Sweeteners Sweeteners
The argument around the safety of artificial sweeteners has rumbled on for decades, prompting both manufacturers and consumers to hunt for natural alternatives. Sugar alcohols – known on ingredient lists as sorbitol, xylitol, erythritol, among many other names – are increasingly popular as seemingly healthy options. But are they really that safe, not least given they can potentially cause gastrointestinal problems? Jim Banks explores the pros and cons, and considers how sugar alcohol differs from aspartame, getting help from experts across the sector.
Craving clarity F
or many years, sugar has been demonised as the cause of obesity, heart problems, cardiovascular disease (CVD), cancer and diabetes. The popular press is never short of scare stories urging restrictions on sugar consumption, leaving the field open for low- calorie sweeteners (LCS). But they, too, never seem to escape controversy. When a new alternative to sugar hits the shelves, stories of its negative health impacts soon follow.
Aspartame, a key ingredient in low-calorie beverages such as Coke Zero and Sprite Zero, as well as many brands of sugar–free chewing gum, is now inextricably linked to the risk of cancer (particularly liver cancer), despite the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) noting that more than 100 studies have shown it to be safe for most people. Other bodies, including The European Food Safety Authority (EFSA), also approve its use.
62
“The FDA has labelled many artificial sweeteners as safe, but there is controversy around artificial sweeteners and their potential risk,” says Amy Shapiro, founder of Real Nutrition NYC, a private practice in New York focused on optimal nutrition, weight and wellness. “Research is ongoing, and it is important to note that many studies conclude high intakes of artificial sweeteners are associated with increased risk of cancer.”
There are plenty of examples to choose from here. A large cohort study in 2022, for instance, found that artificial sweeteners – especially aspartame and acesulfame-K – were associated with increased cancer risk. An earlier study by researchers at the Civil Hospital in Karachi, Pakistan, showed that artificial sweeteners used in large quantities can cause weight gain, promote obesity and impair normal metabolic responses.
Ingredients Insight /
www.ingredients-insight.com
Tatjana Baibakova/
Shutterstock.com
Page 1 |
Page 2 |
Page 3 |
Page 4 |
Page 5 |
Page 6 |
Page 7 |
Page 8 |
Page 9 |
Page 10 |
Page 11 |
Page 12 |
Page 13 |
Page 14 |
Page 15 |
Page 16 |
Page 17 |
Page 18 |
Page 19 |
Page 20 |
Page 21 |
Page 22 |
Page 23 |
Page 24 |
Page 25 |
Page 26 |
Page 27 |
Page 28 |
Page 29 |
Page 30 |
Page 31 |
Page 32 |
Page 33 |
Page 34 |
Page 35 |
Page 36 |
Page 37 |
Page 38 |
Page 39 |
Page 40 |
Page 41 |
Page 42 |
Page 43 |
Page 44 |
Page 45 |
Page 46 |
Page 47 |
Page 48 |
Page 49 |
Page 50 |
Page 51 |
Page 52 |
Page 53 |
Page 54 |
Page 55 |
Page 56 |
Page 57 |
Page 58 |
Page 59 |
Page 60 |
Page 61 |
Page 62 |
Page 63 |
Page 64 |
Page 65 |
Page 66 |
Page 67 |
Page 68 |
Page 69 |
Page 70 |
Page 71 |
Page 72 |
Page 73 |
Page 74 |
Page 75 |
Page 76 |
Page 77 |
Page 78 |
Page 79 |
Page 80 |
Page 81 |
Page 82 |
Page 83 |
Page 84 |
Page 85 |
Page 86 |
Page 87 |
Page 88 |
Page 89 |
Page 90
