and powder
extracts. Avoid altered stevia blends and stevia products made with other artificial ingredients. Monk fruit is less common in our setting but it is another good noncaloric sweetener.
What about caloric-sweeteners.
The most common we know is honey. Honey is high in calorie, but if you have blood sugar problems or if you want to control your weight, you may want to avoid honey. However, natural honey has fibre which helps to regulate the entry of the sugar/calories in honey into the blood. I recommend honey, BUT, only if it is natural, whole or raw, not refined or commercial honey and of course, it should be used in moderation. Another low calorie sweetener increasing in popularity today is one called allulose. It is the type found in figs and raisins. Like monk fruit, it isn’t too common but if you get your hands on it, it is one to consider.
By Dr. Paul Kasenene
