Want to eat sweets without gaining weight, is this really possible?

What is sugar substitute?

Sweeteners refer to substances other than sugar that can produce sweetness, also known as sweeteners.

The sugar here refers to refined sugars such as white sugar (sucrose), glucose, fructose, and maltose.

Sweeteners are divided into nutritional and non-nutritive types.

Note: The so-called "nutrition" is actually just calories.

Are artificial sweeteners safe? In 1879, the world's first artificial sweetener, saccharin, was introduced.

Later, artificial sweeteners such as cyclamate, aspartame, and sucralose were discovered one after another.

For example, the familiar Coke Zero contains two artificial sweeteners: aspartame and acesulfame potassium.

The artificial sweeteners represented by the above have been plagued by safety controversies since their birth.

When it comes to this kind of "artificial additives", many people will subconsciously panic, thinking that it is unsafe and harmful to the human body.

In fact, scientists have conducted repeated experimental studies on artificial sweeteners.

Currently, the artificial sweeteners we add to food are food additives regulated by regulatory authorities (such as China’s National Health Commission and the United States’ FDA) and must be reviewed and approved before they can be sold.

Regulatory approval for each artificial sweetener is based on its acceptable daily intake (ADI).

The ADI is the maximum amount that is considered safe to consume each day during a lifetime and is set at a very conservative level to avoid causing harm to the human body.

Therefore, artificial sweeteners approved for use in China are safe and reliable for normal consumption, and there is no scientific evidence that they will cause serious health problems.

It is safe to add artificial sweeteners to food in a reasonable manner, so there is no need to panic.

Can I eat sugar substitutes without limit? As sweet as sugar and with very low calories, can I eat sugar substitutes as much as I want?

NO! Long-term and large-scale consumption of sugar substitutes is not recommended:

1. Some sugar substitutes do not stimulate dopamine

People like to eat sweets because sugar can stimulate the brain's dopamine reward system, secrete more dopamine, and make us feel happy.

However, eating sweeteners often does not provide this stimulation. Studies have found that dopamine levels do not change after taking sucralose.

As a result, the lack of satisfaction may lead to eating more sweets.

2. Can easily cause diarrhea

Sugar alcohol sweeteners, such as xylitol, sorbitol, maltitol, and erythritol, can easily cause diarrhea if consumed in large quantities.

For example, 30-50g of xylitol per day will not cause diarrhea, sorbitol should not exceed 10-20g, and maltitol should be around 30g.

3. No guilt, but more eating

Many times, people exercise restraint in their eating habits because they are concerned about the calorie content of food.

Once you feel that there is not much calories, you will relax your "restraint" on food intake and may eat more food instead.

4. May affect intestinal flora

A study published in Nature in 2014 found that non-caloric artificial sweeteners can cause changes in the composition and function of the intestinal flora in mice.

Tianjin Medical University General Hospital published an article titled "Maternal sucralose intake alters gut microbiota of offspring and exacerbates hepatic steatosis in adulthood" in Gut Microbes, which showed that excessive sucralose can cause intestinal flora imbalance.

Once the intestinal flora is out of balance, many complications will arise.

5. Preservatives and other additives

Sugar has three functions:

Provides sweetness

Anti-corrosion

Add fragrance and color

And sugar substitutes can only provide the first one.

Therefore, replacing sugar with sugar substitutes requires the use of other preservatives, additives, and adjustments to product formulas and production processes to inhibit the reproduction of microorganisms and imitate the flavor of sugar.

Of course, preservatives and additives used in compliance with regulations are also safe.

In general, using sugar substitutes to replace part of the sugar in moderation has more benefits than disadvantages.

Sweeteners are just a better choice when we cannot avoid eating sugar, but they are not our best choice.

References:

1. Yin Junfeng, Wang Fang, Shen Danyu, Yuan Haibo, Xu Yongquan, Chen Jianxin. Analysis of sensory quality and physicochemical composition of tea beverage products in Hangzhou market[J]. China Tea, 2007(03):29-31.

2. Luo Xianglian, Li Biansheng, Chen Peng, Chen Liquan, Chen Yu. Application and safety research of compound sweeteners. Food Industry Science and Technology. 2018(11)

3. https://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/kD0LpncAU7iKsTv8oWZsag

4. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S105381190701004X