How sweet it is

If you go to the supermarket today you’ll find innumerable sugar substitutes made from a variety of chemical processes. Given our society’s love of sweet food and our problems with obesity and diabetes, everyone is looking for the magic potion: how can we eat the sweets and stay skinny and healthy at the same time? However, after the saccharine scares of the 70s (lab tests reported cancer in animals exposed to the substance) and the Nutraweet headaches of the 80s and 90s, it’s normal to wonder, Are these sugar substitutes safe?

I’ll give you some information so you can know how the substitutes are made, but the first rule when using these sweetners is to pay attention to your body’s reaction to them, as side effects have been anectdotally attributed to all of them. And, most importantly, keep yourself informed. Read the latest reports so that you can make your own decisions about how to incorporate sugar substitutes into your diet.

Sweeteners are classified into two categories:

• Nutritious sweeteners: These provide energy or calories; among them we find sucrose (white sugar), fructose (sugar in fruits), bee honey, corn syrup, molasses, piloncillo (raw cane sugar), dextrose, maltose and lactose. These elevate glucose in the blood sharply.

• Non-nutritious (artificial) sweeteners: These are man made and don’t elevate glucose in the blood. They are much sweeter than white sugar but have little or no caloric value. These are some of the most common kinds of artificial sweetners:

Saccharin.

Commercial brands: Sweet’N Low®

The oldest artificial sweetener is 300 to 500 times sweeter than sugar. It was considered a carcinogen after causing bladder cancer in rats when consumed daily in high doses. In 1991 the FDA lifted its restriction, but maintained that any product containing saccharin must have a warning label. Saccharin use definitely should be limited during pregnancy, as it has had undesirable effects on animal fetuses in laboratory tests.

Aspartame.

Commercial brands: NutraSweet ®, Canderel®

This sweetener is made of aspartic acid, phenylalanine and methanol. It is 200 times sweeter than sugar. It disintegrates and produces a bitter taste when exposed to high temperatures (120-140 degrees Celsius) for long periods of time. The consumption of aspartame must be limited in people who suffer phenylketonuria (PKU), a genetic disability that inhibits the body’s capacity to absorb phenylalanine.

Sucralose.

Commercial brand: Splenda®

The only low calorie sweetener made from sugar molecules, sucralose is 600 times sweeter than sugar. The sucralose molecules pass through the body without being recognized and are absorbed only in low quantities. It does not loose its sweetness when placed in high temperatures and can be used in cooking and baking. Sucralose has been billed as the first sweetener without side effects. However, there have been few long-term studies and side effects such as diarrhea and headaches have been reported.

Acesulfame Potassium.

Commercial brands: Sunett® Sunette® Sweet One®

This sweetener is 200 times sweeter than sugar and is not metabolized or modified in the body. It is stable in sustained heat and can be used in cooking and baking.

Georgina del Ángel is a nutricionist and researcher at the Salvador Zubirán National Institute of Nutrition in Mexico City, specializing in nutrition and the treatment of chronic and degenerative diseases. Any questions? health@insidemex.com