Artificial Sweeteners

Trying to lose weight or striving for robust health. Then you must be trying to reduce the sugar and calories in your diet and you may be pivoting towards Artificial Sweeteners or other Sugar Substitutes. Well, you ain’t alone.

SUGAR SUBSTITUTES??

Sugar substitutes are sweeteners that you use instead of regular table sugar(sucrose). Artificial sweeteners are just one type of sugar substitute.

ARTIFICIAL SWEETENERS??

Artificial sweeteners are synthetic sugar substitutes. But they may be derived from naturally occurring substances, such as herbs or sugar itself.

Artificial sweeteners can be an enticing alternative to sugar because they add virtually no calories to your diet and are much sweeter than sugar.

Also, you need only a fraction of artificial sweetener compared with the amount of sugar you would normally use for sweetness.

HOW DO THEY WORK?

The surface of your tongue is covered by many taste buds, each containing several taste receptors that detect different flavors. When you eat, your taste receptors encounter food molecules. A perfect fit between a receptor and molecule sends a signal to your brain, allowing you to identify the taste.

For instance, the sugar molecules fits perfectly into your taste receptor for sweetness, allowing your brain to identify the sweet taste. Artificial sweetener molecules are identical enough to sugar molecules to fit on the sweetness receptor. However, they’re generally too different from sugar for your body to break them down into calories. This is how they provide a sweet taste without the added calories.

Some Artificial Sweeteners

1. Aspartame: Sold under brand name NutraSweet, equal or sugartwin, aspartame is 200 times sweeter than table sugar.
2. Advantame: This sweetener is 20,000 times sweeter than table sugar and is suited for cooking and baking.
3. Sucralose: Sucralose, which is 600 times sweeter than table sugar is suited for cooking, baking and mixing with acidic foods

Health Benefits

• Weight control: Artificial sweeteners have virtually no calories. In contrast, a teaspoon of sugar has about 16 calories. So, if you’re trying to lose weight or prevent weight gain, artificial sweeteners can be a peachy alternative. Several studies have also attested that artificial sweeteners can help with weight loss.(I've posted a blog on the best science based tips to lose fat, you can check it out too)
• Diabetes: Artificial sweeteners aren’t carbohydrates. So unlike sugar, artificial sweeteners generally don’t raise blood sugar levels.(Ask your doctor or dietician before using any sugar substitute if you’re diabetic)
• Appetite: Several studies have found that participants report less hunger and consume fewer calories when they replace sugary foods and beverages with artificially sweetened alternatives.

DONE.

Studies cited:

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33168917/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28378852/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/24944060/

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26365102/

So, that’s all about today’s blog, I've explained you everything you need to know about Artificial Sweetners. 

See you all in the next blog. Till then, stay healthy, keep exercising and be benevolent towards others.