Artificial Sweeteners and other Sugar Substitutes Follow @CoachFabs

In the last few years we have been living in a world obsessed with trying to find a culprit to blame for a society of people that are getting increasingly more over weight.

This is an epidemic of huge proportions, that does not discriminate based on gender, ethnicity or age.

Sugar consumption has increased drastically so it was only normal for people to point the finger at sugar consumption and say here is the problem. The solution, instead of moderating the amount of sugar we consume on a daily basis was to create substitutes for the sugar, which in turn would satisfy the craving for something sweet without the effect of pumping sugar through our system.

Understanding Artificial Sweeteners and other Sugar Substitutes

A sugar substitute loosely speaking is anything you use to add sweetness to your food that is not sugar. These can be divided among four distinct categories, based on their chemical composition.

Artificial Sweeteners

These are synthetic sweeteners, derived form herbs or sugar. This is the category where you will find the majority of your little packets. Also you can identify them with the following chemical names: Acesulfame, Aspartame, Neotame, Saccharin, Sucralose.

There has been a concern about the safety of these sweeteners and they have been linked with cancer. There is also a established acceptable daily intake, which is considered to give you and idea of the safe range for your daily consumption.

Sugar Alcohols

You will normally find sugar alcohols in sugar free candy, chocolate and sugar free sodas. You can also identify them under the following chemical names: Erythritol, Isomalt, Lactitol, Maltitol, Sorbitol. 

There are a few health concerns associated with this type of sweetener, based on the amount of consumption, around 50 grams, these sweeteners can have laxative effects, cause bloating, intestinal gas and diarrhea.

Novel Sweeteners  

In the last couple of years a new type of sweeteners has emerged based on plant extracts. Often they will go under the name of Stevia or Truvia. But you can also find them as extracts of Tagatose and Trehalose.

Natural Sweeteners

Here is where you will find absolutely natural sweeteners like agave nectar, honey, maple syrup and molasses.

Natural Sweeteners are generally safe, but there are no health benefits on consuming added sugar in your nutrition. Also be aware that honey can contain small bacterial spores, for this reason it is not recommended to give it to children less than 1 year old.