Whenever you plan to cut down calories to reduce weight or need to avoid sugar due to diabetic issues. The first thing that comes into your mind is to replace sugar with sugar-free as a sugar substitute in your diet. Which is an effective and beneficial way to do it.
But when choosing a sugar substitute you should gain some knowledge and information about it.
The foremost question you ask “is sugar-free safe for health?”
Though most of the sugar free and sugar free products are safe and are approved by FDA but only moderate intake is recommended.
What is sugar-free?
Sugar-free is a sugar alternative that provides a sweet taste similarly like sugar while differing in calories to low or almost zero calories. These are also called “artificial sweeteners” which are derived through the manufacturing of particular plant extracts or processed by chemical processes in which sugar alcohols are derived from sugars.
Sugar-free is also a basic ingredient in diet beverages and food to sweeten them without adding extra calories.
The invention of sugar-free has been a great relief and it’s like a gift for diabetics and fitness enthusiasts who wants to have sweets without adding any extra calories.
let’s try to find out “is sugar-free safe for health”?
Few types of sugar-free:
- Sucralose
- Stevia
- Aspartame
- Acesulfame Potassium
What is Sucralose?
Sucralose was discovered in 1976 by scientists from Tate & Lyle. During the research one of the researchers misheard the word “test” as “taste”, so he tasted it and found the compound to be extraordinarily sweet. Sucralose is about 320-1000 times sweeter than table sugar (sucrose). Most of the ingested sucralose is not broken down by the body, so it is non-caloric.
Tate & Lyle subsequently developed sucralose-based Splenda products in partnership with Johnson & Johnson. Splenda became a global brand of sugar alternatives. The sucralose doesn’t have the bitter aftertaste. That’s what makes it more popular than other sugar alternatives such as stevia.
While sucralose is also considered shelf-stable and safe for use at higher temperatures such as baking. That’s why it is also used in cooking.
Splenda and Sugarfree Natura are the sucralose based sugar substitute.
What is Stevia ?
Stevia is a sugar substitute derived from the leaves of the plant ( stevia rebaudiana).
Stevioside and rebaudioside A (Reb-A) is the major part of these components.
It is sweeter up to 150 times than table sugar (sucrose). But has a slightly bitter aftertaste. Due to the reason that the stevia does not metabolize the glycosides in stevia, it contains zero calories.
The use of stevia as an alternative sweetener was begun in Japan, the Japanese have been using stevia in food products like soft drinks and for table use. It has shown potential health benefits as a healthful sugar alternative for diabetics.
Stevia products made up of reb-a are considered safe with rare side effects. However, more research is needed during any health issues.
Stevia and Erythritol that have been approved for use in the United States (U.S.) and do not appear to pose any health risks when used in moderation.
What is Aspartame?
Aspartame is a non-saccharide artificial sweetener. They are commonly used as a sugar substitute in food and beverages. It was first made in 1965. But was approved by the U.S Food and Drug Administration in 1981. It is around 200 times sweeter than table sugar (sucrose).
The ingredients of aspartame are aspartic acid and phenylalanine. These amino acids occur naturally. Phenylalanine is an essential amino acid that you get from food.
Phenylalanine is considered safe in the quantities found in common foods. However, High levels of phenylalanine are a health hazard to those born with phenylketonuria (PKU), a rare inherited disease that prevents phenylalanine from being properly metabolized.
What is Acesulfame Potassium also known as Acesulfame K?
Acesulfame potassium also is known as acesulfame K is an artificial sweetener. It was discovered by Germany in 1967. Acesulfame k is approximately 200 times sweeter than table sugar (sucrose).
It has a slightly bitter aftertaste. Manufacturers often combine it with other compounds to prevent its bitter aftertaste. Acesulfame k has been approved as safe by the FDA to use as a low-calorie sweetener
Is it healthier than sugar? Stevia has fewer calories than sugar and may play a role in weight management by helping you eat fewer calories. Because it’s free of calories and carbs, it’s a great sugar alternative for people on low-calorie or low-carb diets.
Conclusion:
With all the information above we tried to find out “is sugar-free safe for health?”. And we found that we should use sugar-free in moderation to remain safe. And according to the processes used in making sugar-free, We should choose the sugar-free that is closer to the natural process. And also according to your health condition.