delicious UK – April 2018

TRUE OR FALSE?

Oicialheathpolicystates

that alternative sweeteners

canhelpweightloss

TTRUETFALSE

The long-term eects of

consuming large quantities

of sweeteners are unknown.

TTRUETFALSE

Evidence suggests long-

term consumption of large

quantities of sweeteners

mightincreasetheriskof

type2diabetes,obesity

and cardiovascular disease

TTRUETFALSE

Some medical experts

suggest drinks containing

sweeteners are unsuitable

for children

TTRUETFALSE

Accordingtoatheory,

sweeteners might trigger

sugar cravings

TTRUETFALSE

•AcesulfameKUp to

200timessweeterthan

sugar and calorie-free,

often blended with

sucralose and used to

decrease the bitter

aftertaste of aspartame.

•Aspartame200 times

sweeterthansugarand

lowcalorie.Themost

controversial sweetener,

once linked to cancer,

atheorylaterdisproved.

•SaccharinThe oldest

artificial sweetener.

Calorie-free and

300-400 times sweeter

thansugar.Canhavea

bitter aftertaste.

•SorbitolExtracted

from glucose, resembles

sugarwith60percentof

itssweetnessand30per

cent fewer calories. Can

havealaxativeeffectif

youhavealotofit.

•Stevia200-300

times sweeter than

sugar, extracted from

theleavesofaplant

native to Central and

South America.

•SucraloseCalorie-free

andupto650times

sweeterthansugar.

Valuedforhavingno

bitter aftertaste; often

combined with other

low-calorie sweeteners

to dilute its sweetness.

• XylitolLow-calorie
  sweetener obtained from
  avarietyofplants.Xylitol
  isapolyol,akindof
  carbohydrate. Polyols
  are banned from soft
  drinks in the EU because
  of their laxative effect.

your health.

High regular consumption of artificial sweeteners

could cause spikes in blood sugar levels and increase

insulin resistance which, in turn, could increase the

risk of developing type 2 diabetes

sweeteners are safe for humans,” states
Cancer Research UK.
But even if sweeteners are safe, the
question remains: are they healthy
options? There’s conflicting evidence.
Emerging research indicates that, rather
than helping with weight loss, long-term
consumption might actually have the
opposite effect and cause weight gain.

THE BENEFITS
The European Food Safety Authority has
approved claims by manufacturers that
sweeteners help prevent tooth decay,
control blood sugar levels and reduce calorie
intake. An enquiry into carbohydrates and
health by the Government’s Scientific
Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN)
in 2015 also concluded they were safe.
“Replacing sugar with sweeteners in our
foods and drinks can reduce the number
of calories consumed, helping us to
achieve and maintain a healthy weight,”
says Professor Louis Levy, head of nutrition
science at Public Health England. “Our
latest evidence review suggests sweeteners
are safe and have a role in tackling obesity.”

...AND SOME CONCERNS

Some studies suggest that consuming

artificial sweeteners over the long term is

likely to make people gain weight. An

investigation published in the Canadian

Medical Association Journal underwent a

review of 37 studies involving more than

400,000 people. It found a link between

regular consumption of sweeteners and

weight gain, obesity, high blood pressure,

diabetes, heart disease and other problems.

“Given the increasing use of non-nutritive

sweeteners, caution is warranted until the

risks and benefits of these products are

fully characterised,” the study concluded.

It’s unclear why sweeteners might

trigger weight gain. It could be the body

becomes confused when it consumes

something sweet that has no calories,

triggering hunger. Another theory is that

sweeteners fuel sugar cravings, or alter

our gut bacteria in a way that impairs our

ability to control blood sugar levels.

In theory at least, sweeteners don’t raise

blood sugar levels the way sugar does, so

are considered safe for diabetics. However,

a study given to the European Association

THE 7 MOST COMMON ALTERNATIVE

SWEETENERS USED IN THE UK

for the Study of Diabetes last year found

that sweeteners can interfere with the way

the body processes glucose. The University

of Adelaide’s Dr Richard Young, who led

the study, says: “High regular consumption

of artificial sweeteners may be a path to

poorer blood sugar control in humans.”

This could cause spikes in blood sugar and

increase insulin resistance, which is when

the body fails to keep blood glucose levels

under control. “This, in turn, could increase

the risk of developing type 2 diabetes,

obesity and cardiovascular diseases,” Dr

Young says. Research is set to continue.

Harvard School of Public Health advises

low-calorie drinks are best consumed in

small amounts over a short period of time.

And because the long-term effects of these

sweetened drinks ‘are unknown’, the

advice is for children to avoid them.

THE BOTTOM LINE

Alternative sweeteners are widely

regarded as safe, but emerging evidence

suggests that consuming large quantities

over the long-term may have health

implications including weight gain.