Sweetness is one of the basic tastes in daily meals. However, people with diabetes, heart disease, obesity… need to control sweets. This often makes them feel that their meals are tasteless. Sweeteners came into being. So which type of sweetener is better? This article will introduce you to the common sweeteners in the market and hope it will be helpful to you.

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Sweeteners refer to substances other than sucrose or syrup that can produce sweetness.

For diabetics, the most sensible way is to use sweeteners, they will not raise blood sugar like glucose.

1. The benefits of sweeteners for diabetics

Artificial sweeteners can also help control diabetes

Sweeteners (artificial sugars) usually do not significantly affect the blood sugar of diabetic patients. Therefore, people with diabetes can use sweeteners.

Sweeteners are widely used in the household and food industry. In addition, it is also used to increase the sweetness of tea, coffee, cocktails and other beverages, as well as desserts, cakes, baked goods or daily cooking. Although the role of sweeteners is to help control weight and blood sugar, they still need to be used in moderation.

“Are sweeteners good?” According to medical experts, if you know how to use sweeteners, it will be very good for your health. Since the sweetener itself is a kind of non-energy sugar, it will not increase blood sugar, so it should be especially recommended for diabetic patients with diet control.

Usually, foods containing sweeteners are all sugar-free on the label, but this does not actually mean that they do not contain calories. If other ingredients in the product contain calories, excessive consumption will still increase weight and blood sugar. Therefore, never over-eat foods containing sweeteners.

2. Sweeteners for diabetics (artificial sweets)

Natural sugars are usually high in energy and can easily raise blood sugar levels. Therefore, diabetics can use sweeteners in food cooking and processing. Sweeteners are artificial sweets, which have almost no energy and are many times sweeter than ordinary sugar. It is safe to use sweeteners rationally.

2.1 Sucralose-the most common sweetener

Sweeteners suitable for diabetes

Sucralose is a non-calorie sweetener, 600 times sweeter than ordinary sugar, natural taste, soluble granular, and will not denature at high temperatures, so it can be used as a seasoning for many daily dishes or baking.

This sugar is ideal for patients with type 2 diabetes, because sucralose is 600 times sweeter than sugar and has no effect on blood sugar. This sugar is found in many candies and beverages for diabetics.

In addition, the human body rarely absorbs sucralose. An article published in Physiology and Behavior in October 2016 stated that sucralose is the most commonly used artificial sweetener in the world.

According to the regulations of the US Food and Drug Administration, the acceptable daily intake of sucralose is: 5 mg or less per kilogram of body weight per day. A person weighing 60 kg should consume no more than 300 mg of sucralose per day.

2.2 Steviol glycosides (Stevia sugar)

Stevia can be used in a diabetic diet

Stevia sugar, derived from the leaves of the stevia plant, is native to Central and South America.

Stevia does not contain calories and is commonly used as a sweetener in foods and beverages. According to an article published in Diabetes Care in January 2019, sweeteners including stevia have little effect on blood sugar.

The US Food and Drug Administration believes that stevia is safe when used in moderation. The difference between stevia and sucrose is that stevia does not contain calories. However, this does not mean that using stevia instead of sucrose can lose weight. Stevia is much sweeter than sucrose, and when using it, we only need a little bit.

Sloan Kettering Memorial Cancer Center pointed out that people have reported gastrointestinal reactions after eating large amounts of stevia. But so far, it has not been confirmed by reliable scientific research.

Stevia sugar: The sweetness is 250-300 times that of natural sugar, a pure sweetener, and an additive in many foods. The allowable consumption is: 7.9 mg or less per kilogram of body weight per day. The World Health Organization (WHO) determined that the maximum safe dosage of stevia sugar is 4 mg per kilogram of body weight per day. In other words, if your weight is 50 kg, the amount of stevia sugar that can be safely consumed per day is 200 mg.

2.3 Aspartame-a low-calorie sweetener

Low-calorie sweetener

Aspartame is a non-nutritive artificial sweetener whose sweetness is 200 times that of natural sugar. Although aspartame is not as zero-calorie as some other artificial sweeteners, aspartame is still very low in calories.

Although the US Food and Drug Administration believes that it is safe to consume aspartame, an expert from the US Food and Drug Administration pointed out that research on the safety of aspartame has had some conflicting results. The expert said: “Although the reputation of low calories attracts many people with weight problems, aspartame has brought many negative effects.”

Multiple animal studies have linked aspartame to leukemia, lymphoma and breast cancer. Another study showed that aspartame may be related to migraine.

However, the American Cancer Society pointed out that aspartame is safe, and research has not found that aspartame increases the risk of cancer in humans.

Phenylketonuria is a rare disease that cannot metabolize phenylalanine (the main component of aspartame), so aspartame should not be consumed.

The US Food and Drug Administration believes that the maximum safe dosage of aspartame is 50 mg per kilogram of body weight per day. A person weighing 60 kg does not have more than 3000 mg of aspartame per day.

2.4 Sugar alcohol

Sugar alcohols (isomalt, lactose, mannitol, sorbitol, xylitol) are sugars found in fruits and herbs. It is not sweeter than sucrose. Unlike artificial sweets, this type of sweets contains a certain amount of calories. Many people use it to replace conventional refined sugar in their daily lives. Despite the name “sugar alcohol”, it does not contain alcohol and does not have ethanol like alcohol.

Xylitol, pure, no added ingredients

Sugar alcohol will increase the sweetness of food, help food retain moisture, prevent browning during baking, and add taste to food. Sugar alcohol does not cause tooth decay. They are low in energy (half of sucrose) and can help control weight. The human body cannot fully absorb sugar alcohols, and it has less interference with blood sugar compared with ordinary refined sugar.

Although sugar alcohols have fewer calories than natural sugars, their sweetness is lower, which means you have to use more to get the same sweetness effect as natural sugars. For those who are not so demanding on sweetness, sugar alcohol is a suitable choice.

Sugar alcohols have few health-related problems. When used in large amounts (usually more than 50 grams, sometimes as low as 10 grams), sugar alcohols can cause bloating and diarrhea.

If you have diabetes, artificial sweeteners may be a better choice. According to the American Diabetes Association, artificial sweeteners provide more choices for sweet tooth lovers and reduce the feeling of being disconnected from society.