Artificial Sweetener vs. Sugar – The Choice is Yours

The WHO (World Health Organization) recommends no more than 10% of your total daily energy should come from added sugar.  Based on a 2,000 calorie daily diet, you should not exceed 12 teaspoons of sugar daily.  To gauge how much sugar is in a serving, divide the grams by 4.  I.E. – 4 grams of sugar per serving translates into 1 teaspoon of sugar.

Many people wonder whether they should be eating sugar (natural or refined) or should they use artificial sweeteners as a replacement, in order to reduce calories and blood sugar levels while at the same time retaining the sweetness in their favourite foods.  Knowing what you are consuming and their side effects may help in the decision making process?

Do sugars or sweeteners cause people to eat more food?  The experts have been at odds about this issue for years; one study will say yes and then the next will have the opposite results.  One argument for the yes side is that the body may look for more carbohydrates after the brain receives the message of having received sweetness.  The no side says that sugar in particular does not create a desire for more food as high blood sugars suppresses the appetite over the short term.

What are artificial sweeteners, refined sugars and natural sugars?

Artificial Sweeteners (limited or no calories)

Saccharin – a sweetener derived from coal tar, in 1977 a government study linked it to bladder cancer in rats, since manufacturers have not been allowed to add saccharin to foods, however it is available from pharmacies where it is sold over the counter as a tabletop sweetener.

Cyclamate – like saccharin, this compound is made also from coal tar and has been linked with bladder cancer in animals.  Cyclamate is unavailable in the US however it is available in Canada under the names of Sucryl®, Sweet’N Low®, Sugar Twin® and Weight Watchers®.

Aspartame – also know as NutraSweet® and Equal® is made of two amino acids (phenylalanine and aspartic acid).  There has been much controversy about aspartame causing cancer; however there is no specific scientific evidence reported to date.  Many people have reported headaches and other reactions attributed to its use.

Sucralose – most widely known as Splenda® is found in a variety of reduced sugar foods and sold as a tabletop sweetener.  Sucralose is derived from real sugar as part of the chemical process to make it, sugar molecules are attached to chlorine.  So far, it has not been associated with cancer in laboratory studies.  Some people have reported they experience an after taste after consumption.

Acesulfame K (potassium) – commonly sold under the name of Sunett® and recently can be found in many diet foods such as drinks, jams, baked goods, candies and gum.  As it is relatively new to the market there is inadequate data to its cancer causing potential.  Excessive consumption of potassium can lead to a fatal health condition; therefore beware of quantities consumed on regular bases.

Refined Sugars

Refined sugars can be listed in many different ways; here are just some of the common listings: brown sugar, granulated sugar, cane sugar, honey (pasteurized), rice syrup, maple syrup, corn syrup, corn sweeteners, high-fructose corn syrup, dextrose, sucrose, concentrated fruit juice, tapioca syrup, glucose, crystalline fructose, lactose (pasteurized), stevia, turbinado, sucanat and molasses.  The caloric content of refined sugars varies, based on product base source and processing methods.  Some sugars are refined very little, as in whole milk being heated to be pasteurized, while other items are processed to a much greater extent with chemicals and compounds added or deleted.  Granular white sugar (commonly called table sugar) has approximately 15 calories per teaspoon and is processed most frequently from sugar cane or sugar beets.

Sugar alcohols – are commonly used in calorie reduced foods in combination with artificial sweeteners as they have a lower sweetness taste.  Sugar alcohols are commonly known to have side effects including bloating, diarrhea and flatulence for many after prolonged use the side effects disappear.  Sugar alcohols can be listed by many different names, as indicated below, however the most popular one is xylitol which can be found regularly in sugar-free hard candies, chewing gum and sugar-free chocolate products.  When reading labels watch for glycol, glycerol, erythritol, threitol, arabitol, xylitol, ribitol, mannitol, sorbitol, dulcitol, iditol, isomalt, maltitol and polglycitol to identify various forms of sugar alcohols.  Many are lead to believe that sugar alcohols are a no calorie substitute for sugar, however sugar alcohols do contain calories (ranging from .2 to 4.3 / gram), in most cases less than refined sugars.  Some research does indicate that people who have undergone Roux-en-Y gastric bypass surgery should be careful not to consume to much sugar alcohols, with the exception of erythritol, as they can aid in causing dumping syndrome.

Natural Sugars

Naturally occurring sugars are found in raw/unprocessed fruits, vegetables, honey (un-pasteurized) and milk (un-pasteurized); once these food items have been cooked or processed (including freezing) their sugar/caloric/nutritional content can be increased or decreased.  Listed below is a list of common raw fruits and vegetables with their calorie and sugar content based on a 100 gram serving.

Diabetes tend to avoid excess sugar in order to regulate blood sugars and opt to using more of the artificial sweeteners, gastric bypass patients also use sweeteners in order to avoid excess sugar as it may cause dumping syndrome.

The choice is yours; many people make their decisions based on health issues and/or ecological convictions.  No matter what your decision is, make sure it is an informed knowledgeable decision.

Author: Jean Hamilton, 3rd year post-op Roux-en-Y Gastric By-pass patient who has maintained a 300+ pound loss and author of A Fat Girl’s Butterflies: A True Story of Extreme Weight Loss. – www.wlspublishing.com

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