Is sugar bad for you? How about artificial sweeteners? Learn more about what the labels are not telling you... and you want to know!
Back in my teenage years when I was giving my first steps in the filed of nutrition, finding the powerful taste of sweeteners was like magic. I was not only able to skip on the sugar for good but also push my parents to do the same - thinking how good this was for them.
Fun fact I never shared before - at least publicly - when I swapped my sugary yoghurts for a natural/plain one (suggested by my dietitian) to which I added 2 spoons of sugar so I could bear the sourness. Looking back, the difference it makes to educate tastes and understand what eating healthy is about! Can still feel the sugar grains crunch in my mouth when having my afternoon snack...
Back to the powerful messaging of sweeteners, marketed as zero or as low as 0,2 kcal per serve, sweeteners were (are?) the promising solution to cut consumption of sugar, promote weight loss and improve the health of many people including those with diseases such as diabetes. And maybe I could add them instead of my cheeky sugar to the yoghurt!?
Lets start with sugar.
The word "sugar" is used as a generic name for the various types of sugars which may differ in their chemistry and composition. The most common "sugar" used is sucrose (table sugar) will this be for a cuppa or as an ingredient in processed foods/drinks.
What are sweeteners?
Classified in 2 types - artificial and natural sweeteners, artificial sweeteners are further classified as nutritive and non-nutritive depending on whether they contain calories. Metabolised via different pathways in the body, with differences in their taste and persistence of sweet taste, there are various sweeteners available and approved for human consumption.
Although food safety authorities have cleared artificial sweeteners as safe and well tolerated by humans, the benefits and side effects are still controversial.
With some studies pointing sweeteners as part of the solution to resolve obesity, reduce risk to develop type 2 diabetes and other health diseases, other studies have actually concluded the opposite.
Sweeteners = (sweetness x pleasure)2 - calories ?
To continue with our decision making on whether to use sweeteners or sugar: if sweeteners are lower in calories and support us cutting the sugar content of our diet - will you lose weight by using them and products containing sweeteners (instead of sugar)? Straight answer? NO.
Gut Flora
Sweeteners such as sucralose, saccharin and steviol glycosides are able to affect our gut flora as they enter in contact with living bacteria in our colon. Artificial sweeteners may cause imbalances in our gut flora by changing their composition and functions.
Body Weight and Fat Tissue
Overweight/obesity and the excess of body fat are often linked to a positive energy balance (where the calories consumed are above our body energy needs). Controversy aside (as I do not share the vision of weight management being ruled by calories in/calories out), this would point us in the direction of encouraging the use of sweeteners since these have much fewer (or approx. zero) calories, would contribute to a negative energy balance thus weight loss.
But it is not the case...
The majority of studies measuring the effectiveness of consuming artificial sweeteners (in replacement of sugar) lead to no conclusive results with no significant differences in weight between the groups studied.
The reward system
How do sweeteners affect our appetite, hunger, and eating behaviour? When looking at our body's reward system, it plays an important role regulating energy intake.
When looking at the location of the sweet taste receptors, these are different for artificial sweeteners vs natural sugars. In fact, artificial sweeteners produce weaker signals in the area of satisfaction and satiety than sugar. Additionally, no differences in appetite were found when comparing individuals consuming sugar vs sweeteners.
Disadvantages of Artificial Sweeteners - A MUST KNOW
In particular from a point of view of managing health conditions where a medium-high consumption of sugar is strongly discouraged (e.g. diabetes, cardiovascular diseases), using artificial sweeteners are not supported by studies. On the contrary. (see a summary of pros and cons below).
Cravings
Although the topic of cravings are enough to create a post just about it, I want to add that the so called "sugar-craving" are triggered by a need - physiological or emotional. Identifying why/when/what will be on our list to work on. And in the end, in a balanced diet, having that piece of cake or cookie within a balanced diet and body&mind awareness will not only keep you on your healthy journey but also reinforce your feelings of being in control of your choices and empowered to make your own choices.
So, back to our initial question, can you eat that cookie? It's a likely YES. The severe restriction from sugar does not work long term if you are going through changes of habits that involve eating habits, stress, sleep or other Life factors that may lead you to crave sugar. On a balanced diet where you chose to eat natural foods (read preservatives and chemicals free), you can have your cookie or chocolate which can be made by you without requiring expert baking skills.
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