After the first sugar substitute (saccharin) was invented quite accidentally back in 1879, its first wave of "popularity" came only during the First World War, when the usual sugar production was not enough. Now our attention is given to a wide variety of types of sweeteners, both natural and synthetic. To natural sweeteners include: sorbitol, xylitol, stevia, fructose. Their structure is similar to the structure of sugar, they contain calories, are absorbed by the body, and give us energy. Synthetic sweeteners include: saccharin, aspartame, cyclamate, sucrasite and acesulfame potassium. These sugar substitutes are not digested by the body, have no energy value, and have a lot of side effects when they are used excessively. So before deciding and replacing sugar in your diet with a sweetener, you need to carefully understand all this "sweet variety."
The most natural of the sweeteners is fructose - it is found in all fruits, berries, flower nectar, honey, sweeter than sucrose in 1,7 times, and at the same time contains a third less calories. It can be used in baking, when preparing jam and jam, it is recommended to use it for patients suffering from diabetes. But, among other things, fructose has another great virtue - it speeds up the splitting of alcohol in the blood, and helps to remove it. Among the negative factors in the use of fructose in the diet is an increased risk of cardiovascular disease.
Such a sweetener, like xylitol, so loved by manufacturers of chewing gums and some toothpastes, is obtained from corn cobs and husks of cotton seeds. The content of calories and total sweetness is equal to the usual sugar, but in large doses it can manifest itself as a strong laxative.
Stevia, this natural sugar substitute, is not only 25 times sweeter than it, but also very useful for health. It can be safely added to any dish, where sugar is usually placed - in tea, coffee, yogurts, confectionery. It is not only absolutely non-toxic, but with prolonged use lowers blood glucose levels, positively affects the pancreas and liver, helps in eliminating allergic diathesis in children, improves sleep, increases the performance of a person - both physical and mental.
The last in a row of natural sweeteners is sorbitol, which is so abundant in apples, apricots and mountain ash. But its taste is lower than sugar three times, while the caloric content exceeds the sugar sugar by 53% (unlike other sweeteners), although it is also used as a preservative for juices and soft drinks and is recommended for use in diabetic nutrition. When using sorbitol in the body, the consumption of vitamins decreases, the microflora of the gastrointestinal tract improves. In the case of an overdose of sorbitol, indigestion, bloating, and nausea are observed.
In general, as you can see, even natural sweeteners have their own side effects. What is the situation with their artificial counterparts?
Saccharin, the first among sugar substitutes, is sweeter than sugar more than 300 times, and at the same time it is not completely absorbed by the body. According to some experts, it contains carcinogenic substances that can lead to an exacerbation of cholelithiasis. It is not recommended to eat on an empty stomach, without taking hydrocarbon-containing products and in an amount exceeding 0.2 g per day.
Aspartame, so beloved by the manufacturers of all kinds of drinks of the "Light" series and confectionery products, is at the same time the most dangerous among sugar substitutes. After all, when the temperature is only 30 degrees, it begins to decompose into a whole chain of substances, which is closed by carcinogenic formaldehyde. In a day it can take no more than 3.5 g.
Another artificial sweetener - cyclamate, it is officially banned for use in the EU and the US, but fairly widespread in the territory of Russia (not the least role in this is its cheapness). Cyclomate easily dissolves in water, is 30-50 times sweeter than sugar, and is considered the cause of renal failure. In a day it can take no more than 0.8g.
Sukrasit, although it is an artificial sweetener, but is a derivative of sucrose, it does not participate in carbohydrate metabolism, does not affect the level of sugar in the blood. When it is used, skin allergic reactions are possible. A day is allowed no more than 0.7 g.
And finally, such a sweetener as potassium acesulfame, just like other artificial sweeteners, is not digested by the body, it is quickly removed from it, and is 200 times sweeter than sugar. At the same time, it is strongly recommended to pregnant, nursing and children. It dissolves poorly, and disrupts the cardiovascular system. Its safe dose is no more than 1 g per day.
Sweeteners and sugar substitutes - harm or benefit? However much we try to control what we eat every day, but in our diet, to some extent, all these sugar substitutes come to us in the finished products. Each of them has some positive aspects, but negative ones are not more. So, if you decide to monitor your health, for your figure, and limit yourself in sweet by replacing sugar with sugar replacers - better do not do it. Much more useful for your figure, and for your health, there will be a transition to completely natural sweets in the form of fruits, dried fruits and berries. Do not "deceive" your body, take care of it - and it will respond to you with excellent forms and well-being.